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Much better way not to lose money: don't buy anything with it in the first place, especially not tech. Computers lose value with time more than anything, so not using parts of your laptop that you paid for in the first place will never increase its value more than what you lose with age, anyway. Using an external desktop setup makes sense for other reasons, but keeping your laptop in better condition is not at all a factor in my choice to do that.
 
It makes a grand total of zero sense. The increased resell value is less than the value of the external keyboard and monitor. I use those because it's much better than using the laptop's, but just for resell value...
It also stops you using it as a laptop.
If you want to use it on a desk the whole time, don't buy a laptop.
Zero sense.
 
I always use an external keyboard and large trackball - because I prefer it. My 1984 IBM 5155 keyboard is far superior to the Macbook Pro keyboard and the trackball is easier to use.
 
I used a keyboard membrane on my 2011, I assume they still sell those? but I didn't do it for resale, I did it for food splash and oily fingers. I tend to keep my hardware until their resale value is recycle.
 
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A smarter move would be to get a better job and make 50000 times the money you would have saved by doing this.

Just use externals if you want to, or due to the nature of your set up, not because of this.
 
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By not using the built in keyboard and monitor it prevents wear and tear and it increases your resale value when you sell it
Barely, if at all. You won't see more than $50-100 more in resale value by having an "unused" keyboard. And as for the display, nobody can tell whether its used or unused in the first place, so you achieve nothing by not using it.

If you can get by without using the built in display and keyboard, what is the logic of paying for those components as part of a laptop (which will be depreciating no matter what) instead of just buying a Mac Mini.
 
Sorry, but I think this is completely the wrong way to go about buying and using a Mac.

You’re buying a tool. Tools are meant to be used. The argument that you’ll stretch the life or maximise resale value by not using the Mabook’s keyboard and trackpad defeats the purpose of why you bought the MacBook in the first place.

Goin by the OPs logic, the best thing to do with a MacBook is not rip the tabs off the box, never open the box, never use the laptop.

That will avoid wear and year.

But the resale value of an unused MacBook will still be less than the price you paid to buy it in the guest place.

Buy the MacBook, use the MacBook, get your money’s worth. Because presumably you bought it to use it.

You didn’t buy it to protect it from being used.

Worry less about resale value and focus on the value it gives you as a tool.

For me, a Mac is a work machine. It earns back its purchase price very quickly.
 
Sorry, but I think this is completely the wrong way to go about buying and using a Mac.

You’re buying a tool. Tools are meant to be used. The argument that you’ll stretch the life or maximise resale value by not using the Mabook’s keyboard and trackpad defeats the purpose of why you bought the MacBook in the first place.

Goin by the OPs logic, the best thing to do with a MacBook is not rip the tabs off the box, never open the box, never use the laptop.

That will avoid wear and year.

But the resale value of an unused MacBook will still be less than the price you paid to buy it in the guest place.

Buy the MacBook, use the MacBook, get your money’s worth. Because presumably you bought it to use it.

You didn’t buy it to protect it from being used.

Worry less about resale value and focus on the value it gives you as a tool.

For me, a Mac is a work machine. It earns back its purchase price very quickly.
Whether it's an iDevice, Mac, tool, other thing, etc, what always gets me is that people looking for resale value will almost always go the extra mile for SOMEONE ELSE. Oh sure, they get the money they expect in reselling - but the person who bought the thing? They get the benefit of all the babying. Not the seller. No, the seller didn't use the device like the new person will. The new person gets to enjoy what the seller didn't.

But hey, the seller got more money!

As a buyer of used items, it's always great the lengths that sellers will go to - just for me, just so I can have what they didn't allow themselves to have.
 
There is no way this post and the reddit post isn't satire. Get a mini or studio and save over $1200 on not having a display / keyboard
 
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I have to assume that this is satire and the people taking it seriously are the ones on whom the joke has been perpetrated. 😂 it really is quite funny,
 
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The latest example of people buying things mostly thinking more about the person they'll sell it to later than how they want to use it themselves.

This is brilliant, but should be taken further.

I'm going to buy TWO Macbooks. I'll keep one in the box and only use the second one. That way, the first one is in mint condition so I'll be able to sell it for loads in a few years time.

