PSA, you know you are not the NEO's target audience when...

[G5isAlive]

After reading some of the overly negative (and repetitive) forum comments on the NEO, I am putting this out there as a PSA.

For the record I am NOT saying who should or should not buy a NEO. But maybe you shouldn't complain so vociferously if you are NOT the target audience. You likely are the target audience for something else.

But you should know you are NOT the NEO’s Target Audience When…

Let’s start with the easy ones,

• If you can debate which was the first Mac, the 128 k, or the Lisa, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you routinely work (or play) with Photoshop, Lightroom or Premiere, or really any RAM intensive program, under a deadline, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you are reading this on your iPhone Pro Max, or ASD, or iPad Pro, or heck anything with Pro in the name, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you are with Henry Ford, any color you want as long as it’s black (or silver), you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you want to keep all your 100’s of NSFW Chrome tabs open and able to change instantly from one to the other, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience (but I will take some links..)
• If you can quote the speeds of USB 3 and 3.2 ports, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.

Now perhaps a few of the more nuanced ones…

• If you have ever said, ‘Steve Jobs would not do this’ you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever said, ‘Who cares if Tim Cook grew Apple to be the largest company in the world, I still know better’, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever said, ‘OLED or nothing’, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you actively LOOK for problems, rather than solutions, like screen angle, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever listed out the macs you have owned, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you know how to induce thermal throttling, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you feel the urge to boost your ego by coining disrespectful terms, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have commented more than twice a day on any day in MacRumors, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If the IRS cares about your taxes, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.

Okay clearly, I could go on and on (sorry), and just because you are NOT the NEO’s target audience does not mean you should NOT buy one, that truly is your decision alone and folks should not criticize it (but some still do).

But It does suggest you should be smart enough to recognize the NEO for what it is, a budget Mac that does deliver the Mac Experience. To think you are smart for listing all the ways the NEO falls short because it’s not as ‘good’ as a computer that costs 2 to 8x as much… well those comments just aren’t going to age well. The NEO is not for most people on this Forum, but it is a great computer for first time owners to consider. They are going to sell well (IMHO)

And yes, I did go into the Apple Store on release day and play with a NEO for 30 minutes. But I didn’t walk out with one, though the price was very tempting, and I WAS impressed with it. It is a good computer and is going to shake up the market. Speaking of, I was in the market for a good travel computer so I checked out the NEO. But didn’t buy one. Because turns out, I am NOT the NEO target audience. Shocker.

Turns out I AM the target audience for a M5 13” MBA. Mostly because I am an avid photographer with a full frame mirrorless camera. Pics from my last vacation take up 4tb. So yeah, yet another way to know you are not the NEO’s target audience.

To those that got a NEO, enjoy! To those that pass on one, that’s cool.

Btw, bonus points for knowing which comedian I was parodying.

 

[BotchQue]

Thank you.

 

[Apple_Robert]

After reading some of the overly negative (and repetitive) forum comments on the NEO, I am putting this out there as a PSA.

For the record I am NOT saying who should or should not buy a NEO. But maybe you shouldn't complain so vociferously if you are NOT the target audience. You likely are the target audience for something else.

But you should know you are NOT the NEO’s Target Audience When…

Let’s start with the easy ones,

• If you can debate which was the first Mac, the 128 k, or the Lisa, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you routinely work (or play) with Photoshop, Lightroom or Premiere, or really any RAM intensive program, under a deadline, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you are reading this on your iPhone Pro Max, or ASD, or iPad Pro, or heck anything with Pro in the name, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you are with Henry Ford, any color you want as long as it’s black (or silver), you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you want to keep all your 100’s of NSFW Chrome tabs open and able to change instantly from one to the other, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience (but I will take some links..)
• If you can quote the speeds of USB 3 and 3.2 ports, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.

