MacBook Pro WITHOUT the Screen? 

I had an old HP notebook with a dead screen back in 2005. A friend needed a PC, so I disconnected the screen and ribbon cables and he had a free pc. Worked pretty great and he used it for a couple of years.

If the screen is broken, I think it's a great way for repurposing a broken mac, or any laptop.

An MBP without the screen really hits different... 🤣 This mod is not exactly a new concept, but with how MacBooks are *notorious* for their un-repairability, some people might be surprised with how easy it is to do!

the more i watched the more i realized this has some great implications: imagine if you buy a MBP with a BROKEN display, those can run 500-700 even, so just turn it into a desktop, bam, and hell - you can buy an external 'travel' monitor and put them into a laptop bag and keep an entire mobile setup if you wanted. But I can also see the opportunity for someone who, maybe masochistically, didn't ever use their MBP as a laptop, but in a henge dock or just closed, with other monitors, they could remove the screen and SELL it as parts for several hundred dollars. Hmmmmm

This explains why I'm seeing MBPs with busted screens still going for so much on Ebay.

Back in 2021, I thought this was a fun idea but apparently my friends thought it was stupid...I'm kinda glad this is a thing now. I might try it for myself in the future.

This was cool! My mind immediately went to those that have modded a DS lite by removing the top screen and just keeping the bottom screen… essentially making “Gameboy Macro” of sorts… good stuff Ken!

i think it would be really cool to take this one step further and seperate then inbed the keyboard and mouse into a desk and have a seamless desk pc. Like the content Ken, you have a sub from me

I have to say that it really shatters my heart when I see people ripping perfectly functional computers. On the other hand though, the slab book concept is very amazing, I really hope Apple starts getting innovative in the aspect of ultra small and portable Macs.

Had no idea Ken had his own channel, instant sub for you sir.

It's the 80s all over again, and I'm all for it! I thought of doing this to my broken laptop but sadly my external display is broken too.

First thing I’m hoping is if the antennas have been rerouted. They are generally in the lid, could expect Bluetooth and wifi to be weak and possibly burn out without antennas connected

Apple: we're rolling out new updates to manage hardware integrity. Mac: hardware error. Display not found.

Never used a Mac before but if people can figure out a way to extend their usage of a device, way to go! Less e-waste How comfortable is the keyboard on macs? Is it like any regular laptop? Keep it up!

I used to do this with old Intel MacBook Pro's that had broken displays. The biggest issue with this mod is if you see any antennas going into the monitor you will have to get some replacements. However since I haven't taken a Mac display apart for a while and haven't looked on iFixIt I don't know if there are antennas that run through the display of newer Macs.

Don’t know about doing this on a newer/expensive laptop but possibly on older ones. Nice to give a new life

Unfortunately, this brings back sour memories. I started using my Macbook air (last iteration powered by intel processor) like this because its screen stopped working after about 13 months. And getting it repaired (especially here in India) didn't make financial sense.

I did this for a friend ten years ago as he broke his screen but as he was at college could not afford to replace it. So simple and great fun. It ran for years

This is a cool idea. Curious to know how do you get the wifi & Bluetooth to work, doesn't the screen have the antennas for those functions?

Not a Mac fan but I would do this for fun with a older Mac

I just got a 2008 MacBook Pro with a smashed screen, and I considered setting it up as a desktop solution, but I ultimately was able to find the replacement parts I needed to get it turned into a laptop again.

What a coincidence. I have the same macbook pro and i was about to sell it today for 170 haha. But i felt the hardware is just too good for me to sell it that little even though the screen isnt working so i backed out from that offer 😂

This is interesting. I've thought about buying a used Macbook to use in my office, just hiding the laptop in the desk. Never thought about finding one with a broken screen and having it on the desk. That would be especially helpful since I really enjoy Mac's touchpads and gesture navigation.

Yankee with no brim.

I've been doing this for ages with my old laptops which had broken screens and deemed not worth the screen replacement costs. Removing the screen was more convenient to use without it blocking the external monitor I was hooking them up to.

Working in e-waste I get a fair number of old MBPs that come through, and I have toyed with the idea of bolting one to the underside of my desk and running and keyboard and monitor from it to make a desktop Mac, but I never really got around to it, and the idea of more stuff crowding my desk bothers me. Neat idea though.

Think of a re-imagined Apple II powered by the M1 or M2. That‘d be beyond awesome (and retro).

Been running my MacBook pro m1 like this for a month now and i am loving it

Honestly kinda wanna see the return of C64/Amiga 500 style Wedge micro pc's, I have a console gamer friend who daily drives a Raspberry Pi 400 as his main PC alongside his Xbox and honestly I think its a neat little setup

Awesome video. As a long time Mac user (I use MacOS and Ubuntu both daily and have for a long while), I was kinda wondering how the software would work without the display. I have done software updates before a few times where the external display would not want to reconnect so I had to use the internal display to at least get logged in before I could dock it back to my monitors. Knowing that I no longer had said external display would make me sweat bullets everytime I had to update.

