I agree with the original poster that the screen size is an issue, it would be very difficult for me to get my work done on such a small screen.
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Why I Returned the MacBook Neo
- Thread starter Pbwallstreet
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But that is one of those specs you got to know if it is limitomg you without even touching that laptop… right? Riiight??
If you want to downsize from the 15" MBA, the 14" MBP might feel similarly big. I had one for three years (the M1 Max), and it feels very dense and I never liked carrying it around. Once I moved to a desktop + laptop setup, I got a Studio for home and an M4 13" MBA for travel and it is so much better to carry around than the 14" MBP. It doesn't seem like it would be a big difference, but for me, it was. It might be fine for you, but what the 14" loses in footprint compared to the 15" MBA it gains in bulk. Anyway, just a thought. Thanks for sharing your experience with the Neo!
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Parowdy
Suspended
Had the Neo in the house since Friday. My initial testing concluded, the Neo is twice as capable as my 2017 base spac 13“ Touch Bar MacBook Pro. Fewer ports, no backlit keyboard and no haptic trackpad are the only notable differences between the Neo and my pos WhackBook Pro. Apart from that the Neo is twice the Mac that 2017 disappointment was.
ikramerica
macrumors 68020
Or… shudder… Apple should allow you to scale the macOS interface like they do for the iOS interface.
ikramerica
macrumors 68020
At BESTBUY, they have a citrus right next to an Air. At the Apple store, Apple won’t do that.
The Max brightness on the Neo is fine, but next to the Air in a brightly lit store, it looks weak. I tested and you need to take the Air down 2 button presses from Maximum to match the Neo screen. Then they both look good.
Also, I am tall, and there is a slight viewing angle loss from above when on those desks. But that’s not how you use a laptop.
What I noticed is the thing is SMALL! All these people lamenting it isn’t small enough and want a 12” haven’t seen one. It’s tiny. Too small for me. But fine for kids and a cardasian.
The thing that will hinder it, and I didn’t believe it before yesterday, is lack of TOUCH. All the competing models in this range have 2-in-1 screens. My 12 year son was with me. He was BEGGING me to get him a replacement chrome book with a touch screen. Begging. He only wants that feature.
The Max brightness on the Neo is fine, but next to the Air in a brightly lit store, it looks weak. I tested and you need to take the Air down 2 button presses from Maximum to match the Neo screen. Then they both look good.
Also, I am tall, and there is a slight viewing angle loss from above when on those desks. But that’s not how you use a laptop.
What I noticed is the thing is SMALL! All these people lamenting it isn’t small enough and want a 12” haven’t seen one. It’s tiny. Too small for me. But fine for kids and a cardasian.
The thing that will hinder it, and I didn’t believe it before yesterday, is lack of TOUCH. All the competing models in this range have 2-in-1 screens. My 12 year son was with me. He was BEGGING me to get him a replacement chrome book with a touch screen. Begging. He only wants that feature.
When I checked out the Neo at the Apple store a couple days ago it was right next to the air, I even showed my mother the difference in screen size (she’s considering the neo for her next laptop) by putting the neo right on top of the air…
This thread is fun. Someone wanted to see if the Neo would work for them. Tried it out, found it didn’t meet their needs and returned it.
This is apparently a craven, immoral act.
This is apparently a craven, immoral act.
Parowdy
Suspended
Right? Some people here act like they’ll never be able to sleep again if they don’t convert strangers on the internet to subscribe to their exact thinking.
I don’t know who is more silly, those people or the ones that simply will not admit that a Neo as a second laptop makes sense for some people.
Anyway, either are very entertaining.
It is a matter of fact because that is my experience. I have never said that someone else’s experience if different than mine is invalid.