Now perhaps a few of the more nuanced ones…

• If you have ever said, ‘Steve Jobs would not do this’ you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever said, ‘Who cares if Tim Cook grew Apple to be the largest company in the world, I still know better’, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever said, ‘OLED or nothing’, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you actively LOOK for problems, rather than solutions, like screen angle, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever listed out the macs you have owned, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you know how to induce thermal throttling, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you feel the urge to boost your ego by coining disrespectful terms, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have commented more than twice a day on any day in MacRumors, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If the IRS cares about your taxes, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.

Okay clearly, I could go on and on (sorry), and just because you are NOT the NEO’s target audience does not mean you should NOT buy one, that truly is your decision alone and folks should not criticize it (but some still do).

But It does suggest you should be smart enough to recognize the NEO for what it is, a budget Mac that does deliver the Mac Experience. To think you are smart for listing all the ways the NEO falls short because it’s not as ‘good’ as a computer that costs 2 to 8x as much… well those comments just aren’t going to age well. The NEO is not for most people on this Forum, but it is a great computer for first time owners to consider. They are going to sell well (IMHO)

And yes, I did go into the Apple Store on release day and play with a NEO for 30 minutes. But I didn’t walk out with one, though the price was very tempting, and I WAS impressed with it. It is a good computer and is going to shake up the market. Speaking of, I was in the market for a good travel computer so I checked out the NEO. But didn’t buy one. Because turns out, I am NOT the NEO target audience. Shocker.

Turns out I AM the target audience for a M5 13” MBA. Mostly because I am an avid photographer with a full frame mirrorless camera. Pics from my last vacation take up 4tb. So yeah, yet another way to know you are not the NEO’s target audience.

To those that got a NEO, enjoy! To those that pass on one, that’s cool.

Btw, bonus points for knowing which comedian I was parodying.

Jeff Foxworthy whom I hung around with several years ago.

 

[bapegg]

I would say Jeff Foxworthy 😂

I am an outlier to your list. I am a bit of a tech nerd and I feel that the Neo is the better option for me since I only need a MacBook for casual use.

I whole heartily agree that people should buy what suits their needs and not worry about what other people buy.

 

[Slartibart]

After reading some of the overly negative (and repetitive) forum comments on the NEO, I am putting this out there as a PSA.

For the record I am NOT saying who should or should not buy a NEO. But maybe you shouldn't complain so vociferously if you are NOT the target audience. You likely are the target audience for something else.

But you should know you are NOT the NEO’s Target Audience When…

Let’s start with the easy ones,

• If you can debate which was the first Mac, the 128 k, or the Lisa, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you routinely work (or play) with Photoshop, Lightroom or Premiere, or really any RAM intensive program, under a deadline, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you are reading this on your iPhone Pro Max, or ASD, or iPad Pro, or heck anything with Pro in the name, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you are with Henry Ford, any color you want as long as it’s black (or silver), you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you want to keep all your 100’s of NSFW Chrome tabs open and able to change instantly from one to the other, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience (but I will take some links..)
• If you can quote the speeds of USB 3 and 3.2 ports, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.

Now perhaps a few of the more nuanced ones…

• If you have ever said, ‘Steve Jobs would not do this’ you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever said, ‘Who cares if Tim Cook grew Apple to be the largest company in the world, I still know better’, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever said, ‘OLED or nothing’, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you actively LOOK for problems, rather than solutions, like screen angle, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever listed out the macs you have owned, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you know how to induce thermal throttling, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you feel the urge to boost your ego by coining disrespectful terms, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have commented more than twice a day on any day in MacRumors, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If the IRS cares about your taxes, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.

but you could be 😃

 

[Apple_Robert]

According to your list, I am not the target audience and I agree with that. At the same time, I do like compact technology. Even though I don't really need the Neo, I got it to replace the 12" MB I used to have until recently. I gave it away because I honestly got tired of it heating up all the time and after the newness of OCLP wore off and it not being the ultimate fix, I decided the Neo was probably going to be the best alternative at this point in time. Granted, going back and forth between "Pro" products and the Neo may be frustrating for some but, like you said, I went into the purchase full well knowing the specs of the Neo so, there have been no surprises. I made an informed decision as your non typical Neo buyer.

