Things that need fixing on the MacBook Neo

[bapegg]

I'd like to see the Neo get Thunderbolt 3 at least and support 2 external displays in clamshell. But since they're powered by iPhone chips, I guess the iPhone would have to support Thunderbolt before the Neo would.

Apple may not want Thunderbolt on an iPhone, though.

It could be a limitation of the A series chip or it could be that Apple doesn't want the Neo to have Thunderbolt.

If we look at the iPads with M series chips, only the Pro version has Thunderbolt while the Air has USB 3.

 

[Abydos]

a snarky comment, the original poster's comments could be condensed into : put the features of a MBP into the MBN at the price of the MBN

 

[bapegg]

a snarky comment, the original poster's comments could be condensed into : put the features of a MBP into the MBN at the price of the MBN

No different than wanting to buy a Corvette for what a Cobalt costs.

 

[turbineseaplane]

But you don't need to wait, the Macbook Airs can already do 4k@144Hz for years. Why wouldn't you purchase an all around better Air on sale in the next few months instead of waiting a full year for a Neo 2 that might not even support 4k@144Hz? The M4 Air had incredible sales the past few months, it's not much more expensive over the Neo.

I did just that, last night!
🙂

I just bought a "Neo" for $650.

It's a Sky Blue, mint condition, gently preowned, Macbook Air 13" M4 10c/10c, 16/512.
9 cycles on the battery and nary a mark on her.

It's "neo" to me.
😎

 

[Abydos]

only gm product I ever owned was an apache 34 (1957 if I recall correctly), then again I was merely referring to calling a spade a spade (or is f*cking shovel - I forget)

 

[geta]

No different than wanting to buy a Corvette for what a Cobalt costs.

Corvette is for poor people.

 

[throAU]

I'd like to see the Neo get Thunderbolt 3 at least and support 2 external displays in clamshell. But since they're powered by iPhone chips, I guess the iPhone would have to support Thunderbolt before the Neo would.

Apple may not want Thunderbolt on an iPhone, though.

The $500 market is not doing those things.

 

[biggest father1]

The $500 market is not doing those things.

My 70 year old parent still wants to be able to use 2 monitors with the Neo they bought. My child would also like to use 2 monitors with a Neo. The Air's higher price point and performance is too much for the casual users in my family.

Now that I think about it, my parents have used 2 external monitors since Windows Vista as the Neo is their first mac and they're not heavy users at all. They just like 2 monitors.

I do have a nice CalDigit Thunderbolt setup at our place and it would just be nice if when my parents came down, they could connect right into it in our office setup but instead, I'll have to buy another USB dongle of some sort for them to be able to plug into 1 of my monitors.

 

[geta]

My 70 year old parent still wants to be able to use 2 monitors with the Neo they bought. My child would also like to use 2 monitors with a Neo. The Air's higher price point and performance is too much for the casual users in my family.

Now that I think about it, my parents have used 2 external monitors since Windows Vista as the Neo is their first mac and they're not heavy users at all. They just like 2 monitors.

I do have a nice CalDigit Thunderbolt setup at our place and it would just be nice if when my parents came down, they could connect right into it in our office setup but instead, I'll have to buy another USB dongle of some sort for them to be able to plug into 1 of my monitors.

Fully understand your point, but technically they do have two monitors, one external + one build-in.

 

[throAU]

My 70 year old parent still wants to be able to use 2 monitors with the Neo they bought. My child would also like to use 2 monitors with a Neo. The Air's higher price point and performance is too much for the casual users in my family.

Now that I think about it, my parents have used 2 external monitors since Windows Vista as the Neo is their first mac and they're not heavy users at all. They just like 2 monitors.

I do have a nice CalDigit Thunderbolt setup at our place and it would just be nice if when my parents came down, they could connect right into it in our office setup but instead, I'll have to buy another USB dongle of some sort for them to be able to plug into 1 of my monitors.

Sounds like an exception to the rule.

Most people buying $500 machines aren’t spending a few hundred dollars on multiple monitors. They just aren’t.

 

[4sallypat]

My 70 year old parent still wants to be able to use 2 monitors with the Neo they bought. My child would also like to use 2 monitors with a Neo. The Air's higher price point and performance is too much for the casual users in my family.

Now that I think about it, my parents have used 2 external monitors since Windows Vista as the Neo is their first mac and they're not heavy users at all. They just like 2 monitors.

I do have a nice CalDigit Thunderbolt setup at our place and it would just be nice if when my parents came down, they could connect right into it in our office setup but instead, I'll have to buy another USB dongle of some sort for them to be able to plug into 1 of my monitors.

Wrong tool for the job.

Both of them should have gotten a used / refurb Air.
With dual monitors, should have gotten a Windows machine like I do at work.

Neos are not meant to intrude into the MBA / MBP level.

My Neo is for travel and that's to replace the 12" rMB which never did dual monitors either.

