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Why I Returned the MacBook Neo

Pbwallstreet

Pbwallstreet

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Got my Neo today. Put it through some paces, and just got back from the Apple Store to return it.

Why I returned it:
  • The screen size is just a little bit too small for my liking. The 13.6” MBA size is a better size for me. I could sort of live with this, if it wasn’t for:
  • The screen quality is just not good enough for me. Two main issues with it: the viewing angles are noticeably worse than a MBA and MBP screen and the clarity and crispness of the text and graphics is noticeably not as good as a MBA or MBP. Everything looks slightly blurred on screen in comparison to Apple’s Pro devices and even compared to the MBA.
The Neo’s screen made me feel like I was stepping back in time. I can’t go to a screen like that when I use devices like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the iPad Pro M5, the MacBook Pro M series, and a M3 MacBook Air.

I did side by side comparisons with the same content as well just to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.

Overall really nice device though. Great build quality, nice keyboard and trackpad, decent sounding audio, ran apps well, etc.

UPDATE: I BOUGHT THE NEO BECAUSE I AM LOOKING TO REPLACE MY 15” M3 MBA WITH A SMALLER DEVICE AS THE MBA IS MY NON-WORK PERSONAL LAPTOP. I BOUGHT THE NEO TO PUT IT THROUGH ITS PACES AT HOME OVER A SEVERAL DAY PERIOD, NOT A FLEETING HANDFUL OF MINUTES IN A RETAIL STORE. I INTENDED TO KEEP IT AND DON’T REGULARLY RETURN PRODUCTS TO APPLE. THE SPECS OF A SCREEN ARE NOT ENOUGH TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME WITHOUT USING THE DEVICE WHETHER IT’S ACCEPTABLE OR NOT.
 
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I can understand returning a product where you aren't an experienced user and didn't know the specs ahead of time, not to mention didn't already have computers whereby you could cogently see where the Neo would fall. In my opinion. you don't fall into that category. You got caught up in the hype which can happen to some. And instead of taking a step back and getting some clarity, you dove head first into the hype.

I have also never really understood why so many here feel compelled to constantly tell strangers they returned an item to the store. People don't normally do that kind of thing but, it seems on MR it always has to be a a bigger fanfare than needed.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
I can understand returning a product where you aren't an experienced user and didn't know the specs ahead of time, not to mention didn't already had computers whereby you could cogently see where the Neo would fall. In my opinion. you don't fall into that category. You got caught up in the hype which can happen to some. And instead of taking a step back and getting some clarity, you dove head first into the hype.

I have also never really understood why so many here feel compelled to constantly tell strangers they returned an item to the store. People don't normally do that kind of thing but, it seems on MR it always has to be a a bigger fanfare than needed.
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I didn’t buy into any ‘hype’. I knew the specs. But having never seen and used the device in person, it’s not possible to know whether something will be good enough or not. I posted days ago that I expected that I might return it.
 
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Pbwallstreet said:
I didn’t buy into any ‘hype’. I knew the specs. But having never seen and used the device in person, it’s not possible to know whether something will be good enough or not. I posted days ago that I expected that I might return it.
Click to expand...
I read your previous posts. Openly stating that you expected you might return it says to me you got caught up in the hype. You clearly had good point of references with your current Mac line up. You knew what to expect. We will have to agree to disagree on the hype scenario and that is fine. That particular point of disagreement isn't worth going back and forth for 10 pages as is often the case on here for many. I don't like doing that over something trivial.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
I read your previous posts. Openly stating that you expected you might return it says to me you got caught up in the hype. You clearly had good point of references with your current Mac line up. You knew what to expect. We will have to agree to disagree on the hype scenario and that is fine. That particular point of disagreement isn't worth going back and forth for 10 pages as if often the case on here for many. I don't like doing that over something trivial.
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I did not get caught up in any hype. Just stop trying to argue. Move on.
 
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Pbwallstreet said:
Got my Neo today. Put it through some paces, and just got back from the Apple Store to return it.

