The new MacBook Pro maxes out at $14,549: here's what else you could buy for that

Published Oct 28, 2026, 2:34 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Summary Maxed MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR hits $14,549. That sum buys 347 Pi 5 kits or 382 WinRAR licenses. You could instead buy a used 2020 Toyota Camry for about $14,000. So, Apple just revealed a MacBook Pro. It's called the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, and if you max out all of its hardware—that's a 16-inch screen with 16 TB of storage, 128 GB of RAM, and an M5 Max chip, in case you're curious—you get an eye-watering bill of $14,549.00. As such, partly because I am someone who advocates for affordable, usable hardware (and partly because I'm a Linux fanboy), I've done the research and found some other things you can purchase for that amount of money. 382 WinRAR licenses to atone for your sins I know what you did Listen, there's no point in playing dumb. We both know that, while WinRAR does have a free trial for 40 days, it's not very strict about it. You can continue using WinRAR after your trial has expired, and it will occasionally show up at your door with a hat in hand to ask for what it's owed, but you can just slam the door in its face and keep using it. Well, for the low price of $37.99 a pop, you can pay off the sins for yourself and 381 others with a huge bundle of WinRAR licenses. Give them out to trick-or-treaters during Halloween. And that's just if you buy them all individually; you can probably strike a bulk deal if you get in contact. 37 Raspberry Pi 5s with 16GB memory and all the accessories Find a use for them all! Why buy one big portable computing device when you can buy 37 small portable computing devices? PiShop.us sells the Raspberry Pi 5 with 16GB of memory for a cool $305, and if you check all the extras (including a case, power supply, cooler, a microSD, a Micro-HDMI to HDMI cable, and a beginner's guide so you actually know what you're doing with it), that brings it up to $390. That's just shy of 40 little projects just waiting for you to make, and if you ever need inspiration, we have you covered. Raspberry Pi 5 CPU Arm Cortex-A76 (quad-core, 2.4GHz) Memory Up to 8GB LPDDR4X SDRAM Operating System Raspberry Pi OS (official) Ports 2× USB 3.0, 2× USB 2.0, Ethernet, 2x micro HDMI, 2× 4-lane MIPI transceivers, PCIe Gen 2.0 interface, USB-C, 40-pin GPIO header GPU VideoCore VII Starting Price $60 The Raspberry Pi is back, and the fifth iteration of the SBC is a lot more capable than the older models. From a new quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 CPU, support for dual monitor setups at 4K 60Hz, and a dedicated power button, there's a lot to love about this palm-sized computer. A used 2020 Toyota Camry It looks pretty flashy Credit: Toyota I know that $14,549 is car-buying money; however, I'm not a car person, so I have no idea what kind of car it would buy. Fortunately, our good friends over at CarBuzz are made up entirely of car people, and they pinned a used 2020 Toyota Camry at an estimated price of $14,000. So, your MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display money can score you a used car, gas money, and maybe some nice in-car tech, too.