Hands-On With the New MacBook Neo

[turbineseaplane]

They're both old windows computers running win10 LTSC.

I'm the only Mac (and iPhone) user in my household.

I'm dating someone who uses her 17 Pro Max relentlessly ... and she's totally mystified by macOS.

(work uses Windows, naturally)

I think folks assuming iPhone users are automatic shoe ins to macOS are potentially mistaken.

 

[imdog]

Does anyone know what the actual display size is? Marketed as 13" but is actually 12.9"? Or is it 13.3" like the MacBook Air? This is the deciding factor in whether I buy it, if it's 12.9" I'll buy it

 

[turbineseaplane]

Does anyone know what the actual display size is? Marketed as 13" but is actually 12.9"? Or is it 13.3" like the MacBook Air? This is the deciding factor in whether I buy it, if it's 12.9" I'll buy it

13.0-inch

 

[catracho504]

If Apple spec bumps this in 12-18 months with an A19 Pro with 12 GB of RAM but keeps the price the same that will make this even more of a value.

That is why I never buy first generation apple products.

 

[zilchfox]

"People don't know those words so they deserve to get less for more."

Not a flex, Fox 🦊

Okay, enlighten me, I am genuinely curious. Feel free to list a few machines that are comparable (or even beat) in terms of:

- Material quality (aluminum)
- Display resolution (2408x1506)
- Display brightness (500 nits)
- 8GB RAM/256GB Storage (this one is easy to beat)
- 16 hours of battery life
- $599
- New, not refurbished or open box/used

Using the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H.

 

[Tim Jobs the 2nd]

"People don't know those words so they deserve to get less for more."

Not a flex, Fox 🦊

That's not what they said.

 

[Portavoz]

I was hoping it would be smaller and lighter than the MacBook Air but apparently only @Dan Barbera is lighter than the MacBook Air. You've lost weight Dan!

 

[turbineseaplane]

If Apple spec bumps this in 12-18 months with an A19 Pro with 12 GB of RAM but keeps the price the same that will make this even more of a value.

I wish they'd done that straight away.

At least we get another fun round of "8GB RAM is just fine!", once again, turning into "thank goodness they bumped the RAM up!", as already happened with the bump to 16GB.

I really thought Apple was finally done with sub 16GB RAM Macs. Sigh.

 

[*~Kim~*]

I'd be tempted if it was possible to pay for a RAM upgrade, but it seems that the only available upgrades are in storage and Touch ID.

Not even the base model comes with a power adapter now. I can understand removing them from higher end models, but base models are likely to be someone's first device. It's not promoting re-use if someone doesn't get a first one, it's blatant "pay up because you didn't get a Mac while chargers were included."

 

[Radeon85]

Now that an A18 device can run MacOS, it would be amusing to see someone try to mod an iPhone 16 pro to run macOS. I mean it would be useless, but theoretically possible lol.

That's the thing, my 17 PM 2TB has better specs than that top-end one. I'd love to be able to turn my iPhone into a temporary MacBook with its full UI by simply docking it. Android did it a long time ago, so could iOS if they wanted.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I'd be tempted if it was possible to pay for a RAM upgrade, but it seems that the only available upgrades are in storage and Touch ID.

Not even the base model comes with a power adapter now. I can understand removing them from higher end models, but base models are likely to be someone's first device. It's not promoting re-use if someone doesn't get a first one, it's blatant "pay up because you didn't get a Mac while chargers were included."

You don't have to go very far back to find laptops that came with proprietary chargers, Mac or PC.

 

[indychris]

"...fun colors like silver..."???

 

[WarmWinterHat]

That's the thing, my 17 PM 2TB has better specs than that top-end one. I'd love to be able to turn my iPhone into a temporary MacBook with its full UI by simply docking it. Android did it a long time ago, so could iOS if they wanted.

Android has been doing this for a long time, but I never met a single person that is has ever used their phone that way, and 90% don't know that they can, and likely don't even have the necessary dock to make it work. There is niche, and there is this.

When I mentioned to my wife that she could plug in her Pixel and use it like that, she looked at me funny and asked "Why on earth would I want to do that?! Absolutely not".

 

[Frazzles]

I don't like the name Neo. It's a cheap, non permanent type name, not industrial. Why not just call it MacBook.

