It's interesting that it uses less aluminum but still weighs the same as the MacBook Air.
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Apple on MacBook Neo Design: 'We're Certainly Not Making Any Compromises'
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Apple has done something similar with the Mac Studio. Some ports are USB-C and others are Thunderbolt.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
Chinch07
macrumors member
How do you get to a $600 price point without compromises?
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
You lie about not making any compromises.
Look I get some folks just love everything Apple does, but this is complete hogwash.
Two things can be true at once
This can be a great product and they can be BSing us at the same time.
Mac Fly (film)
macrumors 68040
JPack
macrumors P6
CNC method used for Air and Pro creates a lot of scrap. You’re removing material from a block of aluminum.
The forged method for Neo can be used to create simple shapes, which means a lot less scrap and CNC time.
Veinticinco
macrumors 68020
if we’re listing compromises, how about the 36.5 Wh Lithium-ion battery compared with the 53.8 lithium-polymer in the MBA
Nicky G
macrumors 65816
The 2nd and 3rd rev of this thing, and then moving forward, are going to be BALLER. And even this first rev will meet many people’s needs.
I actually think this is one of the most exciting Macs to come along in some time.
I actually think this is one of the most exciting Macs to come along in some time.
sully54
macrumors 6502
Some people here talking like compromise is a bad thing and that this is the *only* MacBook available. If you choose to get this product despite needing a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro for your workflow, then you're the one who compromised, not the product. For the segment of the market this is aimed towards, this thing is more than enough.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
None of this has anything to do with Apple claiming they made no compromises with the Neo.
chrono1081
macrumors G3
Too many in this thread forget that all the extra features of the more expensive computers cost more...hence why those computers are more expensive. These computers are perfect for most people and it's within an average users computer budget.
raythompsontn
macrumors 65816
Compromise from what? It is a new product. Is a MB Air a compromise over the MB Pro? Is the MBP Pro a compromise over the MBP MAX? Is a Ranger a compromise over a F-250?
The NEO is what it is. It is not a MB Air Light. Apple chose a feature set. Done deal.
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roncron
macrumors 65816
When Apple introduced true tone, it was an immediately quality of life bump for me. I can't imagine going back to a machine without it.
That said, the computers I could afford when I was a college student didn't have half of the features the Neo has.
raythompsontn
macrumors 65816
You are comparing to a MB Air or PRO. The NEO is a new product. It has what it has. There was no compromise, just a finite set of features.
Just like trim levels of a car.
This is marketed to folks who have a hard budget.
100$ is pennies to most of us. But thats not the case For EVERYONE
sully54
macrumors 6502
Read what I wrote again. I didn't say apple didn't compromise. I said compromise isn't a bad thing.
Black.Infinity
macrumors 6502
If you really want a keyboard for your iPad but aren't using it for creative work, why not just get the MacBook Neo? That’s how I see it. I love using my 11-inch iPad Air M3 in bed, though—an experience that just wouldn't be as pleasant on a laptop.
This is a strange statement to make. What product doesn't have some sort of compromise? Even if that compromise is to come in at a high cost. Engineering is the art of the compromise.
profcutter
macrumors 68000
You need a marketingspeak translator: It’s made with lots of compromises that we assume customers won’t notice till it’s too late.
Juicing users an extra hundred bucks for Touch ID was certainly a compromise.
I think from all the compromises, having only 8gb RAM is a huge one for me. Everything else is not ideal but understandable. I wonder how much more would cost for Apple to get the Neo with 16gb RAM. That would make it a real killer. Now, Apple is known to make huge margins on all its products so maybe they could have their entry level Mac with a tint bit of lower margins but deliver something robust with decent RAM for 2026. That would really attract a new crowd to Apple which would then spend more money on the more high end models as they felt in love with the brand.
The lack of TouchSafeID on the base model and quick charging on all models are design compromises.
jdavid_rp
macrumors 6502a
Now macOS will show a green dot like on iPhone, but I also thought about this. macOS is really secure but a hardware LED would be preferable than believe just on the software.