M4 MacBook Air vs. M2 Max Macbook Pro?

[Oldmopars]

I currently have a MacBook Pro with the M2 Max. I love it, but about a year ago my cat broke the screen. I have been using it with an external screen. I need to repair the screen so I can make it portable again. I am wanting to do some mobile 3D scanning. I have a Revo Point Metro X and it requires an Apple M1 as a minimum or PC equivalent. As much as I love it, it is going to cost me a minimum of $500 for a replacement screen I have to install myself.
Every M2 Max MacBook Pro I see that is fully operational is around $1500 on up. Mine is the 64gb version 14in.
With the $500 I would have to spend to get the screen, I am $500 away from a MacBook Air with the M4. I am sure I could sell the working M2 Max with bad screen for $500 or maybe more and be able to get the Air.
Would the MacBook Air with the M4 be equal to or better than the M2 Max? I have several other computers for desk top use, I really only need it for portable scanning.

 

[EugW]

I am sure I could sell the working M2 Max with bad screen for $500 or maybe more and be able to get the Air.

Why are you so sure? Not doubting you, but curious if you've done a deep dive into the resale value of broken MacBook Pros.

Would the MacBook Air with the M4 be equal to or better than the M2 Max? I have several other computers for desk top use, I really only need it for portable scanning.

The M4 MacBook is definitely not equal or better than the M2 Max overall. However, I doubt the M2 Max will be any better for your 3D scanning, although truthfully I'm just guessing. If I am correct about that though, why did you buy the M2 Max in the first place?

There are some decent sales on the M4 MBA right now, but the M5 MBA may be coming in the spring.

 

[splifingate]

MacBook Air with the M4

A veritable battery-performance beast of a comp.

How do you 3D-image?

 

[Oldmopars]

Why are you so sure? Not doubting you, but curious if you've done a deep dive into the resale value of broken MacBook Pros.


The M4 MacBook is definitely not equal or better than the M2 Max overall. However, I doubt the M2 Max will be any better for your 3D scanning, although truthfully I'm just guessing. If I am correct about that though, why did you buy the M2 Max in the first place?

There are some decent sales on the M4 MBA right now, but the M5 MBA may be coming in the spring.

Why did I get it originally? I had been using a work laptop that just struggled to do Fusion 360. It was a Lenovo and it had the CPU fan exhaust on the right side where your hand would be using a mouse. Any time I worked in Fusion, the air coming out the side was so hot I had to move my hand. At one point I made a little deflector to cause the hot air to go up, not out. But, it just did not do well, and it was not "Mine".
So, my wife wanted to get me a new computer that was mine. I looked at all of the PC offerings, they were "OK" but they all felt cheap and plasticly even ones at the same price point ($4K) of the Mac Pro. I had a Mac Book Air and other Macs prior, so I spec'ed out a new MacBook Pro and bought it.
I really do love it, and I use it all the time, even though I now have several other computers. It is not perfect, some things in Fusion are still slow, but my PC struggles in the same areas, so it is a Fusion thing, not the computer.
Right now I am wanting to make the best use of my money. I have bids in on 2 MBP's that have the same screen. They are just 2 of 6 MBPs on the same site. They are going cheap because the NANDs were drilled and they are now junk/parts only. I will know very shortly if I got them or not. If I did, I will have 2 for half of what it would cost me for a new screen.
If I do get both, I plan to use the screen from one and attempt to swap out the NANDs. However, there is of course a risk doing that, I may swap them out and the computer be iCloud locked. So, I plan to find some donors from a bad donor laptop. "If" I am successful, I will put the good parts together into a full laptop and maybe even make my money back. If not, I will just sell it for parts. Just the screen alone is $450.
As for how I know the value of these laptops, I spend a lot of time on E-Bay and other sites buying computers to turn around and sell. Though, mostly cheaper older stuff.