Things that need fixing on the MacBook Neo

[Detnator]

If only they offered a smaller MBA...

Yes. I’ll agree with that. A 12” MBA at the 2lb weight of the rMB and with MBA-level pricing, would be awesome. But that’s got nothing to do with the MBN.

Smaller MBA? http://apple.com/feedback

Well, MBN already has Touch ID…

You should check them side by side, because MBA and MBN may weigh the same but they are not the same size.

I did the math. The MBN is 2% smaller in each dimensions except thickness. That’s a rounding error. And for thickness, the MBN is thicker.

And it's kind of weird that you think that by adding more RAM and storage they would have to increase its size…

Ok. So memory chips and SSDs have zero footprint and zero volume. Again, you’re just trolling.

You know you can use both options for charging, right? so they don't have to use Magsafe if they don't want to.

but if it has MagSafe in it… sure they don’t have to use it, but they still have to pay for it.

This is for the people who don’t need anything more than the essentials and don’t want to pay for them!

Sadly that last point seems to be lost on all the complainers.

The whole point of this machine is not having to pay for stuff you don’t want. If you do want that stuff then pay for it - and get the Air.

Why is that so hard for people to understand?

 

[Detnator]

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).

You do understand you can turn off the notch, right?

 

[conmee]

You do understand you can turn off the notch, right?

You mean “turn off” the rest of the top 50 rows of pixels by changing the color to black? Yes.

 

[Detnator]

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.

Have you seen the price of a Thunderbolt cable compared to a USB one?

How much more do you think the Thunderbolt ports and controllers are compared to USB?

Sure, you can have Thunderbolt in a machine that looks and feels almost exactly like the Neo (a little better even) if you’re willing to pay for it. It’s called MacBook Air.

Or if you don’t want that you can compromise other things and get a $600 laptop with Thunderbolt, but it’ll suck for a bunch of other reasons, not the least of which is… Windows.

 

[Queen6]

Yes. I’ll agree with that. A 12” MBA at the 2lb weight of the rMB and with MBA-level pricing, would be awesome. But that’s got nothing to do with the MBN.

Smaller MBA? http://apple.com/feedback






I did the math. The MBN is 2% smaller in each dimensions except thickness. That’s a rounding error. And for thickness, the MBN is thicker. And you’re just trolling.



Ok. So memory chips and SSDs have zero footprint and zero volume.

but if it has MagSafe in it… sure they don’t have to use it, but they still have to pay for it.

This is for the people who don’t need anything more than the essentials and don’t want to pay for them!

Sadly that last point seems to be lost on all the complainers.

The whole point of this machine is not having to pay for stuff you don’t want. If you do want that stuff then pay for it - and get the Air.

Why is that so hard for people to understand?

They simply don't get it and expect a free ride... As HW scales up, so does pricing is a very simple concept, you get what you pay for. Bottom line is, if you don't invest in yourself, be assured few if any others will.

Q-6

 

[Detnator]

You mean “turn off” the rest of the top 50 rows of pixels by changing the color to black? Yes.

Exactly. Which is EXACTLY what you’d have if the Airs and Pros didn’t have a notch in the first place.

Or where else are they going to put the camera etc.? Have it all stick out above the display?

Or, wait, I’ve got it. Let’s just exclude the camera etc altogether! Voila! Thin bezels AND no notch.

Yep. That’d be innovation. But Apple won’t do that. They’re doomed.

 

[Detnator]

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.

Return it and get an Air for the extra money.

Or save your money and get a different $600 laptop that runs two monitors, and accept all the other compromises that comes with that instead.

The original M1 MacBook Pro could only accommodate 1 external monitor. If the M1 couldn’t do it, this iPhone chip can’t.

 

[conmee]

Exactly. Which is EXACTLY what you’d have if the Airs and Pros didn’t have a notch in the first place.

Or where else are they going to put the camera etc.? Have it all stick out above the display?

Or, wait, I’ve got it. Let’s just exclude the camera etc altogether! Voila! Thin bezels AND no notch.

Yep. That’d be innovation. But Apple won’t do that. They’re doomed.

