Mac Mania 2026 — Lottery Results

⚙️

The Allocation Algorithm

A transparent, auditable, and reproducible process — run entirely in Excel with a single button press.

1

Pre-processing & Sort by Demand / Supply Ratio

Google Form responses are first deduplicated — individuals who submitted multiple email addresses to game the process are identified and reduced to a single entry. Models are then ranked by their demand-to-supply ratio (most oversubscribed first), ensuring the most competitive draws run before others so no individual can claim multiple scarce devices.

2

Primary Lottery (Step 1)

For each oversubscribed model, eligible individuals — those not yet a winner in another oversubscribed model — are randomly shuffled using the Fisher-Yates algorithm. Winners are drawn until all working units are filled. For undersubscribed models (supply ≥ demand), all interested individuals receive a device, even if they already won elsewhere.

3

Additional Interest — Leftover Pool (Step 2)

If working devices remain unallocated after Step 1, individuals who submitted the interest form more than once for that specific model are identified as showing additional interest. From this pool, those not yet allocated any device are randomly selected for remaining units.

4

Tentative Allocation

Non-working devices are not allocated outright. Interested-but-not-won individuals are listed as TENTATIVE. If a device is repaired or an additional unit becomes available, TENTATIVE recipients are given first priority. These are visible in the results tab above.

⚖️

Key Fairness Principles

Six commitments that govern every aspect of how this lottery is run.

🎯

One Win Per Person (Oversubscribed)

In oversubscribed models, once you win a device, you exit the pool for all other oversubscribed draws. No individual can collect multiple scarce items.

📦

Abundance Does Not Penalise

In undersubscribed models (supply ≥ demand), all interested people receive a device — even prior winners. Surplus inventory should never go to waste.

🔐

Cryptographically Seeded Randomness

Excel's Randomize() seeds from the system clock at each button press. Every email in the eligible pool has a mathematically equal probability of selection.

🚫

Ensuring Fair Entry

To maintain a level playing field, we have consolidated our list to ensure one entry per person; duplicate email addresses have been removed. Please note that submitting the same model multiple times under a single email only affects Step 2 (the leftover pool) and does not increase your chances in Step 1. These measures are in place to ensure the selection process remains fair for everyone.

🔍

Full Transparency

Device counts (working & non-working), interest counts, and allocation counts are all documented. Every number is auditable by any participant.

🔁

Regenerable & Verifiable

The VBA macro can be re-run at any time. Each run is independent and fully random. The algorithm, source code, and all outputs are disclosed to participants.

👤

Who Is Eligible?

Criteria for receiving a Working Device (Winner) vs. being placed in the Tentative Priority Queue.

✅ WINNER — Working Device

Submitted the Google Form for that model

Selected randomly in the Step 1 eligible pool

Had not previously won an oversubscribed device

OR: multi-submitter selected in leftover Step 2

Name appears in Column N (email only)

⏳ TENTATIVE — Priority Queue

Submitted form but did not win that model

Listed on non-working devices for that model

Eligibility is model-specific (not global)

First in line if device is repaired or added

Column N shows: email + " TENTATIVE"

⚠️ LENOVO 13" Intel had 4 interested individuals. 2 devices were identified (previously mis-tagged as HP 14” Intel) and allocated to 2 lottery winners. 2 individuals remain TENTATIVE.

📊

Device Inventory & Allocation Summary

Full breakdown per model — sorted by demand/supply ratio, highest first. Red border = oversubscribed; green = undersubscribed.

Model	Working	Non-Working	Total	Interested	Allocated	Tentative	Unallocated	Ratio

ℹ️ 92 working devices remain unallocated across 5 models (MBP 16" Intel, M1, M2, M3, and Air 13" M1) — these had more working units available than people who expressed interest.

Mac Mania 2026 🎉