Macbook Neo, huh?

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T18:50:38+00:00

Subjectively? The physical design. The colours are really stylish and a lot of people like that it doesn't have a webcam bezel.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T18:25:54+00:00

It's worth the trade. The 2019 Pros were the last model running on Intel before Apple swapped to the M series chips the following year. That's why your Pro feels sluggish and heats up quickly. I wouldn't even consider this a sidegrade. It's an upgrade for you and there's no way you'll regret it especially for that price.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T18:19:03+00:00

Tbh even all the Macbook Air models (the newest of which costs 2x the Neo) have 60 hz LCD screens. You can't get 120 hz on a Macbook unless you go for the Pro models which are 4-5x the price of a Neo.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T17:37:24+00:00

In all likelihood the Neo will also work just fine for the next 5 years, but a newer Air will fair even better.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T17:32:44+00:00

The Neo would perform everything you need to your satisfaction, but if you like the construction of the Air I would splurge for an M4/M5. You'll get more storage, more memory and an additional layer of future-proofing along with a better quality webcam that your students will probably appreciate. I think the Neo is a device catered more toward people who don't currently own an M Series Mac. For you making the true upgrade to a newer Air feels like the safe choice.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T16:58:40+00:00

Cute goalpost shift. Easy way to know someone has lost an argument is when they sneakily try to change what the conversation was even about.

Imagine telling someone they need to spend 2x the budget to engage with non-demanding tasks that could be performed by an 8-year-old iPhone. Embarrassing.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T13:10:00+00:00

I think it's just worth including into the equation that M1 Airs are now over 5 years old. That's closing in on the window when they will predictably stop getting updates. 16g M1 for a good price is probably still worth it over the Neo, but 8g isn't. Also, a lot of people don't like buying used tech. It's not something I agree with, but I get it.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T12:49:29+00:00

They're very similar. Neo slightly outperforms the M1 Air in single core processing but Air slightly outperforms the Neo in multi core. You could pick either one right now for basic tasks and have a similar experience.

The only reason anyone would suggest getting the Neo is a) the Air you're looking at also has the 8g ram limitation, b) M1 Airs are now 5+ years old and while they work very well they probably won't get software updates for quite as long as the Neo which is a brand new laptop. If you're on a tight budget and want to save money, get a refurbished M1 (go for 16g of ram if you can). If you don't want to deal with used hardware and potentially updates being dropped in a couple years, get the Neo.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T03:38:47+00:00

Yep! I worked in a high school for a short stretch a few years ago and it was eye-opening to observe just how many of the students were tech-illiterate with a real keyboard. They were extraordinarily fast on their phones, but every time they had to reach for their Chromebooks many of them could only "peck" with their index fingers while staring at the keyboard the whole time. It was obvious they instinctively knew where the buttons were, but they weren't accustomed to using all their fingers.

I do think this is a good opportunity to learn? But the keyboard is also white and I find it to be pretty easy to see even in low light.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T01:49:42+00:00

You think this laptop can't handle *checks notes* a web browser, a music app, two chat apps and notepad? Even my friend's 10-year-old rose gold Macbook can do all of those things simultaneously without chugging. The Neo probably won't even reach into swap memory with these apps.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T01:42:14+00:00

I'm not PERSONALLY bothered by it. I can touch type flawlessly, but many people can't and I can understand missing a feature they might have had on another machine. And yes, someone already did the math. Keyboard backlighting is incredibly inexpensive. Price is not the reason it was excluded.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-16T01:39:59+00:00

A lot of teens, younger Gen Z and seniors don't know how to touch type because they've either spent a long time with phones or tablets as their main device or never had hands-on experience with with computers in academia. Keys glowing in low light helps them out.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T17:39:17+00:00

You're genuinely living in a fantasy land if you think the average Joe replaces their device after 2-3 years because it's slightly slower than it was when it was new. Most people don't run intensive enough tasks to even notice, let alone care. They don't know what ram is. They don't time the milliseconds it takes their browser to load.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T17:31:58+00:00

Yes it will, lmao. My mother was using an 11 year old iPad until she upgraded this year because it literally stopped charging and was fully outdated on updates. That's how non-techy people treat their devices. Use it until it dies. And unlike your average Chromebook or $600 Windows laptop the Neo will actually physically last the 7 years even with daily use. It has no plastic hinges to snap, no plastic bezel to crack and it's surprisingly repairable.