The Neo screen is 100% worse than my Air and Pro to the point where it’s not usable, FOR ME.
conmee
macrumors 6502a
If everyone would have read the “MacBook Neo - good luck with 8GB ram” thread, this current thread would have been unnecessary. The aforementioned thread’s author clearly did NOT recommend the Neo and it would have saved many folks much pain and suffering and time spent writing replies if they’d heeded that recommendation. If you’re enjoying this thread, you’ll love the polite, well-reasoned, and civil discussion in the other thread. 😉
ikramerica
macrumors 68020
For me it’s not so much the screen but the whole device. I had iBooks, but with 4:3 screens and larger bezels so the hand rest area was sufficient.
ikramerica
macrumors 68020
You basically claimed the viewing angles were as bad as an lcd calculator though as if that was fact. That even moving your eyes was a problem.
In reality it’s not that bad. I checked one out yesterday. Normal directional viewing is fine. Like any gloss screen it starts to lose it at angles as reflections compete with the picture.
But I agree the screen is dam small. I couldn’t use it.
ctjack
macrumors 68000
Neo screen is worse than Air, fine. So does the Air screen is worse than mbp 14/16 especially with nano cover. But all of that matters if you have them side by side. Mbp 14/16 screen is worse than ipad pro 11/13.
Individually those small differences might or might not affect you.
It is definitely not TN 720p bad and not as bad as my TCL tv. But you pay less for it as well.
Mbp screens also don’t hold a candle against oled or ips 144/160/240hz screens found on windows laptops. But then you have to live with windows laptops quirks albeit with better screen if that is what is wanted.
Individually those small differences might or might not affect you.
It is definitely not TN 720p bad and not as bad as my TCL tv. But you pay less for it as well.
Mbp screens also don’t hold a candle against oled or ips 144/160/240hz screens found on windows laptops. But then you have to live with windows laptops quirks albeit with better screen if that is what is wanted.
tomtad
macrumors 68040
It is oh so true that 2016-2020 was the time when Apple possibly made their crappiest portables ever. Comparing the neo to these, a few points stand out: the keyboard works. There is more than one single usb-c port. The thing doesn't turn in a toaster each time you open more than two browser tabs. there is a row of function keys that is not a useless and expensive screen that no one ever looks at. There is an escape key.
Regardless of how cheapo it may be, the neo is an absolute dream if you compare to machines of that era.
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I just logged in for the first time in many many years to say to OP, ignore the haters. I came here from Google, as an experienced Mac user I found your post to be an extremely useful summary of the Neo that goes beyond specs.
The mad thing about this thread is that when Apple products lack on-paper specs vs the competition, we Apple users rightly counter that it's about real world performance, not specs.
But then it's bizarre to criticise a review of real-world performance because OP could have checked the specs!
The mad thing about this thread is that when Apple products lack on-paper specs vs the competition, we Apple users rightly counter that it's about real world performance, not specs.
But then it's bizarre to criticise a review of real-world performance because OP could have checked the specs!
Fravin
macrumors 6502a
That’s the hole point on Apple's return policy. Right?
You tried, you don’t like it. Return it.
Back in the 80’s Apple published a very nice ad about it.
conmee
macrumors 6502a
But the not-so-fine print says "anyone who qualifies" and I don't think some of the folks in the Neo thread have the cash or credit (I'm kidding!) to qualify for the 1980s style test drive. 😉
conmee
macrumors 6502a
Fravin
macrumors 6502a
Do you mean, people are retuning neos because they can’t afford the credit card bill?
I’m not sure if I got it.
conmee
macrumors 6502a
No, it was just a joke regarding the Apple ad that mentions you need to qualify for an overnight Macintosh test drive back in the 1980s while now Apple offers a 14-day return policy no questions asked even for Mac Pros and Vision Pros. The fact that we at Macrumors have spent 16 pages of back and forth discussion about returning a $500-$600 product to a trillion dollar corporation is amusing to me.
You may want to re-consider returning it. Laptop prices in general are expected to sky rocket this year. Wouldn't surprise me if Apple jacked up the price. Get the Neos while they're still selling at this bargain price.
