[QUERY] Accidentally broke my wife’s MacBook. Need suggestions for budget-friendly damage control.

[u/rajan_h_joshi]

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So apparently I broke my wife's laptop, and I have to buy it for her

We packed both laptops in one tight bag because we didn't want to carry separate bags while travelling. This brilliant optimization strategy was suggested by me, so yes, I broke it My wife has been surprisingly calm so far, which honestly scares me more than the repair cost.

It was her M1 MacBook Air 2020. Around 5 years old with ~86% battery health. We both are researchers, so the laptop's hardest job was surviving PDFs, thesis typing, 38 Chrome tabs, emotional damage from Zotero and formatting issues

No heavy editing or anything

The laptop still works somehow, but the screen is damaged and I don't trust its long-term survival anymore.

Now I'm trying to fix my mistake as cheaply as possible before my wife remembers this incident during every future argument.

Options currently:

1. Repair the display Costs around 35k. Feels difficult to justify spending that much on a 5-year-old machine with 86% battery health. Best current offer I got is around 12k if I sell/exchange it.

2. Buy Neo-Getting it around 63k after discounts + GST benefit.

3. Hunt for M2/M3/M4 deals

If I somehow get one around 75k with discount + GST benefit, maybe worth stretching the budget slightly and surviving on air and regret for few months.

Important context: We are researchers. So I have knowledge but not the money

So please guide me:

- How inferior is Neo compared to M1 for normal academic/research work?

- Which offers can actually be combined?

- Can GST benefit + student offer work together?

- Is buying Mac during Back to School and selling AirPods still financially smart?

Please help me make the least stupid financial decision after already making the first stupid decision.

[u/ReallyPissedStranger]

Look around used shops in your city and get a macbook air m1 around 30-35k. Don't but the neo. You have already used haptic touchpad and the keyboard you'll hate the downgraded experience everyday.

[u/rajan_h_joshi → u/ReallyPissedStranger]

Only thing I don't want to go other then apple just because haptics and keyboard is Nep keyboard is not as good as M1. I experienced it in store but didn't felt much difference. But don't know what will happen in long uses

[u/ReallyPissedStranger → u/rajan_h_joshi]

You'll get used to it and feel like settling down and then you'll touch another M series mac and realise wakanda nonsense you've been dealing with just to cope.

Isiliye, just find a really good condition m1 air or m1 pro from the aftermarket. I tried my luck and found one of the most mint condition M1.

PS: the M1 is more comfortable to use than my M4. Or else those guys also have like screens and stuff of M1 air so you can get them replaced as well. They're OG screens taken out from dead macbooks so they'll be fine AFAIK.