The Brilliant Reason People Are Tearing Screens Off Apple MacBooks A hack that saves you money and a trip to the landfill.

By Entrepreneur Staff

Tim Robberts | Getty Images

A cracked or otherwise messed up display has sent many a laptop to the e-waste Dumpster in the sky.

But a growing trend detailed by news outlet Digital Trends reveals that people are actually seeking out machines with busted displays on eBay and other sites. The reason? For lack of a more technical description, the guts and brains of a MacBook live in the bottom portion of the machine. So by simply popping off the display half and connecting to an external monitor, you can have a working MacBook for a fraction of the price. Digital Trends notes that an M1 MacBook Air with a broken display can be bought on eBay for $400. Compare that to a certified one from Apple that costs $850, and you see why tech-savvy folks with an extra monitor and some cords are giving this a go.

This is not perfect, however. As with any Apple device, once you open it up and start playing Dr. Frankenstein, you void any kind of warranty. And, unlike a fully-functioning laptop, this isn't exactly portable. Your local coffee shop might be less inclined to let you sit there working on your screenplay all day if you have a giant monitor and wires running all over the place. But if your plans revolve mostly around working from a home office, the monetary and environmental savings of rescuing old machines puts this hack in the brilliant category.

Related: Avoid This Major Leadership Blunder That Got Steve Jobs Ousted From Apple

Entrepreneur Staff

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business Plans

She Wrote An 'Escape Plan' to Quit Her Job and Move to an Island. Now She's There Generating Nearly $300,000 A Year

"My detailed, step-by-step plan on how I would quit my job and move to a Caribbean island."

Business Plans

How You Can Use the 80/20 Rule to Unlock Success and Maximize Your Impact

Our success is determined by where we focus our efforts.

Business News

Google Is Mass Deleting Accounts This Week — Here's How To Make Sure Yours Is Safe

The company is reportedly removing inactive accounts on December 1.

Science & Technology

Police Issue Warning About iPhone's 'NameDrop' Feature

How to safely manage the iPhone's latest feature and understand how the technology works.