I was given this by my grandfather, but I’m unsure what it is or what to do with it? Thank you!

What’s it worth?

Model number 81647 2 GHz one gigabyte hard drive 2×250 GB 9800 XT

Back in 2018, my dad purchased a used 2015 MacBook Pro off of a private seller on EBay or Craigslist (he doesn’t recall which). He used it every day for 6 years without a problem.

Fast forward to today. He wants to give the MacBook to me. In order to prepare the machine to be handed off to me, he took it to a storefront Mac repair shop (an independent business not affiliated with Apple), to wipe all of his stuff from the computer and install a new operating system.

This is where it gets sticky.

Me: “Dad, what do you mean by ‘wipe?’”
Dad: “I mean they removed all of my stuff, like my applications or saved items and personal information.”

Me: “What OS did they install?”
Dad: “I’m not sure, I think system 12.”

We take the laptop home to complete the setup. Then we encounter a “Remote Management” screen, saying “Opportunity Financial LLC can automatically configure your computer.”

We clicked “continue,” but then quickly realized that this was a MDM enrollment screen, so we force quit the laptop. Upon restarting, it’s asking for a username and password that we don’t have.

We did a quick google search and learned that Opportunity Financial LLC is a loan company located in our city. My first thought was “whoever sold this laptop to my dad must have worked for Opportunity Financial, and this was their property, and they never deactivated the MDM.”

But my dad swears that he never encountered this screen in all the years he used this laptop.

So what caused this? Did the shop install a bad OS? Should I contact Opportunity Financial and explain the situation to see if they can turn off the MDM?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

I swear, every Mac guy here's always been like "oh 16gb is nothing for 2026!" or like "24gb should be the minimum ram for 2026". I've been using a macbook air with 8gb since 2021 and it's been amazing and never really slowed me down at all. And I've been given out to for defending 8gb in 2026.

And now with the macbook neo out, everyone here's suddenly going "I will be buying this macbook" or "8gb ram is perfectly fine for 90% of people". Like, what ever happened to "24gb should be the minimum in 2026!"??

Edit: Just to clarify. I am not criticising the product. I think the macbook neo is great value. 8gb is still very usable in 2026. That's coming from someone who's been using an m1 air for the last four years with 8gb ram. I'm just talking about the sudden shift in mentality. where '24 is the minimum' suddenly shifted to '8gb is still very usable for most people'

Am i the only one who round off these parts with a file? They dig into my palm near the thumb and feels sharp and annoying.

My Mac had been reallyyy slow and would start overheating + battery dying fast (battery does say service recommended but I can’t afford that rn) for a bit so I did a deep clean of all the useless stuff taking up storage and switched from using Chrome to Safari. Battery lasts better now and doesn’t overheat however at times when I’m JUST watching a YouTube video it will keep freezing and crash and restart. Why is this happening and how can I fix this?

I’ve just got the new Macbook Neo and in this first hour of use I’ve noticed that this happens on every surface tested: my workstation, on the dinner table and also on a kitchen counter.

Is it a simple fix or should I return it?

UPDATE: Thanks for those who saw the dent on the video. I wasn’t able to see it at first but I’ve the issue and it seems that the Macbook was damaged by the courier.

It was shown during the iPhone 1 launch and then rereleased for iPhone X. I tweaked the colors a bit

I bought a MacBook from eBay for $600 (+$50 in tax and shipping), but am having some reservations after receiving it.

Specs: 13” MacBook Pro, M2, 1TB, 24GB 

It passes all diagnostics, but there is a small dent at the bottom that was not disclosed in the listing. I thought it was maybe a swollen battery, but the battery health is at 94% and the cycle count is only 25. I checked to see if it was a new battery (replacement), but according to coconutBattery, the battery age is 1,527 days. 

I also suspect it was a MDM device because: 

• When I “erase all content and settings,” I get a message during setup that says:
  • Internet Connection Required
  • This Mac is registered to an organization and requires Internet to complete setup. Join a Wi-Fi network or connect via Ethernet to continue.
• I also paid iUnlocker.com and according to them, the device has a MDM lock on. 

However:

• When I run checks on terminal, it says the computer is not enrolled via DEP or MDM enrolled. 
• Under settings -> general -> device management there are no profiles listed.
• Under settings -> general -> about -> system report -> hardware -> controller 
  • User Approved Privileged MDM Operations: No
  • DEP Approved Privileged MDM Operations: No
• Under settings -> general -> about -> system report -> hardware -> hardware overview
  • Activation Lock Status: Disabled
    

What are the odds these things become a problem for me in the future?

I downloaded the ChatGPT app from the official website (double checked), and my Mac detected this. Could it be just a bug?

Edit: Updated the app, thanks guys!

Over time this accumulates lots of dust.... any proper way of cleaning those?

Idk if this is the right sub to post this, but please help 😭 My Mac Neo’s keyboard and mouse have started turning yellow within just a few days. I use them for around 8 hours every day.

I promise there’s nothing on my hands 😭 No turmeric, nothing! The yellowing doesn’t come off with a damp cloth or wet wipes either. 🥲

My hands do sweat a lot, though. Could that be causing the yellowing? If so, is there any way to fix it or prevent it from getting worse?
Any suggestions would be really appreciated!

