Does the Neo trackpad suck compared to the Air/Pro?

[HappyDude20]

The Neo’s price is great and am heavily considering getting it….

…however, the trackpad and how it works, although ingenious, seems ripe for eventual damage.

I know sacrifices are being made when choosing the Neo over the Air/Pro, but for me the main potential issue would be the reliably and ease of use regarding the trackpad.

 

[Apple_Robert]

The Neo is using the same trackpad the Pro had before haptics came along. There is nothing wrong with the Trackpad.

 

[Zackmd1]

The Neo is using the same trackpad the Pro had before haptics came along. There is nothing wrong with the Trackpad.

Not quite... The Neo has an all new mechanical design that allows a click from anywhere as opposed to the diving board design of the old pro trackpads.

I actually prefer the feel of the Neo trackpad over the haptic trackpad. The Neo has a much more satisfying click. Same concept as a keyboard with more physical key travel...

 

[TSE]

I was just at the store and actually preferred it.

 

[alongdingdong]

I prefer it over the higher end macbooks, i like tactile feedback when pressing the trackpad. I never liked the soft tapping on those. Been using laptops for more then 20 years and dont get used to the newer type of trackpads that act like touchscreens.

 

[whitby]

I, like others here, prefer the feel of the Neo trackpad. It is more positive. My only worry is that this trackpad seems to depend on a single switch mounted under the center of the trackpad, and, like all things mechanical, will wear out requiring replacement, maybe sooner than the haptic feedback unit in the other MacBooks. Only time will tell, but that switch is subject to a lot of stress being directly operated by people pressing on the pad. Dirt ingress may also be an issue ( around the edges).

So, in summary, I actually prefer the Neo trackpad to the haptic versions, but worry that as a purely mechanical device it may have a shorter operational life than the haptic feedback version.

 

[m1maverick]

I, like others here, prefer the feel of the Neo trackpad. It is more positive. My only worry is that this trackpad seems to depend on a single switch mounted under the center of the trackpad, and, like all things mechanical, will wear out requiring replacement, maybe sooner than the haptic feedback unit in the other MacBooks. Only time will tell, but that switch is subject to a lot of stress being directly operated by people pressing on the pad. Dirt ingress may also be an issue ( around the edges).

So, in summary, I actually prefer the Neo trackpad to the haptic versions, but worry that as a purely mechanical device it may have a shorter operational life than the haptic feedback version.

Not to worry. Apple made sure the trackpad will outlast the Neos lifespan by equipping the Neo with 8GB of RAM (ducks head)

 

[Apathist]

for me the main potential issue would be the reliably and ease of use regarding the trackpad.

If you're comfortable using "Tap to click", there would be no real need to ever actually press on the trackpad, and its reliability and general ease of use should be more or less the same as that of any other MacBook.

 

[bookcase]

"Tap to click" always resulted in accidental clicks when I used it on a Magic Keyboard for my iPad Air. I found it frustrating, so I never use it. Not having a haptic trackpad for the Neo is no big loss IMO.

 

[4sallypat]

I love the ease of repairs - Neo design makes it easy to fix as our organization has GSX Apple repair certification.

 

[chown33]

I think this is something you'd have to test drive yourself.

I played on a Neo a bit at Costco, and it seemed fine to me. It was sitting right next to an MB Air, so I tried them simultaneously and decided they were both good. Definitely better than the "diving board" design on the MB Pro I have now.

 

[Zazoh]

I have a haptic trackpad and the Neo in the same house. I'm so glad I'm too unaware to even notice a difference. But then again I've never lived in a monolithic environment where I didn't use one OS and computer at work and another at home and another for a hobby. I drive multiple cars as well, now that I think about it maybe I'm more advanced and can adapt to my environment ... 😀