I lost the eBay auction for the Intel Core i5 Google Pixel Slate I was tracking. For the foreseeable future I am staying on the m3 unit already on the desk.
That is the whole outcome. No near-miss narrative, no “one more bid” post-mortem. The listing closed without me. Work continues on the hardware that already works.
Why the i5 Was on the List
In the previous field notes I described the m3 daily driver: Powerwash, slim Chrome OS, Crostini, Grok sessions, and house-scouting mocks. It handles notes, browsing, and light Linux fine. The soft spot is still heavy Zillow listing and map pages — tiles, photo carousels, too many tabs. Usable, but not free headroom.
An i5 with 8GB, plus the factory keyboard, charger, and stylus, looked like a low-cost way to buy a little longevity and smoother map days without buying a new machine. Same form factor, same job: portable scouting and light build work. I had been winning around the mid-$60s earlier in the run; that band still fit the same efficiency math as the original $64 m3 deal.
I did not chase past a sensible ceiling. Once the price left the range where an accessory bundle is a clear win over “use what you have,” the upgrade stopped being an efficiency play and became upgrade theater. Watching the clock on a used tablet is time and attention that could go into actual work.
Staying Put
Near term, nothing changes in the workflow:
- m3 Slate for Zillow notes, Grok, and light Crostini
- Heavy compiles and long sessions on the main desktop
- Lean browser profile, single project focus, no bloat reinstall
The m3 is not a bottleneck for most of what I put on it. Map lag is an edge case, not a daily crisis. Paying more (or spending more hours bidding) to sand that edge case would not free proportional hours elsewhere. Opportunity cost wins here: money stays put, mental bandwidth stays put, the tool keeps earning its shelf space.
Undervolt experiments, side-by-side map numbers, and dual-unit setups are off the calendar until a better-priced unit shows up — if one does. I may glance at the used market now and then. I am not camping auctions.
What’s Next
Continue the house-scouting mock app on the m3. Keep Chrome OS thin. Document real friction when it shows up — not hypothetical friction from a listing that never arrived. If another i5 bundle lands in the same low band with accessories included, I will look. Until then, the efficient move is simple: use the tablet already in hand.