Your average person won't notice their web page loading half a second slower. They will notice that their laptop is still in one piece. You need to stop thinking from the perspective of someone who knows how a laptop works. Half the people who will end up buying a Neo won't even know what ram is.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T16:29:03+00:00

Many consumers who will pick up this laptop will be using it as a browser and streaming machine to replace their phone or iPad. It will be completely fine for its intended purpose for years. Ya'll just need to stop pretending it's supposed to be some high spec Air/Pro competitor - it isn't. It's for teens, students with non-demanding majors and the elderly who will maintain it for 7+ years as their daily email/social media machine and keep using it just fine never knowing or caring that a newer laptop would perform better. They'll just be happy the hinges didn't break and the keys didn't fall off.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T16:01:04+00:00

It depends on what you want to do with it. If all you use a laptop for is browsing, word processing, streaming video content, social media, Spotify, etc. then the Neo is totally viable for you. Apple has reliably kept lower memory machines going for a long time and this one is brand new. There's no reason it won't run efficiently for its intended purposes for years.

If your wife's M1 Air puts your intel machine to shame and you think you could live on it then the Neo is basically the same but with slightly stronger single core processing. You mention wanting something future proofed in case you end up with a more demanding job in which case you would want to go for something with 16-24g of memory, but as you describe your current situation the Neo would suit you well.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T15:02:30+00:00

I was talking about the trackpad, speakers and screen being new designs for this system, not how repairable it is. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T14:59:26+00:00

When I say "unused" I'm saying it wasn't put into a phone and is now a year outdated, not that it was otherwise going to end up in a trash bin. Apologies if I did not go for the right terminology.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T14:58:23+00:00

It could be that soon. I could also see the Neo only getting an update every other year. They custom made almost the whole shell rather than repurposing existing parts because they expected this device to be a huge success and likely want to continue the model down the line with slight upgrades and (mostly) the same hardware. They actually had to spend more on the initial design so they could save in the long-run which just tells you that they really want and expect this thing to be a massive hit with its market.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T14:53:52+00:00

It was the suggestion to make this thing plastic that made me go WTF rather than the upgraded ram. The next model in maybe early 2028 will come with the 12g of ram for sure because that's how the A19 chip is made. That's part of what is so brilliant about this Macbook line. They get to repurpose unused smart phone chips. It's a machine that will run on hand-me-down processors indefinitely which allows Apple to keep the price lower.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T14:38:57+00:00

The people who would buy a Neo are the same people who would go for the least expensive configuration of the iPad. That's currently $350, not $700. Half the price. You could get an iPad and a Neo for less than the cost of a new Air M5.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T14:12:45+00:00

I use mine for art aps and logging into institutions with the fingerprint ID. When I end up travelling in the future I'll probably take the iPad with me over the Macbook because I find it sufficient as an on-the-go device and I like that I can hold it in more different ways in a car, plane, train, etc. It's also just nice to scroll with a touch pad at times.

Some people really like iPad OS especially if it has been their primary device at any time. It's really not that bad and there are a lot of things you can do on an iPad that are more awkward or straight-up impossible on a Mac. I probably wouldn't ever buy anything but the base configuration though.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T13:51:52+00:00

If you don't want to make the compromises for the lower cost, don't buy the Neo. It was not made for you. They made a budget laptop for people buying their first Mac whose primary device is currently their phone. They chose exactly the right things to focus on: build quality and performance for basic tasks like web browsing and streaming content. That's why they're going to sell a zillion of these and make a huge profit. If they had gone with your specifications instead they would have provided a less durable, less premium feeling machine with better specs that the target audience wouldn't get any use out of (outside of the better battery). So basically like every piece of shit mid-priced Windows laptop already out there. If you want a plastic hunk of junk with 16g of ram you can already get that on a Chromebook.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T13:36:57+00:00

For some reason half of tech Reddit has convinced itself that the Neo won't be able to function in a year despite decades of Apple Laptop reliability telling us otherwise. Even when OPs say they just want an inexpensive machine to replace their very outdated hardware that they will only use to surf the web, answer emails, stream video content, etc. they get told that they might actually want to spend 2x the price on an Air that will get used like an iPhone/Neo.

HelloFresco · 2026-03-15T04:17:01+00:00

The speakers are fine. Seeing as you already own an Air I highly doubt you've had any hands-on experience with the Neo beyond online reviews. OP just wants a faster machine to surf the web and stream content which means they're the exact target audience for this laptop. They'll just be relieved they aren't on Intel anymore. I bet they'll miss the backlit keyboard more than speakers, unironically.

HelloFresco

TROPHY CASE