Why I returned it:
  • The screen size is just a little bit too small for my liking. The 13.6” MBA size is a better size for me. I could sort of live with this, if it wasn’t for:
  • The screen quality is just not good enough for me. Two main issues with it: the viewing angles are noticeably worse than a MBA and MBP screen and the clarity and crispness of the text and graphics is noticeably not as good as a MBA or MBP. Everything looks slightly blurred on screen in comparison to Apple’s Pro devices and even compared to the MBA.
The Neo’s screen made me feel like I was stepping back in time. I can’t go to a screen like that when I use devices like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the iPad Pro M5, the MacBook Pro M series, and a M3 MacBook Air.

I did side by side comparisons with the same content as well just to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.

Overall really nice device though. Great build quality, nice keyboard and trackpad, decent sounding audio, ran apps well, etc.
Click to expand...
We should call it MacBook Eco
 
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Arran said:
So did you need a new MacBook or not?
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Outside of work I have a MBA 15” M3. It is too big and I want a 13” Macbook. My partner is going to get the 15” MBA for doing video and photo editing and I will replace it with a 13” Macbook. I wanted to first try the Neo, and that has now ended in a return. Likely I will get a MBA 13” M5 or 14” MBP M5.
 
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Pbwallstreet said:
  • The screen quality is just not good enough for me. Two main issues with it: the viewing angles are noticeably worse than a MBA and MBP screen and the clarity and crispness of the text and graphics is noticeably not as good as a MBA or MBP. Everything looks slightly blurred on screen in comparison to Apple’s Pro devices and even compared to the MBA.
Click to expand...
In another thread, someone posted the default resolution is scaled. Did you try to set it to true retina ?
 
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Pbwallstreet said:
Why I returned it:
  • The screen size is just a little bit too small for my liking. The 13.6” MBA size is a better size for me. I could sort of live with this, if it wasn’t for:
  • The screen quality is just not good enough for me. Two main issues with it: the viewing angles are noticeably worse than a MBA and MBP screen and the clarity and crispness of the text and graphics is noticeably not as good as a MBA or MBP. Everything looks slightly blurred on screen in comparison to Apple’s Pro devices and even compared to the MBA.
Click to expand...

You could have discovered both of these things looking at the display models in store.
 
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icymountain said:
In another thread, someone posted the default resolution is scaled. Did you try to set it to true retina ?
Click to expand...
@turbineseaplane pointed this out in a different thread re: default resolution. The reason Apple scaled it is because at 2X "retina" resolution the display is equivalent to 1204x753 which is even lower than the 1280x800 I would consider the bare minimum on a 12"-13" display. So, Apple had to scale up a notch to have decent resolution for the screen size, but clarity suffered.
 
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Pbwallstreet said:
Got my Neo today. Put it through some paces, and just got back from the Apple Store to return it.

Why I returned it:
  • The screen size is just a little bit too small for my liking. The 13.6” MBA size is a better size for me. I could sort of live with this, if it wasn’t for:
  • The screen quality is just not good enough for me. Two main issues with it: the viewing angles are noticeably worse than a MBA and MBP screen and the clarity and crispness of the text and graphics is noticeably not as good as a MBA or MBP. Everything looks slightly blurred on screen in comparison to Apple’s Pro devices and even compared to the MBA.
The Neo’s screen made me feel like I was stepping back in time. I can’t go to a screen like that when I use devices like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the iPad Pro M5, the MacBook Pro M series, and a M3 MacBook Air.

I did side by side comparisons with the same content as well just to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.

Overall really nice device though. Great build quality, nice keyboard and trackpad, decent sounding audio, ran apps well, etc.
Click to expand...
If you're on a forum and are comparing it to any Pro device, then this device is not for you. It's like this; as a driver with specific needs, I would never consider a Toyota Yaris. The Yaris is a great car, reliable, safe, does exactly what's it's made for, good design, basically it's peak small car tech. This is the Neo.
 
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JPack said:
No surprise, it's like buying an iPhone 16e when you already have a Pro. The Neo was intended for first time Mac users.
Click to expand...
Which is why I took the OPs first post as a fair warning to others (like me) who never owned an Apple laptop to steer clear of the Neo. I see people noting all through these threads on how long they have owned their current MacBooks.

For me, the OP is saying if your going to buy a MacBook, spend the additional money for an Air or Pro. BTW, from other threads like the OPs, I think the Air is also substandard because of lack of ports & speed of the ports available. If I pull the trigger with the Pro, it will be because of insight like this OP has given & because I know spending the additional money will not be overpaying, but an investment considering how long I will keep it.
 
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