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.

 

[geta]

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.

In your case it would have been better to buy a Mac Mini for your desktop duties and use your MBA as your portable device.

 

[Markgnyc2]

In your case it would have been better to buy a Mac Mini for your desktop duties and use your MBA as your portable device.

Thought about it, but I would want to wait for M5 at this point and would want 2TB, and for now the MBA is working as well now as it did in 2022. And that would cost at least $1,399 I believe. So I bought the Neo and paid half the price. The MBA will move down to one of my kids at the right time.

 

[mk313]

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.

Nice Review. Aligns with my experience as well.

I think people who pick up a NEO expecting to not like it will be able to find something that will 'prove them right.' But for everyone else, who just wants a Mac do do their day-to-day stuff (and they don't have super high-end needs), the NEO is a great computer that works perfectly fine. It also opens up the market to a whole new group of computer users who, for whatever reason, can't or won't pay $1K+ for a laptop.

 

[Corefile]

The big problem is the physical press of the trackpad. Going back to that is like going back to Windows.

 

[bapegg]

The big problem is the physical press of the trackpad. Going back to that is like going back to Windows.

I guess it is down to what you are use to using.

I don't notice much of a difference to talk about between the Neo track pad and iPad Magic Keyboard track pad. I definitely notice a difference when using my Dell Inspiron laptop's track pad.

Of course I am also one that finds the Magic Mouse to be very uncomfortable and unergonomic to use.

 

[mk313]

The big problem is the physical press of the trackpad. Going back to that is like going back to Windows.

I was a bit worried about this when I got mine, but it really feels almost the same as my M2 Macbook Air.

 

[Corefile]

I was a bit worried about this when I got mine, but it really feels almost the same as my M2 Macbook Air.

I was in the Apple shop last week when picking up my refurb M4 Mini. I found the amount of travel when pressing it surprising. Maybe I am just so used to the haptic trackpad.

 

[4sallypat]

I was a bit worried about this when I got mine, but it really feels almost the same as my M2 Macbook Air.

Agree!
My 15" M2 MBA feels almost identical trackpad compared to the Neo.

 

[mk313]

I was in the Apple shop last week when picking up my refurb M4 Mini. I found the amount of travel when pressing it surprising. Maybe I am just so used to the haptic trackpad.

interesting. I wonder if there is a QC issue maybe where the one you experienced is different than the one on mine. I'm not 100% sure I could tell the difference if I was doing a blind test between the two.

 

[chars1ub0w]

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.

An example for me is using Handbrake. I'm converting some video clips. And Handbrake can use all of the cores on this M1 Max - 99% CPU. The Neo has fewer cores, not sure how long it'd take on such tasks.

 

[Corefile]

interesting. I wonder if there is a QC issue maybe where the one you experienced is different than the one on mine. I'm not 100% sure I could tell the difference if I was doing a blind test between the two.

I'm not sure. Most users are coming from Windows so the Neo trackpad is a godsend. All the PC laptops I used were terrible for trackpads. So even though I bring it up, it's simply not a problem for most people. Taking a step back, the Neo is a bullseye for Apple. It is the product of the current decade IMO.

 

[foo2]

An example for me is using Handbrake. I'm converting some video clips. And Handbrake can use all of the cores on this M1 Max - 99% CPU. The Neo has fewer cores, not sure how long it'd take on such tasks.

View attachment 2627683

If I were using a Neo, I would make sure to use the Apple Toolbox's hardware encode engine, which has a 7X or so speedup vs using CPU, and only has a fraction of the heat.

"Even" with an M1 Max (well, especially with the M1 Max, since it has 2 encoding engines) you should be sure you are doing the same.

Your video settings thus would look more like this:

Test that change. I suspect your encode speed will skyrocket.

 

[foo2]

I'm not sure. Most users are coming from Windows so the Neo trackpad is a godsend. All the PC laptops I used were terrible for trackpads. So even though I bring it up, it's simply not a problem for most people. Taking a step back, the Neo is a bullseye for Apple. It is the product of the current decade IMO.