First offf, why you coming at me bro? We are on the same page/team. Haha! 🙂 I never complained about the notch, I just threw the line in there about the notch to acknowledge the folks that are saying “at least the Neo doesn’t have a notch.” And speaking of, they figured out how to stuff a camera into the Neo without a notch. The tradeoff isn’t no notch/no camera, it’s no notch/big ass bezel. Anyhow, I’m cool with the notch on my M5 Pro. I used TopNotch for a few days to get rid of it, but in the end, I’ll take the notch rather than artificially enlarging the bezel to make it go away. 👍

 

[Astuces iOS]

I tested this MacBook like y'all wanted, it sucks but at the same time it's better than all other laptops for the same price !

 

[Queen6]

I tested this MacBook like y'all wanted, it sucks but at the same time it's better than all other laptops for the same price !

So go buy an Air... I've plenty of computing power, performance comes at a price just how it is. Difference being I invested in myself as opposed to whining on the internet.

Passes an M4 Max with ease.

Every notebook be it a Mac or PC has paid for itself countless time over, rest is on to you... Computers are simply a tool to get the job done. In the hands of a smart mind, they can change the world...

Q-6

 

[jaysabol]

Unfortunately, certain areas of this thread have grown tiresome. Many posters keep thinking about what a 13 inch MacBook could be if only Apple would do this or that. The target audience is thrown out the window when that's precisely what people should be looking at. The target audience are students and people whose computer needs are light - older people on a tight budget like myself. In my case, the only non-Apple software on my Neo is my Epson software. We don't use external monitors and we don't care about keyboard backlighting. I can see a future where the Neo does have 12 GB RAM because the chip will allow for that. But it is imperative that Apple not change the price and make it out of reach for the target audience. It is the target audience that matters and nothing else. Switchers from Windows are also part of the target, but again it's students and those on a tight budget. With what I do with my Neo it doesn't require a heat sink. It runs nice and cool. It's a godsend for people such as myself.

 

[throAU]

You mean “turn off” the rest of the top 50 rows of pixels by changing the color to black? Yes.

Those pixels that are in addition to machines that were pre-notch.

 

[conmee]

Those pixels that are in addition to machines that were pre-notch.

Hey @throAU I know you’re hungry, let me give you this tasty sandwich… hold on a sec… (I take a big ol’ bite out of it)… here you go! What? It’s more sandwich than you had before I gave it to you. 😉

 

[throAU]

Hey @throAU I know you’re hungry, let me give you this tasty sandwich… hold on a sec… (I take a big ol’ bite out of it)… here you go! What? It’s more sandwich than you had before I gave it to you. 😉

ok bro

 

[geta]

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).

Don't forget nearly twice the price for things not everyone cares about or needs. And these prices you mentioned are not valid everywhere.

 

[geta]

Exactly. Which is EXACTLY what you’d have if the Airs and Pros didn’t have a notch in the first place.

Or where else are they going to put the camera etc.? Have it all stick out above the display?

Or, wait, I’ve got it. Let’s just exclude the camera etc altogether! Voila! Thin bezels AND no notch.

Yep. That’d be innovation. But Apple won’t do that. They’re doomed.

There is enough space on the bezel to shove the camera in.

 

[biggest father1]

Have you seen the price of a Thunderbolt cable compared to a USB one?

How much more do you think the Thunderbolt ports and controllers are compared to USB?

Sure, you can have Thunderbolt in a machine that looks and feels almost exactly like the Neo (a little better even) if you’re willing to pay for it. It’s called MacBook Air.

Or if you don’t want that you can compromise other things and get a $600 laptop with Thunderbolt, but it’ll suck for a bunch of reason, not the least of which is… Windows.

Asking to be able to use 2 external monitors on a MacBook Neo in clamshell that costs $765 doesn't sound unreasonable for basic users. If Apple could make 2 displays work over the single USB 3 port, then thunderbolt wouldn't be needed.

Until then, I'll still keep pushing for Thunderbolt 3 just to be able to use 2 external monitors on the Neo.

 

[Mainsail]

A backlit keyboard is the biggest missing feature of the Neo. I would think it is essential for darkened dorm rooms and nighttime air travel. That said; I don't touch type, so it might be a bigger issue to me than other people.

Of course, I have no idea how much cost a backlit keyboard would have added to the MBN. I suspect this is a feature that will be added to a later iterations of the MBN to motivate sales.

 

[jido]

A backlit keyboard is the biggest missing feature of the Neo. I would think it is essential for darkened dorm rooms and nighttime air travel. That said; I don't touch type, so it might be a bigger issue to me than other people.

Of course, I have no idea how much cost a backlit keyboard would have added to the MBN. I suspect this is a feature that will be added to a later iterations of the MBN to motivate sales.