If you attached some sort of touchscreen monitor and a hinge that could fold all the way back, you’d have an iPad killer!

the display issue can be fixed if you make it into clamshell mode, or attaching magnets to the particular area of the previous screen. that should turn off the primary display

I've got M1 Pro 16" with broken display for £300, just the screen is over £700. With external monitor it is working just fine.

When I saw teardown of M1 Mac mini, I actually thought about something like that, that is so small and efficient, that actually could fit on a magic keyboard, more thicker to add ports but could be a nice idea, you already use space in your desktop for the keyboard all the time, why not have all the computer and ports there? then, I saw the MacBooks without screens trending 😮

The Mac SE - with the screenless case of a 2016 Macbook Pro and the horsepower of a M1 Max 👍 what an idea

Apple should make a keyboard computer like this as a throwback and calling it the Apple IV.

I also think this would be a great use of the touch bar as a welcome screen or to use as a micro display on it

Great cinematography and content! Glad I decided to subscribe!

Imagine the screen being underneath this “decapitated” MacBook, and how there’s a sliding case used to prevent the screen from scratching when you turn the MacBook around

My M1 Macbook Air screen broke yesterday, thanks for the idea!

I did this with my old broken screen dell laptop it was awesome, built in keyboard and mouse cd drive also. Also had 3 monitors connected to it.

4:21 The Elecom 'HUGE' trackball, with the ball on top, is the best trackball mouse.

I did this for a while with my 15 inch MacBook Pro when my screen got broke until I got lucky and found a grade a screen replacement for a good price while it work good as a desktop I am really happy to have a screen on it now

I also had to remove the wi-fi antenna from the screen and connect it back to the computer; otherwise I could not pickup a signal. Kinda a pain and it doesn't look great but hey, it works!

The true OGs have been doing this since the early 2000s :) Great way for a "desktop" with built-in UPS.

Leave the hinge on and keep it in closed state so the Mac would think it’s docked and connected to external display which will then act as a primary display

What an interesting idea! Now if only the Macbook had a better keyboard to start with :)

It does make for a sleek setup especially if you can buy an M1 macbook used or broken. And since the M1's are so powerful you don't really loose performance.

Back to the good old PC-in-Keyboard-Style

My MacBook m1’s LCD is trashed sadly. Though the main front glass is fine so this seems like a perfect mod for people in my position, as explained in other videos the screen needs to be replaced anyway so going half way through the repair isn’t an issue.

Really loving the new channel, Ken! Keep it up!

Apple engineers: Thanks unbox therepy now we will lock the mac in such a way that it won't turn on if there's no screen. 🛐🤣 For security reasons

2004 called, it wants its haircut back.

5:49 ik it's barely visible but does anyone know that wallpaper? (Edit: this is a better view of the wallpaper)

If the MacBook is going to be plugged in constantly, you should probably remove the battery too.

I was going to do something similar with a gaming laptop for travel but I haven’t found one with a broken screen and a decent price yet. I tend not to use the built in screen in most gaming laptops due to the performance lost with integrated graphics. If you plug directly into the gpu it bypasses the igpu and results in much better performance. Thank goodness mux switches are becoming commonplace in new gaming laptops.

This is great, subbed and looking forward to more content from you. Really happy to see you taking charge of your own content homie.

Its like having a modern version of an 8bit Micro Computer like the Apple II, Commodore 64, Sinclair Zx Spectrum or an Amstrad CPC 464, just to name a few.

Thank you! Now prices on these screenless Macbooks will raise in price considerately on the internet. 🤦🏻‍♂️

i love you ken and your style and humor

I did this about a year ago for my old 2015 mac pro with a busted screen. It's great as a backup computer.... very portable obviously. Sometimes I use it with the TV in the lounge.

Ken's so much more classy on this channel lmao

i dont recommend removing the battery because it might cut the cpu perfomance in half

That trackpad skin tho! 🔥🔥 Thanks for this walkthrough vid!! I shattered the screen on my 2021 15" MBP. So, I'm in the process of converting it into my dedicated garage mac.

This idea isn't far fetched because Apple did this back in 1977 it was called the Apple II.

Were you able to keep the keyboard backlight functionality after removing the screen? My Touch Bar controls don't control the keyboard backlight anymore.

So I love the idea. Mostly at the moment because I have an old working MacBook pro and a broken screen, not even the back light comes on. I have managed to get into it on an external display. But at the moment I seam locked out. I would love a video on how to log in and navigate blind as I can't get the external monitor to connect at the moment

I did the same thing years ago with an old 09 macbook. The original screen hinges broke, so I changed to a replacement lid with good hinges, but then the display's ribbon cable broke, so I took the lid/screen off and ran with to an external display. Sure it's not mobile anymore, but it's not my main laptop/computer either, but it still gets used now and then, and still works fine, especially with an SSD and max amount of RAM supported installed.

I work for Apple’s depot repair for MacBooks. We legit have these but with an extended EDP cable (the one that connects the mainboard to the display) to test displays.

