Tim Apple has his numbers and those plastic laptop manufacturers will have theirs. I don't think it'll make pretty reading and they'll understand their impending doom is already happening.
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Apple Announces New Mac Sales Record Following MacBook Neo Launch
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rikki_t
macrumors regular
I saw someone benchmark the Neo for Blender render speed, a bit slow but doable, only problem is this 'SceneKitQLThumbnailExtension' this wee beastie of an extension handles 3D thumbnail drawing in Finder, but its bugged out, mine is currently consuming 848MB, I caught it one time consuming 31GB of disk space. Obviously no-one is going to do 3D on a Neo or are they, you buy a computer and you expect it to do stuff, only natural.
CharlesShaw
macrumors 68030
And I'm hopeful that Neo specs mean that Apple might keep those M1 Airs getting macOS updates longer, but who knows. It could help Apple to keep those M1's running, right?
iMac The Knife
macrumors 65816
Someone who uses a computer.
aespana
macrumors 6502
Good for Apple. Not for me yet because my M1 Air works perfectly but I will think about a change in about 2-3 years more to see how it have been going this Neo.
I hope a MacOS 27 really good optimized for Apple Silicone chips. Those 8GB are low but with a good optimization, Apple can deliver a good experience and people will be willing to upgrade in the future
Let's see what happens.
I hope a MacOS 27 really good optimized for Apple Silicone chips. Those 8GB are low but with a good optimization, Apple can deliver a good experience and people will be willing to upgrade in the future
Let's see what happens.
The thing about those reviews is they were running applications that most people don't run. Professional video and music production. Some of the reviewers are also professional benchmark testers. This $499 price point has this machine doing 99% of what most people buying will use it for. It couldn't fail.
Astuces iOS
macrumors 68020
Ik, they don’t know about that but even if you don’t know… You might feel it in a couple of years
Maybe, I wish but m
Yeah for now, wait 2 years and boom oops problems starts… That’s the risk of buying the Neo…
For the target market, the risk is overblown. This is going to sell like hotcakes and I expect it will likely also have the highest satisfaction / lowest buyer remorse thanks to its price point.
jclardy
macrumors 601
I've got a Neo and love it so far, great little portable travel laptop.
The Neo 2 will absolutely mop the floor in a year or two as it will have two main things: A19 Pro with 12GB of RAM (Cleanup the main complaint of the Neo. Still less than 16GB, but 8 really is fine for the majority of the population, 12 means green memory pressure for basically everything but pro level tasks.) And hopefully a bit faster SSD speeds. With those two things the Neo will be a little powerhouse, it already has build quality by miles compared to any windows machine, trackpad is lightyears better, keyboard way better, display way better, webcam is better, microphone and speakers all better. Basically - everything tangible trait that actually matters to people who don't have a laptop and aren't going to edit 8K RED footage from their $20k camera.
The Neo 2 will absolutely mop the floor in a year or two as it will have two main things: A19 Pro with 12GB of RAM (Cleanup the main complaint of the Neo. Still less than 16GB, but 8 really is fine for the majority of the population, 12 means green memory pressure for basically everything but pro level tasks.) And hopefully a bit faster SSD speeds. With those two things the Neo will be a little powerhouse, it already has build quality by miles compared to any windows machine, trackpad is lightyears better, keyboard way better, display way better, webcam is better, microphone and speakers all better. Basically - everything tangible trait that actually matters to people who don't have a laptop and aren't going to edit 8K RED footage from their $20k camera.
I purchased the 512GB Indigo version of the Neo to supplement my 16” M1 Max MBPro (64 GB memory, 4TB SSD, my portable power house). It has completely replaced my 12.9” iPad Pro as it is way more use (I have an 11” iPad Pro for media consumption etc.). It is the ideal, what I call, “coffee table” machine used for emails, web browsing and ordering, document generation and review, quick photo reviews, light photo touch up etc. . I also have a 14” M4 MBPro for this purpose, but that is overkill and probably destined to be sold. This is not just for students and first time non technical Mac buyers, it has a wide application and user base. Note I also have a M4 Pro Mac Mini (64 GB memory, total 6TB SSD and 15 TB of NAS and attached storage) with 2 Studio Displays for my desktop work where I need the real estate of the 27” displays. Just pointing out that the user base for this machine is way more than people might think given its cost and technical specs. I love this machine.
CharlesShaw
macrumors 68030
Hmmm, I think it would be a PR nightmare for Apple to get schools and LOTS of newcomers excited about using a Mac and then let them all down so soon, so I'm skeptical.
M1, M2 and M3 MBAs all came with 8gb of ram and were praised by everyone. Check the Neo reviews, even the ones where they edit 4k videos.
