Yeah, I suspect Apple knows (even hopes) that most will feel that way but that those with more modest needs and a modest budget will be glad to finally have an Apple computer.
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Hands-On With the New MacBook Neo
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hybrid_x
macrumors 6502a
Apple is going to sell a TON of these to students. For 90% of what most students need, this fits the bill perfectly.
My wife just bought a MacBook Air... same physical size and weight. Would the Neo have fit her needs? Probably for now, but I would imagine an M4 Air is going to be a lot more future-proof than the Neo. Plus, the backlit keyboard, brighter display, better trackpad, and better external display support make it an overall superior machine for pro use.
My wife just bought a MacBook Air... same physical size and weight. Would the Neo have fit her needs? Probably for now, but I would imagine an M4 Air is going to be a lot more future-proof than the Neo. Plus, the backlit keyboard, brighter display, better trackpad, and better external display support make it an overall superior machine for pro use.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
We grasp it just fine.
I just refute the concept that anyone here knows what the actual target audience wants, as some seem to be proclaiming.
zilchfox
macrumors 6502
The target demographic for this device would have absolutely no idea what half of the words you wrote here even mean. You are not the target demographic.
Yamcha
macrumors 68000
I feel like this is going to take a good chunk of the PC market. You're getting really good performance for price.
schopaia
macrumors member
not if it's half the price
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
It's basically the same price the M1 MBA has been selling at WalMart for these last couple years.
That appears to have been a "test" for this.
abowlby
macrumors 6502a
abowlby
macrumors 6502a
"People don't know those words so they deserve to get less for more."
Not a flex, Fox 🦊
WarmWinterHat
Suspended
My kids don't want anything to do with computers when they are home, except for necessary homework. They both use hand-me-down laptops.
When college is on the horizon, we'll revisit.
I doubt that. I suspect most people choose a computer first based on the OS (one that they have some experience and more or less like) then choose a model that fits the right price/performance for their needs/budget. Now some people may have wanted to get an Apple computer either because a friend had one or they like their iPhones but were priced out of that option. So this new computer gives that slice of the market an option. So yea, some of those have been Windows users but not a huge percentage of that group.
heisalso
macrumors newbie
Janichsan
macrumors 68040
Apple's intro video for the Neo even explicitly points out the multi-touch and gesture support.
Veinticinco
macrumors 68020
Buy cheap, buy twice.
Leaving aside MR Dan’s typically shill initial review (I can’t watch him anymore) the more you look at the hardware details, the lack of stuff, the compromises made, the corners cut, the form factor recycling, the design laziness, and ignore the marketing itch of the new (calling it Neo, genius) and distraction of “oooh new colours”, the more you realise it’s not such a great deal after all.
I’m not being snobbish about the budget/educational category, I just don’t think this entrant is all it should be even at this price. If your kids are young enough to be able to wait the minimum 2 years before Apple revamps this with an update, I’d hold off. It reminds me of the underpowered OG MBA in many ways, although that at least had the wow of an entirely new and svelte form factor going for it, instead of pink and citrus.
Leaving aside MR Dan’s typically shill initial review (I can’t watch him anymore) the more you look at the hardware details, the lack of stuff, the compromises made, the corners cut, the form factor recycling, the design laziness, and ignore the marketing itch of the new (calling it Neo, genius) and distraction of “oooh new colours”, the more you realise it’s not such a great deal after all.
I’m not being snobbish about the budget/educational category, I just don’t think this entrant is all it should be even at this price. If your kids are young enough to be able to wait the minimum 2 years before Apple revamps this with an update, I’d hold off. It reminds me of the underpowered OG MBA in many ways, although that at least had the wow of an entirely new and svelte form factor going for it, instead of pink and citrus.
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EugW
macrumors P6
Lemme guess... Those hand-me-down laptops are Windows or Macs.
Radeon85
macrumors 68000
I did, though it was a pretty high-end one for its time with a 10" screen 4GB RAM 160GB replaceable 2.5" HDD ( I put a 1TB in there) and it ran Windows 7 fairly well, so it wasn't slow. It was more like a mini laptop. While the iPhone CPUs are very fast, I'd still put this in the netbook category as it's essentially an iPhone in a laptop shell.
H_D
macrumors 6502
Interesting that Apple tries to revive the Mac market by going low-spec and low-price. Not sure if this is the best strategy at all.
But the thing that I ask myself most: If an iPhone 16 chip can power MacOS. WHY the F is the iPad not able to boot into Mac mode? They are crawling near the option that iPad might drive MacOS (Macs with touch eventually, the Neo...) but it drives you crazy. The iPad would be 200% more useful if it could be used as ... a MacNeo :-D
But the thing that I ask myself most: If an iPhone 16 chip can power MacOS. WHY the F is the iPad not able to boot into Mac mode? They are crawling near the option that iPad might drive MacOS (Macs with touch eventually, the Neo...) but it drives you crazy. The iPad would be 200% more useful if it could be used as ... a MacNeo :-D
Have not decided if I am going to get this or refurb M1. My current is 2014 Air and honestly for my current life it’s all that I need except some of my apps are no longer receiving updates.
I guess I will wait for real world comparisons between the two.
I guess I will wait for real world comparisons between the two.
WarmWinterHat
Suspended
They're both old windows computers running win10 LTSC.
I'm the only Mac (and iPhone) user in my household.
dannyyankou
macrumors P6
vegetassj4
macrumors 68020
EugW
macrumors P6
Get neither and wait for the Back-To-School sale in June. (That is if you're in the US or Canada. The sales may be at different times in other countries, assuming they exist at all.) Or if you want one now and you're in the US, get a discounted M4 MacBook Air from Amazon.
This is better than an M1 Air because the A18 Pro is basically an M4 in single core performance and basically an M1 in multi core performance