Yep. I was thinking the same thing. "I use an external computer so my laptop computer is mint when I sell it."
 
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I have to assume that this is satire and the people taking it seriously are the ones on whom the joke has been perpetrated. 😂 it really is quite funny,
Meh. It’s not really a “gotcha”. Pointing out something is stupid is just point img out something is stupid.

You’re assuming people reacting think the OP is sincere, and they’ve somehow “fallen for it” by saying the idea is stupid.

But it is stupid, whether the OP was being sincere it satirical.

I’d also add that there is a moronic mentally on the “interwebs” these days that when someone disagrees with a stupid thing, and points our that it is stupid, that somehow they’re outraged or triggered.

That’s not what’s happening, no-one’s outraged or triggered, at worst they’re rolling heir eyes. At best they’re sheuggi
their shoulders.

The idea of saying something really stupid to provoke, and people reaction by saying “this os stupid” is not a win. Instead it’s … stupid.

I’ve a an attached x year old daughter. she loves getting the word “poo” I to a conversation because it’s edgy and offensive. Which is fine, because she’s six years old.

I’ll let her enjoy it, because she’s six years old. I don’t have the heart to tell get that it’s not nearly as edgy and offensive as she thinks it is. I enjoy that she enjoys it.

But, and here’s the point, I presume commenters on this forum are not six years old. So different standards apply.
 
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Meh. It’s not really a “gotcha”. Pointing out something is stupid is just point img out something is stupid.

You’re assuming people reacting think the OP is sincere, and they’ve somehow “fallen for it” by saying the idea is stupid.

But it is stupid, whether the OP was being sincere it satirical.

I’d also add that there is a moronic mentally on the “interwebs” these days that when someone disagrees with a stupid thing, and points our that it is stupid, that somehow they’re outraged or triggered.

That’s not what’s happening, no-one’s outraged or triggered, at worst they’re rolling heir eyes. At best they’re sheuggi
their shoulders.

The idea of saying something really stupid to provoke, and people reaction by saying “this os stupid” is not a win. Instead it’s … stupid.

I’ve a an attached x year old daughter. she loves getting the word “poo” I to a conversation because it’s edgy and offensive. Which is fine, because she’s six years old.

I’ll let her enjoy it, because she’s six years old. I don’t have the heart to tell get that it’s not nearly as edgy and offensive as she thinks it is. I enjoy that she enjoys it.

But, and here’s the point, I presume commenters on this forum are not six years old. So different standards apply.

And there's the fact that satire only works as satire when you can distinguish it from reality. This is not easily distinguishable from other stupid things people do to prioritize resale value over actual value (and don't get me started on the weird things people do because they think batteries are so precious).

Here's the whole thread:

People can judge for themselves if this person meant it as satire or an honest response. It's not an answer to how to protect the resale value of your laptop, it's an answer to why one would use an external keyboard.
 
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Not to be indelicate, but this sounds almost as comically stupid as buying a new first-generation iPod, never even opening it, and then selling it at auction for $29,000.
 
Not to be indelicate, but this sounds almost as comically stupid as buying a new first-generation iPod, never even opening it, and then selling it at auction for $29,000.
Not a good analogy, because the person who did this with a first gen iPod bought a first gen product.

This won’t work with any modern Mac or Apple product now, because they are now mass-produced and it’s not a first generation device.

An M4 MacBook air or pro will not increase in value in ten years. Neither will an iPhone 17. Certain very old Mac’s are getting valuable - some 68k Macs for example. Certain items that are becoming rare are becoming valuable, because there’s less and less of them out in the wild - the Cube, for example. But there has to be an iconic reason why particular Apple products will appreciate in value - most won’t. And anything Apple made in the past 10 years will not appreciate in value, but Apple are really big nie, and everything the make they make in very large quantities. So there’s no rarity value.

And that’s also not what the op was saying in the first place.
 
Not to be indelicate, but this sounds almost as comically stupid as buying a new first-generation iPod, never even opening it, and then selling it at auction for $29,000.
It seems about $28,500 more stupid to me...
 
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