 

[G5isAlive]

I am an outlier to your list. I am a bit of a tech nerd and I feel that the Neo is the better option for me since I only need a MacBook for casual use.

It really is a good computer, maybe great for the price. I was quite impressed with it after using it. I like to review my pictures when traveling and the screen of the MBA covers a wider color gamut and has slightly higher resolution. And TB4 comes in handy when moving around all those files. But if I am being honest, as much as I typically criticize form over function, I am a tad embarrassed to admit what also caught my eye was the MBA's sky blue over the NEO indigo. Don't tell my wife I will never hear the end of it.

 

[Apple_Robert]

It really is a good computer, maybe great for the price. I was quite impressed with it after using it. I like to review my pictures when traveling and the screen of the MBA covers a wider color gamut and has slightly higher resolution. And TB4 comes in handy when moving around all those files. But if I am being honest, as much as I typically criticize form over function, I am a tad embarrassed to admit what also caught my eye was the MBA's sky blue over the NEO indigo. Don't tell my wife I will never hear the end of it.

I had the Sky Blue M4 MBA. It is a nice color although I would have liked if it were the color blue of the current iMac.

 

[G5isAlive]

According to your list, I am not the target audience and I agree with that. At the same time, I do like compact technology. Even though I don't really need the Neo, I got it to replace the 12" MB I used to heave until recently. I gave it away because I honestly got tired of it heating up all the time and after the newness of OCLP wore off and it not bering the ultimate fix, I decided the Neo was probably going to be the best alternative at this point in time. Granted, going back and forth between "Pro" producers and the Neo may be frustrating for some but, like you said, I went into the purchase full well knowing the specs of the Neo so, there have been no surprises. I made an informed decision as your non typical Neo buyer.

Hopefully you know I wrote this tongue in cheek as a way to express my opinion (without being suspended) about those that feel the need to disrespect NEO buyers .. just because they themselves are not the target audience. The NEO is a fine computer, and I fully support anyone's decision to buy one and can understand the appeal to even those on this list (which has to be all of us at MR yes?) . Enjoy!

 

[4sallypat]

Hopefully you know I wrote this tongue in cheek as a way to express my opinion (without being suspended) about those that feel the need to disrespect NEO buyers .. just because they themselves are not the target audience. The NEO is a fine computer, and I fully support anyone's decision to buy one and can understand the appeal to even those on this list (which has to be all of us at MR yes?) . Enjoy!

Thank you for your excellent comedic spirit!

Greatly appreciated from a 2 Neo owner.

 

[jz0309]

After reading some of the overly negative (and repetitive) forum comments on the NEO, I am putting this out there as a PSA.

For the record I am NOT saying who should or should not buy a NEO. But maybe you shouldn't complain so vociferously if you are NOT the target audience. You likely are the target audience for something else.

But you should know you are NOT the NEO’s Target Audience When…

Let’s start with the easy ones,

• If you can debate which was the first Mac, the 128 k, or the Lisa, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you routinely work (or play) with Photoshop, Lightroom or Premiere, or really any RAM intensive program, under a deadline, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you are reading this on your iPhone Pro Max, or ASD, or iPad Pro, or heck anything with Pro in the name, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you are with Henry Ford, any color you want as long as it’s black (or silver), you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you want to keep all your 100’s of NSFW Chrome tabs open and able to change instantly from one to the other, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience (but I will take some links..)
• If you can quote the speeds of USB 3 and 3.2 ports, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.

Now perhaps a few of the more nuanced ones…

• If you have ever said, ‘Steve Jobs would not do this’ you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever said, ‘Who cares if Tim Cook grew Apple to be the largest company in the world, I still know better’, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever said, ‘OLED or nothing’, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you actively LOOK for problems, rather than solutions, like screen angle, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have ever listed out the macs you have owned, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you know how to induce thermal throttling, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you feel the urge to boost your ego by coining disrespectful terms, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If you have commented more than twice a day on any day in MacRumors, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.
• If the IRS cares about your taxes, you are NOT the NEO’s target audience.