 

[EugW]

Not even the base model comes with a power adapter now. I can understand removing them from higher end models, but base models are likely to be someone's first device. It's not promoting re-use if someone doesn't get a first one, it's blatant "pay up because you didn't get a Mac while chargers were included."

That must be a UK thing. Here in Canada it comes with the AC adapter (both the 256 and 512 GB models).

EDIT:

Confirmed. It's a UK thing. The specs are different in the UK and France, and in both countries they exclude the power adapter. However, the adapter is there both in the US and Canada.

 

[macdaddy43]

If you compare this laptop to ANY Windows laptop for $599, this absolutely shreds it. Find me one $599 Windows laptop that beats this. Heck for education discount at $499, a Windows laptop at $499 has A LOT of compromises…

Next iteration/refresh bringing RAM to 12GB would make this an incredible value.

 

[EM2013]

It wont be slow in a couple of years- not for its intended audience and users.

I wonder how many software updates before it starts feel sluggish

 

[zilchfox]

You don't have to go very far back to find laptops that came with proprietary chargers, Mac or PC.

Agreed. I have at least a dozen PC laptops from over the years and...a dozen PC laptop chargers to go with them, which are all incompatible with each other except for their designated laptop.

 

[Le0M]

Just waiting for the cry baby poser wankers to appear moaning how this can’t process 8k video files in an instant….damn, Apple produces a cheap notebook aimed at kids or those just wanting to write simple school papers, take notes, watch a youtube video and the poser crowd goes nuts with complaints. No this isn’t intended for major coding projects, photo and video editing and if you were a real heavy user you already know that fact and do not hang around chat rooms pretending you are……

Actually, you can do 4k video editing just fine with the Neo.
Newest iPhone and Mac chips are much more powerful than most users will ever need.

 

[dannyyankou]

That's the thing, my 17 PM 2TB has better specs than that top-end one. I'd love to be able to turn my iPhone into a temporary MacBook with its full UI by simply docking it. Android did it a long time ago, so could iOS if they wanted.

Oh yeah. When I say useless, I mean running it on the tiny screen. But plugging it in to a monitor and basically turning your phone into an ultra mini Mac would be great.

 

[velocityg4]

It's funny how the comparisons always seem to be about photo editing, video editing, gaming, &c. The general usage in this price range is mostly going to be office tasks and schoolwork. How well does it compete performance wise when multi-tasking web, MS office/Google workspace, e-mail, slack, teams, accounting, &c?

Sure some kid might want to play Roblox or Minecraft on it or people might want to edit their iPhone photos a little. Which most any computer in this price range will do. But the principal uses and considerations will be work or school related.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I find it strange that Apple is highlighting the colors above anything else.

My wife has an M1 Macbook Air, which is objectively and subjectively better than this model in every way.

She wants to replace it. With a pink Macbook Neo.

Because it's pink.

I'd say Apple knows exactly what they're doing.

 

[darthbane2k]

Same price as an iPad Air M4; interesting.
Of course, the difference is the keyboard, mouse and MacOS; but I can't see why to choose the Neo over the iPad Air

Thinking for someone not tech savvy

Imagine you’re a student. Try getting work done on a Mac and then try again on an iPad. There’s your reason why.

 

[turbineseaplane]

My wife has an M1 Macbook Air, which is objectively and subjectively better than this model in every way.

She wants to replace it. With a pink Macbook Neo.

Because it's pink.

I'd say Apple knows exactly what they're doing.

Except ... if that's true, they should be making more colors of more expensive models with way better margins.

 

[zilchfox]

I don't like the name Neo. It's a cheap, non permanent type name, not industrial. Why not just call it MacBook.

IMO I like it, not because it's "Neo", but because you can't confuse it with other models.

"I would like a MacBook."
"Sure, which one? MacBook Air? MacBook Pro? The regular MacBook?"
"I don't know, I think it's just called 'MacBook'"
"Oh, okay, the regular MacBook"
"Is 'MacBook' the 'regular MacBook'?"
"Yeah, if that's the one you're talking about."

vs..

"I would like a MacBook Neo"
"You bet. What color?" etc..

You already know exactly which model they're referring to without clarification. For us tech folks, it's not a big deal, but for the average consumer? They're closer to simply calling everything the "iApple Laptop" at this rate.