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Why buy a 512GB Neo over the MacBook Air?
- Thread starter maflynn
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JPack
macrumors P6
People really underestimate the power of the fruit logo and over estimate how typical consumers use their notebooks. The vast majority of Windows PC notebooks are sold with 8/256 or 8/512.
This is like asking why buy an iPhone 17e if the iPhone 17 Pro exists. Well, there’s a $500 price gap. Why buy a two-row compact SUV when a full-size SUV is only 40% more?
The tinfoil hat suggestions of how Apple might be manipulating delivery ETAs is also getting annoying. As if there exists a supergroup of content creators that don’t get MacBook Neo units for review and have to buy their own.
This is like asking why buy an iPhone 17e if the iPhone 17 Pro exists. Well, there’s a $500 price gap. Why buy a two-row compact SUV when a full-size SUV is only 40% more?
The tinfoil hat suggestions of how Apple might be manipulating delivery ETAs is also getting annoying. As if there exists a supergroup of content creators that don’t get MacBook Neo units for review and have to buy their own.
Ya my HP laptop upgraded from windows 10 to 11 has 8gb ram and 256gb SSD. Was 400 plus tax at costco on September 26 2021. Now I see around the same or 200 more 16gb ram minimum.
AppleWes
macrumors 6502a
Quite a few of the larger YouTube channels are sent free Apple loaner products to review and send back. I'm sure a small number of people buy and return within 14 days to "try out" but Apple allows that as well with no questions asked policy.
Moonjumper
macrumors 68030
For someone willing to get a refurb, the Neo will also become available as a refurb, negating the closing of the price gap.
The point D2D was driving home, was for a little more money, you get a much more robust system
Edit: Also have you purchased the Neo?
eltoslightfoot
macrumors 68040
This, so much this! I was there for the threads over how 16GB is barely enough and now magically 8 is great???? I feel like stuffs getting weird out there.
It simple really. If you need more than 8GB of RAM then buy the Air or the Pro.
My Neo should arrive tomorrow and I will pass final judgement after using it for a while.
My Neo should arrive tomorrow and I will pass final judgement after using it for a while.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
"Personally, I've never needed more than 4GB of RAM"
(the Mac swapping to SSD) 👇
4sallypat
macrumors 603
Agree - I will see when I have 2 Neos in my hands tomorrow.
If after 14 days it doesn't beat the 9 year old Intel 12" rMB or the 11 year old 11.6" MBA then I'll return the Neos and go back to my Intel devices.
eltoslightfoot
macrumors 68040
Okay, but why don't you compare it to an M5 Macbook Air?????
Of course its going to beat out computers from the prior decade. If your needs are largely being met with the 9 year old MBP 11 year old MBA, then the Neo will be more then enough for you
If you don't need robust for email and wrb and the occasional Netflix then you don't need it.
599 vs 1099. 500 dollar difference. Even if you get the 512gb NEO for 100 dollars more it's still 400 dollar difference. If you have 2 kids that is 699 x 2 = 1399 dollars. So 300 dollars more than a MacBook Air M5 with the same 512gb for 2 NEOs and no sharing one AIR. Otherwise two Air M5 would be 2198 dollaes vs 1399 dollars so 799 dollars difference. Enough for a third NEO. 3 NEOs is 2097 dollars. 101 dollars less that 2 Air M5. So keep 3 kids happy. Robust does not matter if you are not using all that power.
I have never used thunderbolt 4 or 5 or even earlier versions for anything. I'm USB 3 was good enough. I never transfer any large files and I am not running a business or server. So no need. I bought one large drive just to hold all my junk and my late father's stuff. But after filling it up I hardly use it. Once in a blue moon. It may have taken time to fill it but once complete that is it. I will never touch that many files again. And I don't edit photos or videos. So the NEO would be plenty if I did not already have a mini m4. And the was a good deal which is the only reason I upgraded. It was about half price after tradein and edu thanks to my nephew.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
Get a refurb.
Basically new machines, with new warranties and can be added to AC+ plans.
These are WAY better machines that will have far longer useful lives than a Neo.
Moonjumper
macrumors 68030
It isn't a little more money, it is a significant percentage difference.
I haven't purchased one yet. I have an M4 Pro Mini. I could do with an Apple laptop, but cannot afford a laptop with the same performance currently. If I'm going to accept one that doesn't have the same grunt, do I go with the cheapest option possible? A Neo is likely enough for some of the work I do, and so keep me productive when away from my desk, and the more intensive work be restricted to when I can focus better at my desk, and accept it will be slow going if I have to do an emergency fix on something more demanding. I'm undecided.
