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Apple on MacBook Neo Design: 'We're Certainly Not Making Any Compromises'
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raythompsontn
macrumors 65816
Buy a MacBook Air.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
So we agree the Apple rep is lying?
Mrkevinfinnerty
macrumors 68040
Plug something into that USB 2.0 port and wait a couple of seconds ... and then a couple more .. and then...
johnsawyercjs
macrumors 68000
Don’t get me wrong, and I'm not taking cheap shots at the Neo. The Neo seems like a decent product for its target audience, but I’m taking issue with Anderson implying that the “essence of a Mac”, to use her phrase, is mainly in what its housing is made of, how it's made, and its shape and color. It’s understandable that the person in charge of those specific factors would emphasize them, and that’s the subject of the article rather than the Neo’s other features (though Anderson side-steps when she comments about "core features"), but those other features also go into what makes a Mac into what most people expect, rather than just what it looks like. If all one wanted was the outside appearance of a Mac, you could buy a years-old nice-looking Mac, or just its shell, and put it on a table and look at it.
That said, the other features that many people expect from a Mac aren’t what everyone expects or needs, and many people don’t expect or need from a Mac the higher specs of the more expensive models.
It’s slightly debatable whether equipping the Neo with things like a single 10Gbps Thunderbolt port and a USB 2.0 port is stripping away core functions, but that debate just gets into semantics about whether that’s offering a lower feature set to allow for a lower price, versus being a compromise. It’s not really a compromise on a core function, since users still have that single, core Thunderbolt port, and however “slow” it is, it’s likely fine for the target audience. The same seems to be true of the other "compromises".
But Neo owners are going to have to be careful not to trip over its non-Magsafe power cord.
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Yeah. My point was it will fly off the shelves in the US for $499. Not so sure it will fly off the shelves in Canada for $679 (although it might) and certainly not for $849. If I were going to spend $849 I would rather buy an M4 MBA for $1039. I don’t have to tho as I already have one. But $849 is no great bargain.
It’s 3 cubic inches bigger and weighs the same.
Perhaps you should take your own advice?
Typical MR users with knee jerk reaction comments that are out of context because they're too lazy to properly read the article, or even the entire title for that matter.
Granted, that's probably what the editor of this article was going for, like most online articles these days.
Granted, that's probably what the editor of this article was going for, like most online articles these days.
Also known as recycled pop cans.
Pop cans are actually a reasonably high-tech material, I'm not disparaging it. I suppose they could be using recycled aluminum fishing boats instead.
Google thinks the alloy is 6063 or a close relative. Also;
- 6063: Superior surface finish and extrusion capabilities (ideal for aesthetics).
- 6061: Higher strength-to-weight ratio (preferred for structural, non-aesthetic applications).
I7guy
macrumors Westmere
No we don’t. What we agree on is for the price strata the Neo delivers. You may not like the price vs function and Apple expects it’s customers to evaluate that.
I already have one lol. That was my point - while the A18 chip would be plenty powerful enough for my needs, there’s a lot more to a Mac than just that, as Steve never tired of telling us.
Anyway, the point is, surely, that it’s a definite step-up from a Chromebook, and so good for Apple, but it’s also definitely a step down for anyone who already uses a Mac (which is all of us here).
1) the compromise quote is from the design person and specifically uses the word desgin.
2) on the tech side, if you had the same quality cpu/gpu, ssd, display, wifi, backlight, etc, you would have the same macbook we already have at half the price
3) of course companies spin stuff
4) i would hardly call this gaslighting, even in it’s current casually thrown around meaning.
I would never buy this, but for some people it maybe it is a good deal.
JPack
macrumors P6
If you look at the ETAs, the 512/Touch versions are the ones backordered in Canada and in the U.S. It's the base models that still have March 11 ETAs. Of course, there's whole "we don't know how many Apple stocked" argument.
MacBook Air may offer better value, but a lot of people just don't need that additional power even if it's just a couple hundred more for refurb.
Based on preliminary specs, this doesn’t seem like there was much of a design challenge to begin with.
The outer shell isn’t pushing the limits and the internal are off the shelf parts from previous devices.
There were no technical challenges of fitting components into the casing like an iPhone Air or Fold might pose.
Heck, this design team’s most difficult job was probably picking the Neo’s colours.
The outer shell isn’t pushing the limits and the internal are off the shelf parts from previous devices.
There were no technical challenges of fitting components into the casing like an iPhone Air or Fold might pose.
Heck, this design team’s most difficult job was probably picking the Neo’s colours.
Londo Mollari 2
macrumors member
Because 90% of Neo users will never plug it into an external monitor, and the ones that do will easily remember to use the port closest to the screen.
And none of them need Thunderbolt.
We know that answer already - $1099 in the US (pre-tax). It’s called the MacBook Air.
The Neo uses the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro which is manufactured with 8GB of RAM. Adding more RAM to it would require building a new SOC manufacturing line, which defeats the purpose of a cheaper MacBook. The next SOC available is the current iPhone 17 Pro A19 Pro, which comes with 12GB of RAM, but using it would compete with the iPhone use and again, raise the price.
Again, it’s not just power. I don’t need the power. It’s MagSafe, Touch ID, backlit kb, etc etc etc. which my MBA already has and so why I won’t be getting one.
And yes, planned scarcity. It’s already a hit. The media is gushing over it. Good for Apple. I read one say “think of it as a smaller, lighter, Mac”, and then go on to say it’s the same weight and slightly thicker, which means it’s not a “smaller, lighter, Mac” at all. It’s all smoke and mirrors. Maybe that’s the Neo reference.
It's good and will sell well. It serves a distinct large market segment. I'm still pissed about the no backlit keyboard thing but I don't have kids so I'll get over it.
That would have pushed the base EDU price from $499 to $599.
eltoslightfoot
macrumors 68040
Ummm that is weird. Why doesn't it have that--given the target audience of this thing?
Either one is perfectly fine for a laptop. There is no need to use 7075 for this. I've worked with aluminum on everything from investment cast molds to armored vehicles.
For those cthat say Apple is fleecing people over the $100 upgrade, that upgrade includes 512GB of storage. Which in all other Macs is usually a $200 upgrade. The 512GB version should also have faster read/write speeds if things like the M4 Mac mini are any indication.
The Neo is not going to be for most people on this forum but it definitely fills a market need. Not everyone wants or needs a high end computer for daily use.
I bought a 512GB Neo because I need something portable that can run actual Mac apps. The Neo will fit right in with my M4 Mac mini and M3 iPad Air. Eat will have a different use case for me.
According to the article, this translates to “incredible aluminium” in Applenglish.
Boil
macrumors 68040
Excepting the compromise of not offering an upgrade option for more RAM...?