Hands-On With the New MacBook Neo

[WarmWinterHat]

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.

The Neo will likely have a longer update period from Apple than the remaining time on the M1 Air. The M1 is still a fantastic laptop, but I wouldn't recommend it for a new college student that needs a computer to last them through undergrad.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

They saw Microsoft's weakness with Windows 11 problems and took their shot.

Which weakness is that and how does a 13" dead-end 8GB MacBook constitute a good shot?

 

[hybrid_x]

Sure, Brad.

Sure, Brad.

View attachment 2610044

Now divide those performance scores by the watts consumed.

View attachment 2610045

 

[delsoul]

The people laughing at it know they’d still buy this laptop over any comparable product running Microslop Windows. This laptop isn’t for the majority of ‘power users’ here on the forum. We don’t even make a blip on the radar compared to the millions of other Apple consumers out in the real world. This product is for them. And it’s going to sell like crazy. Well done, Apple. And dare I say…well done, Tim Cook. I’m one of the biggest trash talkers about Tim Cook and me giving him high praises for this MacBook Neo says a lot

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

They've essentially made a netbook, a category that died out years ago and Apple said they would never enter.

I had netbooks way back when...I remember them being smaller than 13" and you're right...they died out.

Since there aren't many 11" or 12" laptops that could be confused with a netbook, I'd just call the Neo a normal laptop.

 

[zilchfox]

I had netbooks way back when...I remember them being smaller than 13" and you're right...they died out.

Since there aren't many 11" or 12" laptops that could be confused with a netbook, I'd just call the Neo a normal laptop.

Despite them being kinda useless, Netbooks will forever have a place in my heart. I still adored them.

 

[JPack]

Yet somehow everyone here seems to know who the target is and what their desires and needs are.

It's very interesting indeed.

The press release tells so much about the target customer, but so few people here read that. It literally talks about WhatsApp, Canva, Safari, Excel. Yet, some people ask “where’s the base 16GB and 1TB option for Adobe?”

Say hello to MacBook Neo

Apple today unveiled MacBook Neo, an all-new laptop that delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price.

www.apple.com

 

[turbineseaplane]

The press release tells so much about the target customer, but so few people here read that. It literally talks about WhatsApp, Canva, Safari, Excel. Yet, some people ask “where’s the base 16GB and 1TB option for Adobe?”

Say hello to MacBook Neo

Apple today unveiled MacBook Neo, an all-new laptop that delivers the magic of the Mac at a breakthrough price.

www.apple.com

Thank you for linking and sharing.
You're right ...

I admit, I don't read Apple marketing copy as it's all such fluffy self congratulatory buzzword stuffed horse puckie.

 

[TheAngryKiwi]

Shouldn't something new be a lot better than a 6 year old M1 MBA though?

Yes - the M5 MacBook Air, it's direct replacement.

 

[Veinticinco]

Whoah there Nelly, yet another unacceptable corner cut…

Integrated 36.5-watt-hour Li-ion battery

Compared to the integrated 53.8-watt-hour Li-Po battery of the MBA

 

[bradman83]

Sure, Brad.

Sure, Brad.

View attachment 2610044View attachment 2610045

The example I cited is the Core Ultra 226V which is intended for consumer laptops. The example you cited is the 225H which is meant for performance laptops. The two are not comparable. That's like complaining the A18 is slower than the M4 Pro.

 

[TOM1211]

if it had a light up keyboard this would be for me upgrading from 2014 hopefully it’s just one of those things we will have to wait next year for the “we put a light up keyboard in it”

 

[TheAngryKiwi]

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

Not necessarily. There will be a point where colour vs. price kicks in. Apple have presumably researched this over a number of years, iPhone 5c, etc.

 

[Black_Mage]

If I was Mac curious and didn’t already own a Mac, I would be very tempted to buy this. That’s how I got into Mac in 2006. I bought an entry level MacBook. Now that I’m all in, nothing less than MacBook Pro for me these days.

 

[jellyjeff]

Its kind of interesting in that for portable macs i've been priced out for some time.
However, all my peripherals now have silicon drivers, and it took a while to get them. I doubt they'll bother for a series chips.
So, when it comes down to it, it's not for "working"...which means it's an ipad without touch but with a built in keyboard...isn't it?

 

[Blackstick]

When you have to buy one of these for each kid, the $499 EDU price (which will probably be down to $449ish at Black Friday) is the real bottled lightning here. These are dire times, cheap sells more.

Yes, sure, there are refurb MacBook Airs and used M2s and such... but that's not what mainstream customers who know nothing about computers consider, they look at the price of what's on a Costco or Target or Best Buy or Walmart shelf. Everything else in the Neo's price range is a plastic POS. They'll notice that.

$500-600 opens an entire mobile Mac market to Apple that never existed as a new purchase. Folks who lived in the "Apple is too expensive for me" world suddenly have an in. That's very valuable. Even the Mac mini wasn't this affordable because at $599, you were still on the hook for a monitor and kb/mouse (figure at least $100 for those 3 peripherals, if not more).

 

[hybrid_x]

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

100% this. iPads are fine for some stuff, but for serious work (and being able to access your files in an intuitive way), iPadOS is terrible.

In higher education, I'm not even sure iPads are supported or recommended for connecting to many of the systems students need access to, such as learning management systems. Tlthough most of these systems are web-based, schoo IT departments often only support them on Mac and Windows, and often only via Chrome. Safari sometimes has minor incompatibilities that can't be worked around.

I don't see a lot of ChromeBooks, but I had someone show me their work on one a couple of weeks ago, and holy crap it was terrible. That machine was so slow, the trackpad was tiny and useless, and the display was small and dim. The MacBook Neo looks to be superior in just about every way, and runs an actual desktop operating system.

 

[Tagbert]

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

MacBook is the family name. Each model deserves is own personal name. If you just say "MacBook" you have to say "the cheap one", instead of "MacBook Air", "MacBook Pro". Its already a problem for the "base iPad" or the "non-pro iPhone".

Neo sounds fine. not cheap.

 

[Corefile]

Looking forward to the Mac Mini Neo. Should cost $299.

 

[TexStones]

They've essentially made a netbook, a category that died out years ago and Apple said they would never enter.

Nope. They've made a Chromebook capable of supporting a full OS. Chromebooks are killing the iPad in US schools.

This product is primarily for the K12 market, with some spillover into the HiEd individual non-STEM market. If you evaluate this on your own personal performance expectations as a power user, it will fall short. If you evaluate this from the position of a K12 superintendent, it is magic. If you are a new college freshman focused on social science, education, English, history, languages, etc., it also hits hard.

If you are a graphic artist, engineering student, film student, and so on, no, it's not for you. Go get the MacBook Pro announced yesterday.

 

[Tagbert]

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.

I'm sure that the checkout process will offer an optional charger so people don't buy this who, somehow, don't have any chargers at home. Mennonites, perhaps?

 

[blairh]

This machine will be beach ball city with a dozen apps open and several browser tabs. A mistake for high school and college students.

 

[joefrank64k]

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.

I've got a few friends who still call the Apple Watch the 'iWatch' haha!!

 

[Dark_Omen]

At least the $599 M1 Air sold at Walmart had a backlit keyboard.
Epic failure right there alone.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

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

Apple needs less industrial, and more.. well, something..whimsey, maybe?. The bland metallic, industrial, boring-ass design has run its course, as far I'm concerned..

Modern Apple has about as much excitement and zest as pleated pants.