Let's talk consumerism: why is the MacBook Neo appealing as an extra device and do you give in?

[Joplin]

The MacBook Neo is pretty interesting to me in the sense that I think for many users here/'general' users it would be great and fitting laptop for their needs, yet most of these people (at least on this website) already have an Air or Pro. Yet there's all kinds of posts of people who just kind of give in to this shiny new toy and order one as a 'spare' or 'travel' Mac (which is kind of silly if you already own a MacBook, I'd argue).

I am writing this on a 15" M4 Air (16/512) -- in all aspects a superior machine to the Neo. Yet my mind goes: whoah, cool colors, it would do all I need without breaking a sweat (browsing, academic research and writing), kinda neat that it's so affordable and hey maybe I can use a slightly smaller device... Take the 13" into the office and just use the 15" at home... I am convinced 8gb of RAM would not be a problem with my use. Then I think: lol, why am I considering all this? I have a perfectly fine working machine! What on earth do I need two laptops for?

Of course most of us here are enthusiasts, and I think we generally find it neat when Apple introduces new products. I totally get this urge to order this new device and I wonder how you all are dealing with this and also how you feel about it. Consumerism is not a great thing.

i think the realization that if I were to buy a laptop now the Neo would totally fit my requirements and would feel like a good deal given the price, so it's kind of like having that feelig of scoring 'a good deal' that can be had by buying it as an extra. Which of course is silly.

So let's hear it. Are you resisting and not consuming or are you justifying this purchase in some (creative) ways?

 

[Mike Boreham]

Started off thinking exactly like you (also have a 15" MBA), definitely not getting one, but then the sneaky thought started creeping in that I could justify getting a Neo to replace the 12.9 iPad Pro with MK I use as my portable device. The Neo would be similar size but lighter.....temptation, temptation 👿 !

Will probably wait until they start appearing on the nearly new second hand market, then they really will be cheap.

 

[AppleWes]

...but then the sneaky thought started creeping in that I could justify getting a Neo to replace the 12.9 iPad Pro with MK I use as my portable device. The Neo would be similar size but lighter.....temptation, temptation 👿 !

This was my thinking, may replace an older iPad since having a keyboard and full OS is nice compared to more limited iOS along with keyboard connected anyways.

 

[bapegg]

I would not have bought the Neo if I had a M2 or newer MBA.

I currently have a M4 Mac mini and a M3 iPad Air. But find that I sometimes need MacOS when portable so that was my justification for buying the Neo.

 

[bryo]

I did succumb and got the base model in silver, and I already have a MacBook Pro m5. (The just discontinued 512gb model)

Honestly I just kinda wanted it, and 499 edu pricing was good enough to impulse buy. Seems like a handy secondary machine to have for pulling up reference material or travel in situations where I wouldn’t want to use my mbp, like cooking or my hobby projects where I don’t want to damage my mbp.

 

[Nismo73]

Hmmm..gonna see what people think about it in a few days. Could be an impulse buy.

 

[Funny Apple Man]

Only if my M1 MBA suddenly stops working, then maybe I'll get a Neo.

But other than that, nope. If the Neo was more of an ultra-slim 12 inch design, then yeah I'd impulse buy it.

 

[4sallypat]

Need to replace my 12" rMB.

Wife's 11.6" MBA i5 is way too old!

Both are travel laptops.

 

[Arctic Moose]

Are you resisting and not consuming or are you justifying this purchase in some (creative) ways?

I am extremely glad that Apple did this, and I am sure I will be either buying a Neo for someone else, or at least recommending it, at some point.

However, I have no interest in it at all for myself, even if the colors are fun.

 

[danpass]

It isn't appealing.

If it was the next coming of the Macbook 12 then yes.

But a stripped out computer in a Macbook Air chassis is not appealing.

-

 

[m1maverick]

I succumb to Apples consumerism all the time. I've purchased a number of Macs (12" MacBook, 2019 Mac Pro, and Studio Ultra) which barely have seen use. I have been thinking about buying an M4 MacBook Pro Pro but realized an M4 MBA would work. Then I realized I have a Mac Studio which work for everything I need (I do not need portability).

Given the price of the Neo I may break down and buy one. I like Macs and I like to collect them (hence the purchase of the 12" MacBook and 2019 Mac Pro). Maybe tied me over to the late 2026 MacBook Pro refresh. Maybe I'll just wait until I actually need a new Mac. There's a novel idea!

 

[maflynn]

So let's hear it. Are you resisting and not consuming or are you justifying this purchase in some (creative) ways?

People are captivated by the latest and greatest and I suppose they are falling into a group think mentality where a few folks say they're going to get it, then more and more and eventually people start convincing themselves they need it

I have no desire to spend 500 dollars on a laptop that does less, is smaller (physically), slower has less ports then my current laptop

 

[teh_hunterer]

No need for this machine for me, as I've already got better MacBooks to use, but I'll enjoy seeing others benefit from the cheap and capable Neo.

 

[RealestDate]

This was my thinking, may replace an older iPad since having a keyboard and full OS is nice compared to more limited iOS along with keyboard connected anyways.