How did you get that timelaps shot on 2:56? Looks awesome! Is that steadycam on slider or something?

The only problem I have with this is that when you use it, the palm rest can get quite warm if not hot even on m1

Can we get in detail video on how to do it step by step? coz frankly it just blew my mind and wanna try to do it as well.

I also saw the Lew Later video and thought it looks cool and it is great. Especially you can buy these laptops for the fraction of the price. Nice to try this and made a video about it...

So no issues with Wi-Fi? I have an older MacBook Pro, which has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas I believe inside the screen part as part of its removal includes disconnecting connectors from the wireless card. That's the main reason I'm looking at getting a replacement screen instead.

I find laptops being de-screened (or decapitated if looking at the screen as its head) quite funny as it is closer to the idea of the early home computers where the keyboard itself also contained the computer. Some examples being the Commodore 64, Amiga 500, Atari 8bit computers, etc. with a modern counterpart being the Raspberry Pi 400, but a bit odd at the same time since computer were big then became small inside keyboard shaped cases to dedicated towers and the removal of screens on laptops seems like both a step back (lack of upgradability) and forward at the same time (having a battery). Being a laptop when its headless (or screen-less) its functionally a desktop-like computer with its own UPS due to having the battery. Which would actually be useful in places where electricity may be unstable at times and that battery will help prevent the loss of what's being worked on. LOL that this went quite long for a comment on an almost year and a half old video.

It was not a Macbook but i had an old dell precision m6300 i did that mod to, the screen was dead.

Yay 4 Ken in front the camera I feel dumb for not finding this channel sooner.

What iPhone case are you using? I Want it!!!

I had a MacBook with a broken screen, and about a year or two ago decided to do the same. I called it a HalfBook. Works GREAT!

I had a Acer laptop in 2018 witch my dad smashed the screen of. And i also used it without a screen for couple of years.

Oh, I did this on a Chromebook in 2015

It's funny, I would probably never think of using it that way XD I would end up just docking it vertically off to the side somewhere and use a standalone kb+m :P

You can also add it behind a display and use a caldigit dock and wireless kbm

Nice to see that we are returning to the good old Commodore 64 form factor

Just purchased a M1 MacBook Air 16GB / 512GB with a broken screen @ roughly 25% of original cost. Removed the screen. Using Apple Thunderbolt 27" Display with the MacBook resting on the display foot. Added Wireless Matias full keyboard + Magic Mouse 2. MagSafe 2 to USB-C adapter (Elect Anywatt) powers the MB from the display. With the screen removed the MB defaults to the TB Display as the primary display. All needed Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 Adapter. Works perfectly.

Samsung in its Galaxy S line has Dex mode that transform your phone in a computer, you just need a bigger display and a keyboard (wired or wireless) (your phone screen can function as a trackpad, or just connect a mouse) then you have samsung dex os

i bought a refurbished macbook pro 2017 and had the t-con board fail on me only a little while after i got the device. it spent the remainder of its warranty going in and out of the shop as people played the blame game, (apple authorized, not apple corporate, i know that now) and now its a $1000 paperweight on the shelf behind me having spent more time in the shop, than in my possession. it is still on the 'setup user account' screen. maybe this is a way to at least get some use out of the thing. this is tempting now...

First 100k vid I’m glad denki blew up!

Interesting use for a used MacBook that you my have laying around ... especially nice if your current MacBooks screen has issues. Thanks, enjoyable video.

why not creating a ardiuno or custom PCb that connects to the connector of the screen and transmit the data wirelessly or through a HDMI cable, the space created after removing the hinge can best location to fit those stuffs. This could a cool build to do,

I was hoping to see a led panel direct hookup video with the MBP motherboard. via HDMI is disappointing.

a topic worth to be covered by a good tech journalist, the only downside of it, you can't enter a recovery mode without using built-in screen, so one way or the other on some point you would need a replacement screen to be connected

So this is how I get an M1 Max chip for under €2000

I have a broken screen MacBook Air - I should do this but the issue is power on one side and HDMI on the other side. So it would look like crap on my desk.

Does this mean if a Mac air screen is broken this customised setup could be done or would you need to get Apple authorisation of what other damage is done to laptop. Have been told that Apple check out quote price etc on laptop for repair is free to a authorised Apple agent

I saw a posting on Ebay for the Mac Mini once. And it had a picture of the Macbook Pro without its screen and a regular monitor

The concept is amazing... but you will loose wifi and bluetooth antennas if you do it on MacBook Pro 15' fm 2013 to 2015? or am I wrong? anyway I need to test it with my old 2013 15inch .

I basically have this set up. The MBP that I had got the torn ribbon cable issue, and now it stays permanently closed as a TV entertainment center, using a wireless keyboard lol

Had a customer relinquish an old dead mbp to me another technician stripped screws on and the bottom case could not easily be removed. The machine had mild water damage killing the battery and the display. I literally snapped the display off the body and set it up for my father as a plex server

Can I do this with my MacBook Air? I’m sure it’s the same concept but didn’t know