 

[4sallypat]

......
Most people buying $500 machines aren’t spending a few hundred dollars on multiple monitors. They just aren’t.

Agree!

$500 Neo plus 2 monitors are not the target audience @biggest father1

My dual 32" 4K monitors are at work on a $2000 W11
At home $2000 Studio Mac w/ 2 27" Apple studio displays.

 

[throAU]

Even two really cheap 22” monitors (that will look trash next to the Neo’s display) are ~70-100 each.

That’s 1/3 of a mac neo.

 

[biggest father1]

Agree!

$500 Neo plus 2 monitors are not the target audience @biggest father1

My dual 32" 4K monitors are at work on a $2000 W11
At home $2000 Studio Mac w/ 2 27" Apple studio displays.

Well, it wasn't a $500 mac. $765 is not cheap so I don't blame them for questioning why their old monitors from 2012 won't work with the new Neo they purchased.

I'll be sure to tell them their work load is too heavy for this device as they'll get a kick out of that.

 

[Apple_Robert]

View attachment 2619182


Well, it wasn't a $500 mac. $765 is not cheap so I don't blame them for questioning why their old monitors from 2012 won't work with the new Neo they purchased.

I'll be sure to tell them their work load is too heavy for this device as they'll get a kick out of that.

Their preference not their workload. The Neo can handle one external monitor. I am surprised they think they need 2 monitors for basic use.

 

[geta]

Wrong tool for the job.

Both of them should have gotten a used / refurb Air.
With dual monitors, should have gotten a Windows machine like I do at work.

Neos are not meant to intrude into the MBA / MBP level.

My Neo is for travel and that's to replace the 12" rMB which never did dual monitors either.

Because that use is the gold standard and everyone who has other needs should buy MBA/MBP.

 

[biggest father1]

I understand it's a preference and not a workload... Lol. Even if I corrected my wording then it would still be their preference is too heavy for the $765 Neo.

For these basic 70 year old users, they're huge music nerds that just want to watch Pat Benatar music videos all day on one monitor while playing Mahjong on the other without having to worry about their vision on the smaller screen. Their vision still holds up somewhat on the smaller display and they make it work but were still perplexed when I told them the Mac they picked out would not work with their 2 external monitors at the same time.

They're in retirement but still understand the longevity of Apple products and saw this as a good value. They've been so used to using 2 monitors for over a decade that they didn't realize Apple products still shipped without being able to support the 2 monitors they have.

 

[chown33]

I understand it's a preference and not a workload... Lol. Even if I corrected my wording then it would still be their preference is too heavy for the $765 Neo.

For these basic 70 year old users, they're huge music nerds that just want to watch Pat Benatar music videos all day on one monitor while playing Mahjong on the other without having to worry about their vision on the smaller screen. Their vision still holds up somewhat on the smaller display and they make it work but were still perplexed when I told them the Mac they picked out would not work with their 2 external monitors at the same time.

They're in retirement but still understand the longevity of Apple products and saw this as a good value. They've been so used to using 2 monitors for over a decade that they didn't realize Apple products still shipped without being able to support the 2 monitors they have.

If portability isn't a necessity, then maybe a Mac mini would be better for that configuration.

What was the prior computer model?

 

[biggest father1]

If portability isn't a necessity, then maybe a Mac mini would be better for that configuration.

They like to travel and see grand kids and family so they prefer the display when they’re on the go.

They’re just getting a lesson on how Apple can be stingy with features on products whether that be not being able to set a charge limit on an iPhone 14 Pro due to software limitation or whatever other questionable decisions have been made.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I understand it's a preference and not a workload... Lol. Even if I corrected my wording then it would still be their preference is too heavy for the $765 Neo.

For these basic 70 year old users, they're huge music nerds that just want to watch Pat Benatar music videos all day on one monitor while playing Mahjong on the other without having to worry about their vision on the smaller screen. Their vision still holds up somewhat on the smaller display and they make it work but were still perplexed when I told them the Mac they picked out would not work with their 2 external monitors at the same time.

They're in retirement but still understand the longevity of Apple products and saw this as a good value. They've been so used to using 2 monitors for over a decade that they didn't realize Apple products still shipped without being able to support the 2 monitors they have.

Now that you explained what they have been doing, it makes sense. You might try setting them up with an Apple TV so they can stream Pat Benatar on the big tv. Might be a better experience for them.

 

[mpetrides]

There's fixing a product and then there's wishing it had features/specs that it doesn't. OP actually mostly listed fixes. But a lot of posts seem to just be a wishlist of things that exist in higher tier models. It's fine to wish but it's not realistic to expect a lower tier product to be more comparable to a higher tier because then there's less reason for the higher tier product to exist and the company simply loses money. It's the same as demanding a price reduction in the higher tier. Again, fine to wish, but not realistic. Nor is it realistic to expect a company to have a tier that has the exact specifications you want. It's more likely a lower tier will lack something you want, and a higher tier will have more than what you want. A company can't have a million SKUs, so you just have to choose the one that's best for you.