Since early 2021 I did Magic Keyboard + iPad Air (first 4th gen, then M2) when on the road, because I didn't like taking my primary, heavier M1 Pro MBP around – but the drawbacks and faff of iPadOS, combined with the still-quite-heavy form factor meant I had to eventually admit defeat. Got the M4 MBA on Black Friday last year, and it's been amazing. SO much better to use, and the cloud stuff works so well nowadays that it's sitting on 75GB used and I don't see that growing any. So the general principle of ditching the iPad w/ keyboard for a light actual laptop is a good one, from my POV at least.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Neo will most likely be what folks gravitate to once the iPad honeymoon phase is over. MBA was a little out of reach price wise and folks probably broke up their iPad+keyboard purchases so the initial sticker shock wasn't there. Now you can get a full blown laptop around a similar size for cheaper than an iPad Air+keyboard combo. Unless you're a diehard iPadOS or touch only user the value isn't there.

If the Neo was 12" it genuinely would have killed off iPad sales I imagine.

 

[Zazoh]

In others areas of our lives we have all the things. Why do we think we only need one tech device? I have a toaster, a toaster oven, a convection oven, a microwave, a stove top, a pickup truck a mini cooper, slacks, jeans etc. we spend thousands of dollars on everything else in our lives but must somehow justify another computer. Maybe in the 80-90s this was a thing, not today.

I’m buying one because it is going to bring me joy to use and it’s cool. I still have other devices to do things but I no longer live a life of singularity when it comes to tech.

 

[4sallypat]

In others areas of our lives we have all the things. Why do we think we only need one tech device? I have a toaster, a toaster oven, a convection oven, a microwave, a stove top, a pickup truck a mini cooper, slacks, jeans etc. we spend thousands of dollars on everything else in our lives but must somehow justify another computer. Maybe in the 80-90s this was a thing, not today.

I’m buying one because it is going to bring me joy to use and it’s cool. I still have other devices to do things but I no longer live a life of singularity when it comes to tech.

Same here and agree with you.

I'm retiring and want to enjoy this new Neo.

Neo will be replacing my 12" rMB that I took everywhere around the world.

Sort of sad to part with the 12" but the battery life was horrendously short.

And my wife's 11.6" MBA is also going to be given away or sold so that she has a new Neo to take along our travels.....

 

[Macbookey]

Citrus biscuit is tempting, but I’m resisting the 2 MacBook lifestyle for now. I love that the Neo exists, what it means to the future of the Mac, the joy it will bring those that cannot afford the entry level MacBook Air, or those that needed something less expensive as a secondary Mac to go out into the world with. I love that it overshadowed the iPhone and iPad at the launch event and garnered a ton of mindshare. Anything that grows the Mac and brings in new users is a wonderful thing to me.

I totally get the consumerism angle, but  is gonna bank on those that want and need all the same. I can see a future where I purchase one to companion the next generation MacBook Pro/Ultra. For now though, it is wasteful purchase. I want but do not need, and so my practical mind is winning. If others just want it and have to have it, have at it and let us know your experience. I look forward to reading hands on from Macrumors members.

 

[4sallypat]

Citrus biscuit is tempting, but I’m resisting the 2 MacBook lifestyle for now. I love that the Neo exists, what it means to the future of the Mac, the joy it will bring those that cannot afford the entry level MacBook Air, or those that needed something less expensive as a secondary Mac to go out into the world with. I love that it overshadowed the iPhone and iPad at the launch event and garnered a ton of mindshare. Anything that grows the Mac and brings in new users is a wonderful thing to me.

I totally get the consumerism angle, but  is gonna bank on those that want and need all the same. I can see a future where I purchase one to companion the next generation MacBook Pro/Ultra. For now though, it is wasteful purchase. I want but do not need, and so my practical mind is winning. If others just want it and have to have it, have at it and let us know your experience. I look forward to reading hands on from Macrumors members.

I'll be picking up both Citrus and Indigo this Wednesday and put it up alongside: 12" rMB, 11.6" MBA and 16" MBP just for comparison....

I'll post photos!

Hoping the wife won't fight me for the Citrus....

 

[eltoslightfoot]

People are captivated by the latest and greatest and I suppose they are falling into a group think mentality where a few folks say they're going to get it, then more and more and eventually people start convincing themselves they need it

I have no desire to spend 500 dollars on a laptop that does less, is smaller (physically), slower has less ports then my current laptop

This, exactly.

 

[Pbwallstreet]

I ordered the Neo. Started another thread on it. I know the computer is somewhat junk but good build quality. It is potentially going to kill my 11” iPad Pro that I hate taking on the road because it sucks for productivity. Also, my iPhone 17 Pro Max cannibalizes my use of a tablet.

At home I have a 16” MacBook Pro M1 Pro and I also have a 15” MBA which will likely be swapped for a 14” MacBook Pro M5.

 

[Saturn1217]

I solved this feeling by setting my wallpaper to the new MacBook Neo indigo wallpaper which works very well with my 13” M4 MacBook Air in sky blue. That sounds stupid but I’m not even joking. It made me feel better!

Now I can pretend I have the fancy new thing while continuing to enjoy my superior specs that I almost certainly don’t need but am still glad I have.

 

[DeepSix]

I just bought six of them. Apple store said limit 12 per customer.

 

[4sallypat]

I just bought six of them. Apple store said limit 12 per customer.

Early Christmas gifts ?

 

[dmr727]

Early Christmas gifts ?

If you look at his posting history, you'll see he's not serious.

Anyway, if this thing were the size of the old 12" Macbook, I might be tempted by the FOMO since I travel so much. But I have a 13" Air, so there's no point.