Exploring the weird world of 'Headless' MacBooks

Over the past year or so I've noticed an increase in so-called 'headless MacBooks'... With display replacements for a cracked MacBook screen sometimes running in the hundreds of dollars- more than the value of many machines, people have turned to running their MacBooks as desktops without a screen attached! This means you can still use your mouse and keyboard (and battery) for a minimal setup. But how practical is this concept? Today I bought a cheap MacBook off eBay to try it out for myself!

Gear:
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[lukemiani]

Pro tip: newer Apple Silicon Macs have antennas integrated into the lower case so in the future we won't have to create weird taped together antenna bars in projects like this...

[sir.fender]

I did the same thing to a gaming laptop. I ripped the screen off and connected it to a good monitor. Funny thing, the battery life almost doubled with no monitor attached.

[pureretro]

I did this in the early 2000's with an old Powerbook and used it as a server. The integrated battery meant it would keep going for a few hours even after a power failure. It was also small enough to mount on the underside of a desk.

[cesarespinozaspain]

A friend of mine did the same thing with a touch bar 13 inch, she also made a DIY desk and made a slot in the front were it sits flush with the top of the desk, it has space in the sides for the connections and room underneath for cooling, but the top of the desk hides it. The result is a slick as hell desk with built in Macbook pro and older studio display. It looks like it came out of a cyberpunk movie.

[TechTipsUSA]

Note:
On many laptops you can use the internal webcam cable as an extra usb port, because integrated web cams are mostly usb devices, you will need to solder on a usb port and figure out which leads are which.

[AshishBeck]

The guy who sold him the MacBook for $60 watching this right now: 👁️👄👁️

[sunpapa]

Hey Luke...I've been rebuilding these for a few years for family and friends. I place the antenna in a piece of White PVC with a couple of Black end caps. I stuff the LCD hinges into the end caps and screw them back down like normal. It comes out looking real professional and it works great. I call my Frankenstein Apple creation "The Mac Skinny"

[Evie]

headless MacBooks are pretty dope, it's like having a Mac Mini and a Magic Keyboard (w/ Touch ID for some Macs) + Trackpad combo rolled into one, a neat way of reusing MacBooks with smashed displays, and potentially better than the Mac Mini if you prefer your MacBook's IO :D

[crystalchaos]

I basically did this for a few years with my white MacBook when the screen went bad. The Mini-DVI port was anything but sturdy though. The best option was to get a mini-DVI-to-HDMI cable instead of using one that was adapted because the box portion of the setup was too heavy for the connection over long-term use.

[NEConforti]

Ran my first "headless" MacBook around 2011, was too broke to afford a full blown rig and wanted to start learning FCP. Simpler times.

[vincentwindels]

If I were to go so far as to disassemble the MacBook, I wouldn't stop there, and I'd proceed to enhance the cooling performance directly, maybe in a larger or open case. It's possible that you could still use or remove the keyboard separately. I would approach the speakers in the same way. It would involve more effort, but it could really maximize the potential.

[petekropf]

Didn't think I would enjoy this one as this is something I would not do, well, not before I watched. Thanks Luke, once again providing content for us that we did not know we needed or at least needed to know but do, keep on with the excellent work!

[Metal_Face_Doom]

I just cracked the lcd on my 2019 MBP. It was in mint condition prior to it's fall to the concrete.
It's been working fine while tethered to my tv via HDMI cable.

I can't wait to remove the cracked screen!!! Thanks for this video! 🙏

[AwesumIndustrys]

We need this form factor to be more sold regularly. Let’s bring back the Commodore 64 and Apple II style of computer.

[Widderic]

I found a screen for my 15" MBP Mid 2014 on Ebay for 110 bucks! I've kept this sucker alive for almost a decade. It's been through 3 batteries, some new thermal paste, and an upgraded SSD. And I'm still rocking High Sierra because I wanted to keep using my 32 but applications like Final Cut 7 and Reason 4.

[Ybalrid]

what I find funny is that by doing so you replicate the "wedge" form factor of the early personal computers! (apple 2, c64, atari, amiga...) from the 80's

[roman]

I’ve seen someone who integrated a headless MacBook into a desk so you have the trackpad and keyboard integrated into the surface of the desk top and a nice display with that, was the cleanest set up I think I’ve ever seen 😮

[manaphyex]

I think 'Headless' M1 13 MacBook Air is better than M1 Mac mini. You even don't need to buy a keyboard and a trackpad separately.

[MadMathMike]

As awesome as this was, what I appreciated the most was the last few minutes of this video. This is right-to-repair. Love it. ❤️

[RaddDronzy]

Headless laptops is the proof that general public cares about the environment more then the trillion dollar company.