Gadget Sorting List for M4 Mac Users: What to Take and What to Leave Behind

Gadget Sorting List for M4 Mac Users: What to Take and What to Leave Behind

Since getting my M4 MacBook, the gadgets I carry around have become much simpler.

To start with the conclusion, my current "carry set" is quite minimal, consisting of:

• The MacBook itself

• Wired EarPods (3.5mm)

These two are almost always the fixed members.

Gadgets to "take out": Why the MacBook and EarPods are enough

1. MacBook: The "mothership" for all tasks consolidated into one device

The M4 MacBook is my "mothership" that takes care of everything from class notes and blog writing to development and video watching.

• School: Writing reports, checking slides, and programming

• Note: Writing articles, structuring content, and organizing image generation prompts

• Hobbies: Watching videos, listening to music, and light editing work

Since "as long as this is in my bag, I can handle most things," I have decided thatdays I don't take my MacBook out are simply days I don't workat all.

2. EarPods (3.5mm): Why I am satisfied with "just wired" headphones

For earphones, I don't use high-end noise-canceling ones, but ratherApple's genuine wired EarPods (3.5mm)instead.

The reasons I am satisfied with these are quite simple:

• No charging needed: I don't have to worry about battery levels

• Almost zero latency: Great for videos and educational content

• Hard to lose: No need to manage opening or closing a case

• Affordable enough to be treated roughly, so I can just toss them into my school bag

If you look only at "sound quality," of course the high-end wireless models are superior, but
when viewed as "earphones for students to carry around," I feel that the "convenience x stability" of EarPods is still very much relevant.

"Leave behind" gadgets: Items I intentionally remove from my bag

Conversely, there are also items that I used to carry around but have now moved to the "leave behind" side.

• External keyboards and mice

• USB hubs and docks

• Large mobile batteries

• Thick cases or stand-type accessories

These are all "things that are nice to have, but not needed 'every time'."

With the M4 MacBook's battery life and port configuration,
I only need to go full-gear at my home desk on days when I'm "doing some serious development," so I've decided not to put them in my everyday bag.

Sorting criteria: "Will I be in trouble without it?" and "Has it paid for itself in usage frequency?"

When deciding what to take or leave behind, these are the two criteria I use.

1. How often do I encounter situations where I'd be "in trouble without it"?

2. Does the weight in my bag justify the number of times I actually use it?

Applying that filter, at this moment, I've settled on this sorting:

• MacBook: Can't function without it → Take every time

• EarPods (3.5mm): Use almost every day for class, commuting, and background music while working → Take every time

• Other gadgets: "Nice to have, but I can manage without them"
  → Basically leave at home

That is how I've settled on my sorting.

Summary: Updating my "lightweight set" for the M4 Mac era

Thanks to the M4 MacBook, I almost never need to "load up on peripherals for the sake of performance."

That is precisely why,

and then adopt a style of
only adding items that become truly necessary as my life and work requirements evolve.

If, in the future, I find gadgets I 'really need to carry' for things like Eiken exams, test prep, or development projects, I plan to update this sorting list at that time.

Bonus: Try sorting your own bag into 'Take' and 'Leave Behind'

This concludes my sorting list, but every reader has their own 'perfect set'.

Finally, I have provided a simple checklist to help you sort your own bag,
along with some 'if you're buying this, get this' recommendations for those who need them.

Step 1: Write down the current contents of your bag

First, try writing down all the gadgets currently in your bag as a text list.

• Laptop (model name)

• Earphones / Headphones

• Portable battery

• Charger

• Cables (types)

• Other accessories (stand, mouse, keyboard, etc.)

It doesn't have to be precise; just think of it as creating a 'list of things I always carry'.

Step 2: Rate them with O, △, and X based on 'frequency of need' and 'actual usage'

Next, for each item, evaluate it based on:

• Frequency of 'needing it'

• Frequency of 'actually using it'

Using these two axes, I will assign symbols based on my experience.

• Circle: Use almost every time / Often in trouble without it

• Triangle: Use occasionally / Good to have, but doesn't get used every time

• Cross: Haven't used it much lately

Once you've done this,

• Only take the Circle items every time

• Take Triangle items conditionally, such as 'only during test week' or 'only for long outings'

• Leave Cross items at home for now

If you follow this rule, your bag should become significantly lighter.

Step 3: Determine your 'must-take' axis based on your type

Finally, deciding on one 'take-along' axis based on which of your main daily activities it aligns with will make it harder to get lost.

• Classes, reports, programming focus → Laptop axis

• Audio lectures, video classes focus → Earphone axis

• Long travel time, power anxiety → Battery axis

I am completely on the Laptop axis so,

> 'The days I don't put my MacBook in my bag are the days I don't work at all'

I've decided on that, and I just add EarPods to make it a two-item set.

'Recommended for those who are similar' gadget candidates

Finally, after doing this sorting, I'll leave some
candidates for those who feel 'my usage is similar' here.

1. For those who want to consolidate study and development into one device on the 'Laptop axis'

• For those who want to consolidate everything from classes, reports, and development to video editing into a single M4/M5 generation MacBook Pro.

• For students who think, 'I want to do reports and slides at school, and development and video editing at home,' I think it's a reliable base machine that is almost over-specced for both.

2. For those who want to easily block out sound, focusing on 'audio content'

• For those who prioritize ease of use, no charging required, and low latency over high-end noise cancellation.

• If you value 'stability and ease over sound quality' for things like recorded lectures, educational YouTube videos, and podcasts, EarPods are still very much relevant.

• I also keep them as a permanent member of my kit, as 'the one pair I can throw in my school bag and plug directly into both my Mac and iPad.'

Finally: Try stopping the 'take everything' habit for once

If you love gadgets, you tend to think:

> 'It's safer to just take everything with me, right?'

But what I feel now that we're in the M4 Mac generation is:

• The sheer performance means the situation of 'needing peripherals because the Mac isn't enough' has decreased significantly.

• And precisely because of that, you won't be in trouble even if you reduce the number of things you carry every time.

That is what I mean.

Try writing down everything currently in your bag as a text list, and sort them into O, △, and X categories.
Then,

After that,

• The 'MacBook slot' for you

• The 'EarPods slot' for you

Choose just 2 or 3 items that fit these categories, and decide on a set you always take with you.
I would be happy if you could use this article as an example for doing just that.