I think the Neo will be available for less than RRP, as many Apple products are now, and there will be people selling theirs when they find it isn't powerful enough for them (the Neo is a good option for many, but not for many others, some will make the wrong decision). I might not resist the temptation if I see a good deal.
More likely purchasers are a few people I know who had not considered an Apple laptop before as they considered them out of their price range. They would not consider a refurb MBA as they have been burned by other refurb stores, or at least heard stories from others that have been burned.
EDIT: I forgot to mention I have bought Apple refurbs in the past and been happy with them. They are not great deals on the UK store currently.
Parowdy
macrumors 68000
To answer for my partner:
The price. She could afford basically any Mac she wants, but doesn't need any of them. She has the 512 version on preorder, which costs 699€. The base 13" Air costs 1089€ and offers precisely one feature she might miss on the Neo, the aforementioned backlit keyboard.
Now, I've warned her that that was missing and that the ports aren't the same (like on our M1 Pro that only I ever use), but she doesn't care. She had a 2019 16" MBP that recently broke, so well see how little she really cares in the 2 weeks return period, but probably not enough to get a MacBook Air.
The price. She could afford basically any Mac she wants, but doesn't need any of them. She has the 512 version on preorder, which costs 699€. The base 13" Air costs 1089€ and offers precisely one feature she might miss on the Neo, the aforementioned backlit keyboard.
Now, I've warned her that that was missing and that the ports aren't the same (like on our M1 Pro that only I ever use), but she doesn't care. She had a 2019 16" MBP that recently broke, so well see how little she really cares in the 2 weeks return period, but probably not enough to get a MacBook Air.
thejadedmonkey
macrumors G3
They don't make the Macbook Air in pink. For an extra $100 my wife wanted touch ID.
Parowdy
macrumors 68000
They all only have 256GB storage, for many, especially young people, not enough if they don't have WiFi/hotspot available. Otherwise yes I agree.
joshwithachance
macrumors 68030
Because there’s no yellow or pink MacBook Air.
More seriously though… For those who aren’t into purchasing refurbished, despite the fact that they’re essentially brand new in Apple’s process, the price difference of $400 (nearly 60%) is significant.
More seriously though… For those who aren’t into purchasing refurbished, despite the fact that they’re essentially brand new in Apple’s process, the price difference of $400 (nearly 60%) is significant.
I think people in higher income brackets have a hard time understanding the economic decisions of people in the lower brackets. Where $100 differences in price means something. Its disappointing reading some of the posts on here from people who can't remember (unless they were born with silver spoons in their mouths) what it was like to scrounge the money to buy something you wanted, something new, something thats yours (and not used to be somebody else's). Most of the Neo buyers will be students, or they are working all day (and possibly at night) to pay their bills and have no time to get on message boards and lament how much RAM Apple failed to include in their latest line of products, or retired people who are grizzled vets by now of the tech game of how much tech to get to satisfy my needs and are simply not going to "fall for it anymore" (IT in this case buying a ton of RAM or features for no reason other than the RAM secret police on a message forum told you to). Personally it's hard for me to believe how it took so long for Apple to compete in this market.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
Zdigital2015
macrumors 601
Although 8GB is operating at the edge of usability for me, I have been very surprised at how well my M1 13” MBP 8/512 has aged. It is still very useful for a great many things and I make sure not to have too many demanding apps open at once, but regular productivity apps I can have multiple open and it works just fine. If I’m going to use Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro or theAffinity Suite I open just one of those at a time and just do what I need to do and then close it out and then I go back to the other stuff. It works just fine. On my M2 13” MBP, 24GB is nice but if I buy a Neo, I know what I’m getting and I know that if I wait a year for the 12 GB in an A19 or an A20 depending on how they upgrade it, I might be happier. I’m personally still on the fence about getting a Neo to replace the M1 13 inch MacBook Pro I own. I don’t want to spend the extra money on a 13 inch MacBook Air if I can avoid it because this machine would be a secondary machine just newer.
joshwithachance
macrumors 68030
Apple doesn’t further discount on the education store pricing during the summer “back to school” sale. They just throw in something to sweeten the deal, typically AirPods. Which is definitely better than nothing!
Here in europe the shops does that, extra 50 to the classic 100 school discounts that is in fact a piece of paper signed