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NND! (New Neo Day)

Mainsail said:
In terms of capability, I would guess that the Neo can handle almost anything an everyday consumers will throw at it. At this point, computers are so capable that very few consumers bump into spec issues when running productivity software and common apps.

But, device power is just one part of the buying decision. For business people and some students that spend countless hours each day using their laptop as the primary productivity device, the additional MBA features might be worth $500 over the 5 plus year useful life, e.g.:

longer battery life
better/larger screen
better audio
MagSafe
backlit keyboard
faster Auxilary port
better camera for conference calls
etc..

There are business people that spend the entire work day on their computer, so that's $500 divided by 2000 hrs/yr x 5 yrs =nickel per hour additional cost....assuming no difference in trade-in value. So yeah, I can see lots of people opting for the MBA, even if the difference in tech specs are not important to them. Especially when you consider that there are larger discounts on the MBA vs the Neo because there is more wiggle room on the price.
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My point(s) exactly.
 
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Tomorrow marks three weeks with the Neo. It's definitely a keeper - comparing it to similarly priced Windows PCs is just not fair at all to Microsoft. The Neo is a monster in the PC world for simple souls like myself. It is a fast, accurate device that works my spreadsheets and documents expertly, along with my generic web life. I also appreciate how easily it integrates with my iPhone.

Negatives? Two. The first one is that with at least the blue Neo, especially for old eyes, the keyboard is nearly impossible to see. I wish that it was backlit. Even the Magic Keyboard for my old iPad was backlit. Anyway, I visited the Crafts section of my local Walmart and bought some stick-on letters - seriously, I did - and now I see the keyboard easily lol. Total investment: 98 cents.

The second negative is personal. I've been using Windows PCs for so long, it's a little bit challenging to learn macOS. Relatively speaking, it's not the hardest thing I've ever done, but it is a bit of a task for my 73 year old brain.

It's definitely a keeper. Therefore . . . AppleCare coverage officially purchased! Hammer Down!

Neo: Ten-Four Back Door, put the Pedal to the Metal and Let 'Er Roar!!
 
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ElPaso said:
Tomorrow marks three weeks with the Neo. It's definitely a keeper - comparing it to similarly priced Windows PCs is just not fair at all to Microsoft. The Neo is a monster in the PC world for simple souls like myself. It is a fast, accurate device that works my spreadsheets and documents expertly, along with my generic web life. I also appreciate how easily it integrates with my iPhone.

Negatives? Two. The first one is that with at least the blue Neo, especially for old eyes, the keyboard is nearly impossible to see. I wish that it was backlit. Even the Magic Keyboard for my old iPad was backlit. Anyway, I visited the Crafts section of my local Walmart and bought some stick-on letters - seriously, I did - and now I see the keyboard easily lol. Total investment: 98 cents.

The second negative is personal. I've been using Windows PCs for so long, it's a little bit challenging to learn macOS. Relatively speaking, it's not the hardest thing I've ever done, but it is a bit of a task for my 73 year old brain.

It's definitely a keeper. Therefore . . . AppleCare coverage officially purchased! Hammer Down!

Neo: Ten-Four Back Door, put the Pedal to the Metal and Let 'Er Roar!!
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That's awesome! I could see how the letters could be hard to distinguish from the keys. A little bit of outlining on Apple's part would've really helped with that. That's a great solution though. MacOS does take some getting used to, and I say that as a young person. It gets easier as you become more familiar with it.
 
One week from today will mark 2 months with the MBN, and I still give it an A+. See my post above (post number 29). I bought a keyboard cover on Azamon that solved the problem of the keyboard. Actually, it was a case that included the cover. Now that a little time has passed, macOS and I are becoming fast friends and the UI makes alot more sense than Windows 11. The MBN is very adept at everything I need a computer for: spreadsheets (I loooooove spreadsheets), research, word processing, social media, music & photos, etc. Attached is a photo of the device with its keyboard cover. This was a great purchase.

IMG_1134.jpeg
 
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ElPaso said:
One week from today will mark 2 months with the MBN, and I still give it an A+. See my post above (post number 29). I bought a keyboard cover on Azamon that solved the problem of the keyboard. Actually, it was a case that included the cover. Now that a little time has passed, macOS and I are becoming fast friends and the UI makes alot more sense than Windows 11. The MBN is very adept at everything I need a computer for: spreadsheets (I loooooove spreadsheets), research, word processing, social media, music & photos, etc. Attached is a photo of the device with its keyboard cover. This was a great purchase.

View attachment 2645767
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That keyboard cover looks pretty slick, and makes it look more like a MBA
 
Andy_2341 said:
That keyboard cover looks pretty slick, and makes it look more like a MBA
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Yeah, it sure makes a difference in typing. The biggest (and for me really the only) flaw in the MBN is the lack of a backlit keyboard. I was lucky that keyboard covers like this are available.
 
Love that it increased in value with the recent price hike of $100.

Glad I got 2 Neos at old EDU pricing !

Well worthwhile purchase.
 
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ElPaso said:
Yesterday I walked over to my local Apple Store and got a MacBook Neo! I got it in the indigo color, the 255 with no fingerprint sensor. So far so good as they say -- I'm currently resetting my old outdated slow Windows PC for the trash. I'll post updates and reflections as time goes by -- but my first impressions are very positive. This Neo is a very strong PC.
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I have this exact one! Traded an Intel Mac plus some cash for it to someone who really needed Intel on short notice.

Love it.

I do wish I had the fingerprint sensor…love that feature on my MBP. But the keyboard is great and I can easily type my password a little more often.

No backlit keyboard is annoying at times, but muscle memory comes in handy on that front. It's fine. Times where I need to type but lack light are rare.

I love traveling with this thing. Don't have nearly the anxiety I'd have about carrying my MBP or even an Air around. I feel like the Airs are a bit more fragile. Time will tell, of course.
 
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ElPaso said:
Yeah, it sure makes a difference in typing. The biggest (and for me really the only) flaw in the MBN is the lack of a backlit keyboard. I was lucky that keyboard covers like this are available.
Click to expand...

What keyboard cover have you found that displaces the need for the backlit keyboard?
 
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