MacBook Neo Review

[Markgnyc2]

I picked up the 512GB Neo in silver last weekend after an iPhone like ordering process, meaning it was sold out in most stores near me for weeks and you had to check the inventory daily to see when it was available. To say I am impressed with this computer is an understatement. Let me explain.

I am not a video editor or podcaster. I usually don't do creative type work except occasional photo editing using the Photos app. I use computers (at home) for everyday tasks such as email, web browsing, spreadsheets, bill paying, occasional writing, and an extra screen for sports. I currently have an M2 MacBook Air for my main computer, with a 1TB SSD drive, so I can download all of my original photos and store them on the computer. I keep that docked on my desk and connected to a monitor. For my "couch computer" I typically use my iPad Air.

When the Neo came out, I didn't have much expectations for it. When I read the initial reviews and read about how capable everyone said the Neo is, I decided to give it a try, once I could get my hands on one.

The Neo feels like any other MacBook, premium, fast, and capable of getting things done. If I didn't know this was a Neo, I would just assume it was a MacBook Air in my hands, it's that good at doing everyday tasks. Again, I am not doing processor intensive work, so I can't tell you how it feels to use Final Cut on this. But using Safari, email, Photos, Excel, Messages, FaceTime, etc has been seamless.

I don't believe this is just a computer for a student or for Grandma. This can be for anyone who has basic computing needs. You no longer have to spend $1000+ to get a capable Apple computer. And they are obviously selling tons of them based on the wait times and inventory shortages. It certainly looks like Apple has another winner on their hands.

 

[jaysabol]

I feel the same way, based on my experience.

 

[DBRK95B]

I picked up the 512GB Neo in silver last weekend after an iPhone like ordering process, meaning it was sold out in most stores near me for weeks and you had to check the inventory daily to see when it was available. To say I am impressed with this computer is an understatement. Let me explain.

I am not a video editor or podcaster. I usually don't do creative type work except occasional photo editing using the Photos app. I use computers (at home) for everyday tasks such as email, web browsing, spreadsheets, bill paying, occasional writing, and an extra screen for sports. I currently have an M2 MacBook Air for my main computer, with a 1TB SSD drive, so I can download all of my original photos and store them on the computer. I keep that docked on my desk and connected to a monitor. For my "couch computer" I typically use my iPad Air.

When the Neo came out, I didn't have much expectations for it. When I read the initial reviews and read about how capable everyone said the Neo is, I decided to give it a try, once I could get my hands on one.

The Neo feels like any other MacBook, premium, fast, and capable of getting things done. If I didn't know this was a Neo, I would just assume it was a MacBook Air in my hands, it's that good at doing everyday tasks. Again, I am not doing processor intensive work, so I can't tell you how it feels to use Final Cut on this. But using Safari, email, Photos, Excel, Messages, FaceTime, etc has been seamless.

I don't believe this is just a computer for a student or for Grandma. This can be for anyone who has basic computing needs. You no longer have to spend $1000+ to get a capable Apple computer. And they are obviously selling tons of them based on the wait times and inventory shortages. It certainly looks like Apple has another winner on their hands.

Thanks for your sharing your hands-on experience using the MacBook Neo. Comments like yours are especially valuable to those of us trying to decide whether our next laptop purchase should be a Neo vs Air.

Your opinion seems to align with the largely positive comments that most other Neo owners have posted on the MacRumors forums. However, I equally appreciate the contrary comments posted by a recent Neo purchaser who found its performance disappointing for their standard, fairly light duty needs. As such, it's a good thing that Apple provides buyers a 15-day return option so they can test a computer out for themselves before becoming financially locked in to their purchase.

 

[4sallypat]

Same here, didn't expect a $500 device to actually do well, but the Neo surprised me.

I figured it was a very low end device that would replace my 2017 12" rMB that I had been travelling with for years.

Shockingly very efficient and quick compared to my M1 MBP, M2 MBA and 12" rMB.

Instead of just a travelling Macbook, it will now work with my college courses I am taking since it's very compact and easier to carry without the worry of the higher cost M2 MBA...

 

[foo2]

I think the killer demarcation between the Neo and higher end devices is: do you do anything that requires a sustained workload over 60 seconds or so (ie tasks running constantly in the background that you care about, like photo processing or LLMs or whavehaveyou) or is your workload more bursty (no sustained workloads)? If the latter, the Neo is a pretty clear fit for many people as long as the RAM isn't a major constraint.
Neo performance simply falls apart when that sustained workload is asked of it (tech results show 80-90% drop in performance, which is massive), but if that isn't you, performance is otherwise outstanding.

Here's some information on the details: https://www.jdhodges.com/blog/macbook-neo-benchmarks-analysis/

That (latter, bursty) is probably the vast majority of people. And at just $500 (Edu) the Neo can be easily resold in a year or two for minimal loss when it comes time to get a new machine.