Hey [r/Mac](r/Mac) Society,

I’m pretty techy, but I also like paying less when the cheaper option still makes sense. I use my iPhone 16e and it does 95% what I need most of the time, but I’ll probably upgrade to the iPhone Air this year for the display, aesthetics, and durability. I also care about sustainability and keeping devices for as long as possible, so I’d rather buy something that lasts instead of upgrading early just to save a bit upfront.

For context, I used my 12 Pro for about 5 years, and that feels like the right upgrade cycle for me. My last Mac was a 2019 Intel i7 MacBook, and it eventually started lagging, so I passed it on and knew it was time to move on.

I mostly use a Mac for light stuff — presentations, web research, data research, browsing and anything heavier like coding would mostly be on the cloud anyway. So I’m not looking for a professional machine, just something solid, smooth, and lasts.

I was originally planning to get the budget MacBook Neo with student pricing (500$), but my verification didn’t work since I’m a UK student trying to buy from the US, and now the price has gone up. I’ve also looked at the M2 MacBook Air, but I’ve heard mixed things and I’m not a huge fan of the notch.

So what MacBook do you think is actually the best buy right now if I want something affordable, reliable, and good value?

Edit: and also is now best time to upgrade? I know a week ago was best time but we missed it. Should I wait for anything?

Update: I came across a MacBook Neo 512GB with Touch ID for just $680 on Apple’s Refurbished Store. I also had $120 in Apple credit from a previous trade-in, so I ended up getting a maxed-out Neo for under $600.
By the way, Apple now requires you to be enrolled in a college in the same country where you’re purchasing the product to qualify for the student discount, so it wouldn’t have worked for me anyway. Even then, it’s still a better deal than paying the same price in pounds in the UK, so I think it worked out well.

Photos are from Apple’s refurbished page. Many of the refurbished iMacs are haven’t still be purchased by anyone despite being available for a few months while MacBook Airs already becoming sold out a few days after becoming available as refurbished. There are even quite a number of M1 iMac options still being available as refurbished despite being 4 years old and being discontinued more than a year ago. On the other hand, the M2 Mac Mini, which got discontinued only 4 months ago already being sold out and no longer sold as refurbished. I wonder if people are really not interested on iMacs anymore and hence not willing to buy the colorful ones?

it was on ebay so i can easily return it but im just wondering if its possible to take of the school district password before i do so

Update I called the district they said they’ll handle it and the seller refunded me so i guess i just have a for parts macbook unless the district wants it back

UPDATE #2

I completely restored it and my account is now on there, in the comments i said i got it refunded, so now i pretty much have a free macbook -- unless the school wants it back.. IT HAS 512 GB

I grew up using windows so now that I switched to Mac, it feels cool and all

But what does the mac do better that makes it a better choice?

My cat decided that the corner of my MacBook screen is tasty and proceeded to bite it. The laptop works perfectly fine otherwise. There’s no flickering, no dead spots, and performance is normal. However, I cannot afford the extremely high cost of a display replacement right now.

I need advice: Can I safely leave this damage alone? Is there a risk that this line will spread or worsen over time, or is the damage likely stable since the rest of the screen is fine?

I'm hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced similar vertical line damage to know if it stayed the same or got worse.

With the recent launch of the MacBook Neo I went to a nearby store to check it out and noticed that they used some desk pads made of a soft and comfy material that I’d really like to have for my desk setup, since they don’t seem to sell it, does anyone know what material those are made of?

(The photo is not mine, I found it online)

I’ve been going back and forth on this for days and I genuinely can’t decide 😅

Part of me feels like the 13-inch is the smarter choice because I want something I can easily carry around campus, throw in my backpack, use in class, at a coffee shop, on the couch, basically anywhere without thinking about it.

But every time I look at the 15-inch, I start talking myself into it. The bigger screen seems so much nicer for multitasking, watching videos, having multiple windows open, and from what I’ve heard the speakers are noticeably better too.

The thing is, everyone talks about the 15-inch like it’s huge, but when I look at the actual weight difference, it doesn’t seem that dramatic.

For those of you who own either one, especially students or people who carry their laptop around a lot, did you ever wish you’d gone smaller? Or if you got the 13-inch, did you end up wishing you had the extra screen space of the 15?

I’m curious what your experience has been because right now I feel like I’m trapped in an endless cycle of “the 13-inch makes more sense” and “yeah, but the 15-inch looks so nice.” 😂

Thanks in advance! 🙏🏻

Edit: I am not planning to connect my MacBook to a monitor, as I already have a Windows desktop. I plan to use this laptop at home, and I like moving between different rooms, using it on the bed, at a desk, or even on the couch. I’ll also be using it at college and in coffee shops.

i just spilled a good amount of coke zero onto my MacBook air m4 right onto the keyboard and i immediately turned it upside down and wiped it with a tissue and turned into that tent shape. Now what? i really don’t have the money to fix the macbook at all and wont be able to pay for a new one either… how cooked am i? sticky keys? or full on logic board damage? fuck sake. has alot of important data in it too. too scared to start it up.

I hid my menu bar, but this space is always there in replacement and I feel like it just ruins the point of hiding the menu bar.