I think you are searching for an external hard drive π
this post was submitted on 04 May 2026
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++ a linux vm to experiment with.
Technically this would work for most parts but it's not beautiful
I assume "it's not beautiful" because you'd have a wart sticking off the MacBook.
That raises the question: Do you really need instant access to everything that's currently on the MacBook? Are you sure? Think on that for a bit.
Because it's entirely possible the space you need is on the MacBook, you just need to move less necessary things off there onto the external storage to make room before you go travelling.
If it's anything like my computer, that would be old photos, software downloads, duplicate data on a different drives or partitions from quick and dirty backups. I've never quite had the space for movies and/or video downloads from YouTube, Twitch, etc, but I suspect I'd probably have a few of those as well. I doubt I'd miss any of that on a short trip. And if I did, well then, I can pull the wart out of my bag and attach it, assuming I bothered to bring it with me.
CleanMyMac was actually pretty helpful this time. Could free up ~20 GB disk space and I'm thinking about offloading Xcode compile caches to an external drive. My disk space is heavily influenced by homebrew, software caches, dependencies and files regarding software. I have 5 GB documents in my Documents/Image folder, no videos at all and no music. Images very few. But I will see, next time I do a larger upgrade (maybe December) I will go for at least 1 TB space and 16 GB memory, whatever it will be.
Put Linux on your existing computer and shift some stuff you donβt need as frequently to an external hard drive! Youβre not gonna get the experience you want from a $150 computer
Slightly confused... You already have an expensive-ish MacBook, but you wan't to switch to a 150$ Device? Or do you just want a second device to experiment with?
I'd like to experiment with the device first and if everything is running smoothly stay on the device or upgrade to a slightly more expensive device if it's not smooth. I'm a Mac user ever since and I have absolutely no experience with other computers (hardware).
** If I upgrade later on, I can still use the bought hardware as a home server, so I didn't waste money here
I have been a Apple user since de early 80s (yep, I'm that old) and switched to Linux somewhere 7 or 8 years ago. It all depends what you want to do and what are your expectations (how willing you're to change your habits and the way you do things: Linux is not a free version of macOS, it will demand learning new ways and changing habits) but I've had zero regrets. No, that would be a lie as I have one tiny regret: I should have switched to GNU/Linux a few years earlier.
On thar budget, you should consider getting an external SSD instead. A computer you buy for that price won't be as capable as your laptop.
150$? Like suggested, buy an external drive. If not, buy a used thinkpad install Linux on it, and be happy (at that price, unless you're rela lucky, it will be an older model and I'm not sure how well Fedora would run on such older hardware though).
I run Debian an a... Cor2Duo/8g ram Thinkpad for very lightweight tasks (text writing, simple website browsing (no YT and script heavy things like that), local music and video playing (here again, not YT) without issue. Not fast but real usable, with a great keyboard.
I have a MacBook of about the same age (2009) that I upped to 8 GB RAM and run Mint with Cinnamon. As long as I don't push it too hard it's fine. Youtube is a real killer, although I can usually power through it by restarting Cinnamon (I don't think that's the issue, but it works). The only reason I changed it over was because Apple had long ago given up on the OS it had. I was really surprised how easy Mint went on, everything worked the first bootup.
I was really surprised how easy Mint went on, everything worked the first bootup.
Yes, Mint is my other system (on my main machine) and it runs buttery smooth. It was running ok on the C2D but not as smooth as Debian... but what OS could run as smooth? ;)
In this market $150 barely gets you an external drive. But thatβs what you need. Be ruthless moving stuff over.
Thereβs nothing in $150 range that touches an m2.
Old Thinkpad with Linux Mint
So you say a computer but what do you mean?
Do you mean a laptop? If so, I'd go on ebay a second hand laptop; the more powerful the better but be aware you won't get much power for $150.