So if this thread isn't about actual fixes, then it's just another "I wish there was a cheaper way to get the thing I want" thread.

This post captures it all IMHO, especially that last sentence:

So if this thread isn't about actual fixes, then it's just another "I wish there was a cheaper way to get the thing I want" thread.

Addressing one of the "I wish for a cheaper way to get what I want" issues, namely the MagSafe charging wish, I will note that the 13" M2 MBA I am using to compose this post does have MagSafe charging but I typically end up using one of the USB-C ports to charge it nonetheless. Why? Because it is more convenient. I can carry one small charging brick that will work with my iPhone, my iPad, and my MBP when I'm out and about. And at home, it's simply easier to use the same USB-C cable I use to charge my iPhone at night, to charge my MBA while I'm using the iPhone during the day. So, for me, the absence of MagSafe on the Neo simply means either that the Neo costs a little bit less or that the money it would have cost to add MagSafe has been spent on something else that might be more useful to me.

 

[conmee]

I was in the market for a Neo but ended up buying a loaded M5 Pro to cover off on all the things I would have missed thanks to threads like these informing me I would be missing out on crucial items like multiple displays, backlit keys, MagSafe, and more memory. Unfortunately, there are M5 Max threads now making me feel bad about the puny 64GB memory and 20-core GPU I’m saddled with for God knows how long… and don’t get me started on the “wait for 2nm M6 triple OLED” crowd… damn you, MacRumors!!!! 😉

 

[conmee]

a snarky comment, the original poster's comments could be condensed into : put the features of a MBP into the MBN at the price of the MBN

Or... a 13" Citrus MBA with no notch for MBN price. Looking at the specs, the 13" (13.6" to be exact) MBA is the same weight as the Neo and customers get 0.6" more screen (with more pixels), more cores, twice the memory, twice the speakers, 2 TB4 ports, MagSage, backlit keyboard, True Tone, 12MP Center Stage with Deskview camera, and Force Touch trackpad for $1,099 vs. the TouchID Neo at $699. So, for $400 more dollars than the TouchID Neo, the entire Neo wishlist can be had. Except for the color options and no notch (which, let's face it, you can't really put a price on a display with no notch).

 

[Queen6]

I was in the market for a Neo but ended up buying a loaded M5 Pro to cover off on all the things I would have missed thanks to threads like these informing me I would be missing out on crucial items like multiple displays, backlit keys, MagSafe, and more memory. Unfortunately, there are M5 Max threads now making me feel bad about the puny 64GB memory and 20-core GPU I’m saddled with for God knows how long… and don’t get me started on the “wait for 2nm M6 triple OLED” crowd… damn you, MacRumors!!!! 😉

Or... a 13" Citrus MBA with no notch for MBN price. Looking at the specs, the 13" (13.6" to be exact) MBA is the same weight as the Neo and customers get 0.6" more screen (with more pixels), more cores, twice the memory, twice the speakers, 2 TB4 ports, MagSage, backlit keyboard, True Tone, 12MP Center Stage with Deskview camera, and Force Touch trackpad for $1,099 vs. the TouchID Neo at $699. So, for $400 more dollars than the TouchID Neo, the entire Neo wishlist can be had. Except for the color options and no notch (which, let's face it, you can't really put a price on a display with no notch).

Exactly, have looked at numerous Neo's and they are perfectly fine at the price point. If anything, the Neo is a class leader and has caught the industry completely off balance. Those that want more simply buy the Air as there's nothing to fix with the Neo. Those continuously whining on about the Neo's spec simply need to look in the mirror, put their hands in the pocket and buy a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro alternatively wait on Apple to fulfil your dreams... Might be a long wait though.

Q-6

 

[TechnoMonk]

I was in the market for a Neo but ended up buying a loaded M5 Pro to cover off on all the things I would have missed thanks to threads like these informing me I would be missing out on crucial items like multiple displays, backlit keys, MagSafe, and more memory. Unfortunately, there are M5 Max threads now making me feel bad about the puny 64GB memory and 20-core GPU I’m saddled with for God knows how long… and don’t get me started on the “wait for 2nm M6 triple OLED” crowd… damn you, MacRumors!!!! 😉

It’s never ending race every year. I bought m4 max with 128 GB ram as I was tired of running out of memory. Hoping Apple comes out with 512 GB ram on MBP by M8 max.

They like to travel and see grand kids and family so they prefer the display when they’re on the go.

They’re just getting a lesson on how Apple can be stingy with features on products whether that be not being able to set a charge limit on an iPhone 14 Pro due to software limitation or whatever other questionable decisions have been made.

Buy an MBA base model on discount. 15 inch might also be better if they watch videos. Still portable and decent screen size.