Jumpthesnark
macrumors 68000
Good morning to all the haters we've heard from over the past two weeks, complaining about the Neo's RAM and trackpads and all the rest. The rest of the world would like to thank you for not being in Apple leadership. Have a good day.
My family might end up buying one. Everyone says: just get the Macbook Air on sale. But Apple raising the entry price of the 13" MBA M5 has led to the effective price of that at 3rd party retailers going way up. 13" MBA refurbs under $1K are sold out. On Amazon I think the cheapest you can find the M4 13" MBA is $899 right now, which is way more than the $499 on a student discount Neo for the same storage.
I asked my husband (the one who needs a new laptop) if his current 8gb M1 MBA feels slow. He said nope. The only issue is battery life is not great after however many years of use it has seen. It still has 100gb free (256gb SSD).
I'm now very seriously considering the Macbook Neo if I can't find a good price on a 13" M4 Air. Part of me hurts (as a tech nerd) to get a computer which I know is technically inferior to the much nicer Macbook Air. But it's nice to have this option instead of having to play the 3rd party retailer "sale" game or take risks on 3rd party refurb/used computers just to not overspend on a laptop that is going to be used for patient notes, web-browsing and Youtube.
I asked my husband (the one who needs a new laptop) if his current 8gb M1 MBA feels slow. He said nope. The only issue is battery life is not great after however many years of use it has seen. It still has 100gb free (256gb SSD).
I'm now very seriously considering the Macbook Neo if I can't find a good price on a 13" M4 Air. Part of me hurts (as a tech nerd) to get a computer which I know is technically inferior to the much nicer Macbook Air. But it's nice to have this option instead of having to play the 3rd party retailer "sale" game or take risks on 3rd party refurb/used computers just to not overspend on a laptop that is going to be used for patient notes, web-browsing and Youtube.
A lot of "informed" users simultaneously underestimate what 8GB of RAM is capable of and overestimate their own needs, while also projecting their own usage to other users. Combining these factors, they'll never understand why 8GB is not a problem for many (arguably most) people.
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For most of the planet, specs don't matter. You buy a tool to get the job done. What Activity Monitor says is immaterial for the most part. We can all relish the moment we ignore specs and move on with the rest of life.
CapitalIdea
macrumors 6502a
Last week I went and got a haircut, and the woman cutting my hair was literally talking about getting her son a MacBook Neo because she saw the price and couldn’t believe it. I’ve never had a hairdresser randomly bring up computers. I mentioned that I worked in the sector and she asked me if the Neo was the same type of machine as a Chromebook. I let her know it was in fact a full computer and she was in disbelief that Apple put out a laptop product at that price point at all.
after 2 years you get the new neo while trade in this one, so ...economics 101
Madhatter32
macrumors 68000
We're just knocked out, we heard about the sell-out
You gotta get a NEO out, you owe it to the people
We're so happy we can hardly count
Everybody else is just green, have you seen the chart?
It's a hell of a start, it could be made into a monster
If we all pull together as a team. -PF
You gotta get a NEO out, you owe it to the people
We're so happy we can hardly count
Everybody else is just green, have you seen the chart?
It's a hell of a start, it could be made into a monster
If we all pull together as a team. -PF
CapitalIdea
macrumors 6502a
👆🏻 I’ll file this comment alongside the ones complaining that it doesn’t have thunderbolt for all those highschoolers who happen to do professional video production, and need a high-speed storage array.
michaeljk
macrumors regular
Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman. Talk about a problem looking for a solution. You think ANYONE (other than you) is going to buy a Neo and expect it to do 3D rendering? The fact that it can do it all is amazing, considering this is a base-level iPad with a cover and keypad built in.
Launching very affordable MacBook Neo is a very genius business move by expanding Mac customer base to reach customers who value a great price not needing bells and whistles. Excellent job, Tim!!
Apple's CEO Tim Cook today said the Mac just had its "best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers," which suggests that the new MacBook Neo has been a hit with customers buying their first laptops or switching from Windows.
Apple released the MacBook Neo last Wednesday, March 11. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599 for the general public and an even lower $499 for college students. The laptop is powered by a version of the iPhone 16 Pro's A18 Pro chip, and it is available in colorful finishes like Citrus, Blush, and Indigo, alongside traditional Silver.
Apple also released MacBook Air models with the M5 chip and MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips last week, so it was a big week for new Macs, but the affordable MacBook Neo is likely driving the record number of first-time Mac buyers.
If you want a MacBook Neo, you may have to wait. In the U.S., MacBook Neo orders placed through Apple's online store today are estimated to be delivered between April 6 and April 13. However, it may be possible to find a MacBook Neo sooner at one of Apple's retail stores, or through authorized resellers such as Amazon and Walmart.
Article Link: Apple Announces New Mac Sales Record Following MacBook Neo Launch