Okay clearly, I could go on and on (sorry), and just because you are NOT the NEO’s target audience does not mean you should NOT buy one, that truly is your decision alone and folks should not criticize it (but some still do).

But It does suggest you should be smart enough to recognize the NEO for what it is, a budget Mac that does deliver the Mac Experience. To think you are smart for listing all the ways the NEO falls short because it’s not as ‘good’ as a computer that costs 2 to 8x as much… well those comments just aren’t going to age well. The NEO is not for most people on this Forum, but it is a great computer for first time owners to consider. They are going to sell well (IMHO)

And yes, I did go into the Apple Store on release day and play with a NEO for 30 minutes. But I didn’t walk out with one, though the price was very tempting, and I WAS impressed with it. It is a good computer and is going to shake up the market. Speaking of, I was in the market for a good travel computer so I checked out the NEO. But didn’t buy one. Because turns out, I am NOT the NEO target audience. Shocker.

Turns out I AM the target audience for a M5 13” MBA. Mostly because I am an avid photographer with a full frame mirrorless camera. Pics from my last vacation take up 4tb. So yeah, yet another way to know you are not the NEO’s target audience.

To those that got a NEO, enjoy! To those that pass on one, that’s cool.

Btw, bonus points for knowing which comedian I was parodying.

Clearly, I am not in the target audience for the Neo, however, I am enjoying my citrus base model very much, screw all of those who think I don't fit in their box 😉
Nicely written up!

 

[joshwithachance]

I am definitely NOT the target demographic, but I ****ing LOVE this thing.👏🏼

 

[klm9210]

Hopefully you know I wrote this tongue in cheek as a way to express my opinion (without being suspended) about those that feel the need to disrespect NEO buyers .. just because they themselves are not the target audience. The NEO is a fine computer, and I fully support anyone's decision to buy one and can understand the appeal to even those on this list (which has to be all of us at MR yes?) . Enjoy!

You know they've been waiting for the moment

 

[4sallypat]

.....
Turns out I AM the target audience for a M5 13” MBA. Mostly because I am an avid photographer with a full frame mirrorless camera. Pics from my last vacation take up 4tb. So yeah, yet another way to know you are not the NEO’s target audience.

To those that got a NEO, enjoy! To those that pass on one, that’s cool.

Btw, bonus points for knowing which comedian I was parodying.

OMG, my co-worker and I were just talking about the exact same before launch day as we are both retiring from education at the same time!

He said he wanted a graphics Mac for his memes and web page design business. So he ordered his M5 MBA for launch day. He reported back he loves the new M5.

I told him I wanted a travel laptop to replace the 12" rMB that carried me all over the world in the past 10 years.
Also wanted to use the EDU discount while I had an education email account with Apple (we are certified Apple GSX techs).

We both agreed, we made the right choice and the EDU discount was the last we will use before we head out into the great wilderness of not having to work anymore!

That's how the forum should be - people should treat each other with respect, understanding, listen and agree to disagree.

 

[maflynn]

I don't think we need a PSA to discern if we as MR members are or are not the target audience. I think we all can agree that as enthusiasts we are not.

That in of itself doesn't negate or prevent members from voicing their opinions pro or con.

 

[G5isAlive]

I don't think we need a PSA to discern if we as MR members are or are not the target audience. I think we all can agree that as enthusiasts we are not.

That in of itself doesn't negate or prevent members from voicing their opinions pro or con.

Need or not, it was my way of voicing my opinion as politely as I could. That’s allowed yes?

 

[maflynn]

Need or not, it was my way of voicing my opinion as politely as I could. That’s allowed yes?

So what you're saying is you should be free to post your opinion, which is advocating that people should not post their negative or critical opinions of the neo.

But maybe you shouldn't complain so vociferously if you are NOT the target audience

 

[G5isAlive]

I don't think we need a PSA to discern if we as MR members are or are not the target audience.

So what you're saying is you should be free to post your opinion, which is advocating that people should not post their negative or critical opinions of the neo.