On top of this, most of the time I'm using a dock and an external mouse/keyboard, or I'm away from desk and using a bluetooth mouse. I tested the trackpad and I thought it was fine.

 

[pjschmid]

The big problem is the physical press of the trackpad. Going back to that is like going back to Windows.

That's a bit extreme. If you've been using the newer haptic trackpads I can see that you might miss that experience but comparing the Neo trackpad to any windows laptop is just wrong. I have to use a windows laptop at work and there is no comparison. Those dodgy diving board trackpads are a nightmare. The feel on the surface of the windows trackpads is unpleasant and the clicking is horrible. To compare the Neo trackpad to that is just plain insulting.

 

[chars1ub0w]

Your video settings thus would look more like this:
View attachment 2627713

Test that change. I suspect your encode speed will skyrocket.

Is there really a very big difference?
19 secs (Hardware Apple VideoToolbox 1080p setting) vs. 26 secs (Fast 1080p30) on M1 Max.
But the former produces H.265 1263 kb/s bitrate video vs. H.264 1459 kb/s bit rate video (Fast 1080p30).
However, H.265 videos sometimes have trouble playing on PCs.

 

[Siliconguy]

An example for me is using Handbrake. I'm converting some video clips.

That's a good example. My M1 MBA can outrun the Linux box for a couple minutes at that task, but then it slows down. Sometimes you just need a fan. 🙂

But for routine stuff most of my time is spent in LibreOffice and the Neo should do fine at that. The rest is web browsing, Google Earth, and screen sharing.

 

[foo2]

Is there really a very big difference?
19 secs (Hardware Apple VideoToolbox 1080p setting) vs. 26 secs (Fast 1080p30) on M1 Max.
But the former produces H.265 1263 kb/s bitrate video vs. H.264 1459 kb/s bit rate video (Fast 1080p30).
However, H.265 videos sometimes have trouble playing on PCs.

The two numbers you list (19 seconds vs 26 seconds) aren't even remotely comparable. You need to have the same output (h264 or h265) from both methods. You'll discover that the CPU speed drastically (drastically!) slows when you make it to h265.

Sure, any format can have all kinds of troubles playing on some hardware. But h264 is the old standard, and h265 is the new one; it's very standard and normal to encode with.

 

[foo2]

M4 Mac mini
4m10s for h265 AppleToolBox 1080P - 637MB
work: average encoding speed for job is 384.528320 fps
30% CPU used

To do the same operation on the CPU of the M4 mini [H265 MKV 1080p30 preset]: 42 minutes and counting, 30 fps or so encode rate - call it 1/10th the speed. With CPU at 100% the entire time, fan screaming.

6m15s for an M2 Ultra Studio to do the same file using CPU; 3m10s using VTB.

 

[JohnnyGo]

Thanks FOO2 for all the info on hardware decoding.

I don't know why we veered that way. I'm certain no one with a video encoding daily work would think about a Macbook Neo.

The original poster made my day. It seems the Neo is more or less comparable to M1/M2 MacBook Air in terms of how it fees as a daily user. For office use/web browsing, that seems to indicate that the Neo is an excellent price/performance hardware option.

 

[foo2]

Thanks FOO2 for all the info on hardware decoding.

I don't know why we veered that way. I'm certain no one with a video encoding daily work would think about a Macbook Neo.

The original poster made my day. It seems the Neo is more or less comparable to M1/M2 MacBook Air in terms of how it fees as a daily user. For office use/web browsing, that seems to indicate that the Neo is an excellent price/performance hardware option.

Anything can hardware decode. We're talking about h265 hardware encoding, and the Neo should be pretty capable as long as it's using VTB and not the CPU.

If one wanted to record 4k video (like, say, an iPhone does) this would be a very important attribute. VTB and the Apple media encoder makes it easy, and uses only light CPU in doing so (on the M4; I would expect the A16 Pro to have more CPU used than the M4, but be nowhere near 100%).