Do you mean a PC? As in you have a display (including a TV), and a keyboard and mouse? If so get a 2nd hand mini PC. There seem to be a lot available on Ebay that are within $150 and decent enough spec (8gb Ram, multicore processor albeit older ones); you will in theory get more bang for your buck for power as you're not paying for a screen and peripherals. Reality can be a bit more random between PCs and laptops.
Or you could get a SBC (Single Board Computer) like a raspberry pi 5 and case, or Orange Pi 4 and case. Storage would be an issue so you'd have to also get an SD card or budget for an external drive if you want better performance. This may be a decent route to go, as it's a fun project and can be reused for something else (like a home lab/server set up) if you decide you want to buy a more expensive laptop once you've tried Linux.
Any of these option, you will be able to run Linux including Fedora. But bare in mind that if you get a lower spec device like an SBC you may need to use a low powered desktop environment like XFCE or LXQT - this will run fine but won't be as slick as MacOS seems. That said, I had KDE Plasma running fine on my Raspberry Pi 5. While a second hand laptop or mini PC with enough RAM and a decent enough CPU should be fine with KDE or Gnome.
Whatever happens, don't expect as slick an experience as a Mac book when only spending $150 on hardware. That said, it should be decent enough to get a feel for linux.
I'm thinking about different scenarios right now. I could get a Raspberry Pi 5 and use it, and if I decide to switch back to macOS I could still use it as a device with GPIO pins for other stuff or for docker containers. Otherwise, a Mini PC could be potentially more powerful but then a laptop would be handy if I just want a device that I can carry into the backyard and use it there, so my MacBook could be stationary. It's a hard choice to be honest :D
I have a used ThinkPad T460, I found a really nice deal for on eBay (90β¬).
It serverves me pretty well I mostly watch videos on it (works pretty well up to 1080p on Youtube), but it's fine for most things, web browsing, editing documents and even coding.
I used it during a game jam with my friends, we were making a 2d game in Godot and it was good enough for that. I am running Linux Mint on it, it is a miracle what Linux can do for your old machines.
Other than that, old surface pros are pretty good nowadays and the 5th/ 6th generation can be found for 150β¬ if you are lucky. They also have excellent Linux support if you get the right kernel patches .
But I would probably recommend you try out Linux on your existing Laptop and see how it works for you. M2 support is pretty good nowadays for Asahi Linux. Maybe get an external drive for that money.
If we're sticking to your direct ask, you're going to want the newest Thinkpad you can find refurbished on eBay. I'd aim for a 6th gen x1 carbon, might still be a little rough with your budget.
Get the cheapest Beelink you can find. I got one and I'm happy. The $150 version may be underpowered for big Steam games, but everything else is fine.
Thinkpad T480 (not the s version) and you have a rugged tinker friendly laptop for cheap!
Not sure of local pricing in your area, but would a ThinkPad T480 or T490 be within budget? The AMD version (I think it might be the T495, someone correct me if I'm wrong) would be my pick personally.
People don't write where they are based. I guess we presume this is USA.
Last 3 laptops ive bought here (UK), ive easily found laptops with 8th gen i5 CPU and 16GB ram for <Β£150 on eBay. This was a while ago and you could now find a 10th gen Intel if you are patient and try your luck at eBay auctions.
I feel this: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/42215533 Would be perfect for you But for like a serious answer, get an external hard drive, there is nothing on gods green earth thatll get you the same comfort, user experience and power as a macbook at that price point
i recently bought a thinkpad t420 for about 50$ and a new battery for 30, it only has 4 gb of ram, so i think that would be a bit too small for your purposes, but i don't think it is an unreasonable idea to find something with a bit more memory for a bit more
i'm no laptop expert, but thinkpads have a good reputation, i've seen fujitsu-s are repair friendly too
search 2nd hand markets available to you, fb marketplace (i know, but it works)
Try to get a miniPC on eBay, a beelink for instance in this price range, but obviously a ssd/nvme upgrade could be needed if you are out of space.