That is not what I said. I refer you to the word 'maybe' which is a suggestion not an edict. I just found it ironic you call me out for voicing my opinion and then say people should have the right to voice their opinions. I didn't say I don't appreciate constructive comments, pro and con. You could infer that I think some opinions are baseless and do not consider anything outside of their own bubble. Shrugs. I would not be the first to say that. I just said it in a way that attempted to be humorous because if I said it with the same respect others show I might have gotten supsended.

I think it's clear that I think the NEO is an interesting choice for the target audience. You know there are some that have suggested it has no place in the Mac line up. But whatever, my opinion is out there. Feel free to read into what you will. I stand by what I wrote 🙂.

 

[4sallypat]

So what you're saying is you should be free to post your opinion, which is advocating that people should not post their negative or critical opinions of the neo.

People are entitled to their opinions sure, but what gets us is all bashing of the Neo and "you must buy a MBA or MBP or iPad Pro, spend a bit more, etc" nonsense.

Criticism is fine, just don't want people telling strangers what they should or should not purchase - that's a decision only for the person.

 

[jz0309]

I don't think we need a PSA to discern if we as MR members are or are not the target audience. I think we all can agree that as enthusiasts we are not.

That in of itself doesn't negate or prevent members from voicing their opinions pro or con.

I consider myself an "enthusiast" and as such I vehemently disagree with your statement, and, what exactly does "target audience" really mean? Sure, Apple seems to be targeting the edu market in everything they are posting about the Neo at this point, but does that preclude non-students or people working in edu? I sure think not.
The specs and everything the Neo offers suit my use case and needs, so I am not part pf the "target audience"?
I have had 2 (3) computing devices (besides work issued laptops) for like 25+ years, one desktop and one for when I'm not at my desk and at this time the Neo fulfills that role. And I put 3 in parenthesis as I also have an iPhone ...

Discussing pros and cons is fine, questioning other peoples decisions and use cases is not so much valuable ...

 

[JPack]

For people that still don't understand the target, why not read the press release? Why not visit the product page? Do the pictures resonate with you?

Apple literally shows you the apps they expect you to run. They show you the people and personas associated with Neo.

Do any of the people in the photos look like enthusiasts running DaVinci or Xcode? No, they are clearly young people or small business owners.

MacBook Neo

Introducing the new MacBook Neo. Stunning colors, durable aluminum design, 13” Liquid Retina display, all-day battery life, AI and Apple Intelligence.

www.apple.com

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

 

[nebojsak]

Opinion:
Neo is not for me
8 GB of memory in 2026 is insufficient for me

Leaving out "for me" and projecting opinions to other people is entitlement. Opinions are fine.

 

[svenmany]

So what you're saying is you should be free to post your opinion, which is advocating that people should not post their negative or critical opinions of the neo.

You stated it a bit strongly, but I agree with your sentiment. Posts which attempt to censor other posts are a hot button for me. It's easy to interpret the opening post as an attempt to discourage people from posting negative comments about the Neo.

But, the OP was gracious enough to start their own thread and not directly criticize any individual for making a criticizing post. Also, it was fun to read.

 

[maflynn]

You stated it a bit strongly

Yeah I suppose I did. Someone peed in my Cheerios today

 

[nebojsak]

Posts which attempt to censor other posts are a hot button for me. It's easy to interpret the opening post as an attempt to discourage people from posting negative comments about the Neo.

It's really not censorship.

Imagine yourself in a supermarket shopping for groceries, and having bunch of guys on your back who keep asking you why are you buying that brand of pasta or that water or that chocolate because there are other brands which cost maybe slightly more (or not), and you'd be better off buying them instead of these you want or can afford. And that is clearly their opinion, but you have yours, and you know your taste and your budget, and that's the only thing that matters, because you're not hurting anyone with your choices.

Opinions are fine, discussion is fine, telling others what they should buy with their money is not.

To quote the user from the other topic, who put it much more eloquently than me

And the self-appointed purchase police in the forums, demanding answers as to why people would buy this device or that device.

This thread is built on the idea that someone knows what an utter stranger on the internet should and shouldn't buy, because they know better. It's patronizing and elitist.