I doubt that Neo sales will go down anytime soon. They probably don’t need to add backlighting.

 

[Detnator]

First offf, why you coming at me bro? We are on the same page/team. Haha! 🙂 I never complained about the notch, I just threw the line in there about the notch to acknowledge the folks that are saying “at least the Neo doesn’t have a notch.” And speaking of, they figured out how to stuff a camera into the Neo without a notch. The tradeoff isn’t no notch/no camera, it’s no notch/big ass bezel. Anyhow, I’m cool with the notch on my M5 Pro. I used TopNotch for a few days to get rid of it, but in the end, I’ll take the notch rather than artificially enlarging the bezel to make it go away. 👍

Yep ok. We’re on the same page. Misunderstood your previous message.

And yes, my response was meant to poke fun at the people saying “no notch!” as if they think Apple just put it there to spite them or something (when those of us who know better, know it’s for the camera…

And as you pointed out the choice is really notch or bezel. Arguably the notch IS the bezel just shrunk in width to only the size of the camera instead of the entire top of the display. Those folks’ complaints about the notch just make absolutely no sense.

Though to clarify, I also misread your initial response to me, and the solution is better than what you said.

You said change the color of the pixels at the top, and I enthusiastically agreed, but, actually not quite. Instead…

Change the resolution in Displays Settings, to a 16:10 variant.

Voila! MBP/MBA with a display complete with everything you could possibly want from the good ole days… including thick top bezel!

Like, really, that literally gives exactly the same outcome as the pre-notch Macs (almost all of which were 16:10 displays), and the Neo (also 16:10 I believe).

It’s like saying “ugh I hate this brightness control, just make it permanently 300 nits instead.”

Before I realized your stance, I really wanted to follow that 16:10 tip with…

If you want you can even set it to a “low dpi” resolution if you miss the good even older days, before retina displays.

Turn the brightness down and you get something exactly like the 300-400 nits displays of the 00’s.

I’ve got more tips if you want to go even further back. Just ask!

Hey @throAU I know you’re hungry, let me give you this tasty sandwich… hold on a sec… (I take a big ol’ bite out of it)… here you go! What? It’s more sandwich than you had before I gave it to you. 😉

Hmm… I think it’s more like yesterday’s sandwich was standard size, today’s sandwich has these two extra (optional) bits in addition, making it bigger, but it looks funny, so…

… Actually the response from some people about this sounds a lot like my four year old.

 

[Dirk Pieters]

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.

If that is your conclusion then I’d say your wrong. They made an error assuming that any device can power 2 screens. What they should have done - especially considering how cheap Neo is compared to other macs - is to read the specs and inform themselves if something that cheap can power 2 devices because - guess what - it can’t.

They did a purchase without knowing what they were buying, most likely because it’s cheap.

Where were you in this story? You’re here in an Apple forum so you probably know your way around Apple computers. Why did they not check with you before buying?

 

[Detnator]

There is enough space on the bezel to shove the camera in

Oooh. Really? I could have sworn…

Hey could you do us all a huge favor, go have a word with the Apple engineers and show them how to fit that 8mm camera etc. into that 3mm space?

Seriously, please?

 

[Dirk Pieters]

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).

We’ve been through this argument before and it’s a non argument. You can obviously afford nice things, judging by your M5 Pro purchase. However, Neo is in a different price bracket. People who have to shop in that particular price bracket for their one and only computer do not have $400 lying around for an upgrade.

They are in that price bracket for a reason.

 

[Mainsail]

I doubt that Neo sales will go down anytime soon. They probably don’t need to add backlighting.

You might be right. Especially if backlit KB adds significantly to the cost.

I would love to hear from people with MBNs; do they miss the backlit KB, or do the light color keys plus screen illumination make it kind of a non-issue? Obviously, if you rarely find yourself using your MBN in a darkened space, it is a non-issue.

 

[Dirk Pieters]

Oooh. Really? I could have sworn…

Hey could you do us all a huge favor, go have a word with the Apple engineers and show them how to fit that 8 camera etc. into that 3mm space?

Seriously, please?

Some people here identify as the world’s greatest engineers, didn’t you know?

I personally has a conversation here with a self-identifying engineer would could build a Neo with M5, 16gb of ram, kevlar touchpad with real haptics for the price of a Neo.

I told him to apply for a job at Apple. Haven’t heard from him since, so I am really looking forward to that 2nd gen Neo. 😉