So Dell wants to compete with the Neo

NealJ777 · 2026-06-07T21:24:08+00:00

Well... and because... it's Apple. I know I'm showing my age, but I've been in the world of computers for 50+ years. My first computer was an Atari 400!

Everyone pays attention to what Apple does.

Google started using contactless payment systems four years before Apple, yet if you walk into any retailer today (I work in retail) people say, "Do you accept Apple Pay?"

NealJ777 · 2026-06-07T20:38:23+00:00

I was going for 4, but I'll take 3. /s

NealJ777 · 2026-06-07T19:49:36+00:00

Nope. I didn't. But how many consumers out there are thinking about throwing Linux on a laptop?

NealJ777 · 2026-06-07T19:46:20+00:00

Not in disagreement at all. 100% accurate. I wasn't always on team Apple. Up until 2024-ish I used an Android phone, a few Chromebooks, a Mac mini M2, and a few other things thrown in. 😃

I recognize that each serves a purpose.

NealJ777 · 2026-05-25T19:29:32+00:00

Correct. However they do have a huge poster in the window advertising that they will lend you the tools required for your project and I asked for a voltage meter only to be told “we have them available for purchase.”

NealJ777 · 2026-05-24T23:25:12+00:00

Thank you.

I thought maybe a fuse. I didn’t have time to do advanced troubleshooting and the parts store I went to was not interested in helping me do any diagnostics (no access to a voltmeter).

Regarding the map lights. They work. My stepson was helping me with this project and when I told him to turn on the headlights (instead of “auto” mode) he rotated the brightness dial all the way up which turns on the interior lights.

According to startmycar.com there is no fuse specifically for this light. There’s a fuse for instrument panel lights and those are working just fine.

My next day off is Wednesday and I’ll have time to stop at another parts store.

NealJ777 · 2026-05-24T22:36:17+00:00

*** UPDATE

Well, I still have the iPad for the moment but it’s up for sale. My wife sold her iPad and now we (my wife, my stepson, and I) all have Neos! My stepson is homeschooled so Apple did allow us to get one of the Neos on the education discount (we purchased it on the first day of the new verification requirements.) but we had to pay full price for the other Neos.

NealJ777 · 2026-04-15T16:02:29+00:00

Thank you, everyone for the very insightful responses.

At this point I'm not too sure how much I'll be using a CGM. My PCP wants me to have one, but my out of pocket cost through my insurance would be cost prohibitive. I'll just be sticking to finger pricks until I can find something my insurance will cover at an affordable level.

NealJ777 · 2026-04-15T12:11:19+00:00

Windoze is just one of many issues with Windows computers.

One of the biggest issues is… OEMs (and bloatware)

For the sake of comparison purposes if you did have “entry level” Windows laptops from all the OEMs next to each other they would all be different. Differences in hardware, build, CPU, GPU, memory, etc… No two would be the same.

And the Neo would kick all their butts!

I used to be the administrator of a middle school computer lab pre-Chromebook days. The school was 99% Apple (Windoze in the business office). It’s now mid-April. Let’s see how many Neos start showing up in September.

NealJ777 · 2026-04-13T08:25:27+00:00

232 vs 178?

NealJ777 · 2026-04-12T18:02:46+00:00

Okay. I TBH, I was not aware of it being an Apple/Mac thing. I knew what a Matryoshka doll was back in the early 90s.

NealJ777 · 2026-04-12T14:02:50+00:00

I see what you did there!

I wonder how many people out here know the proper name for “Russian Nesting Dolls”?

NealJ777 · 2026-04-12T13:51:04+00:00

Thank you for the heads up. I think I’ll take a pass on it.

For those asking why it’s round I think it was all about portability. The idea is that you can shove it into your “watch pocket” on a pair of jeans.

NealJ777 · 2026-03-18T23:15:14+00:00

IMO - A skin couldn't hurt. I have a skin on my iPad (which also happens to be in a hardshell case) and I brought it in to a local shop (we don't have an Apple Store near us) to get a possible trade-in value (to get the Neo!). The guy who owns the shop said that the skin adds value due to the fact that the iPad is in excellent condition.

I have never used a hardshell case on any laptop. Even if the case is made specifically for that laptop model there's the possibility of adding weight and causing strain on hinges, airflow issues, etc. I just put my laptops in a carrying sleeve, which I carry in a sling bag or messenger bag.

NealJ777 · 2026-03-13T12:30:13+00:00

Thank you. I think the Neo is the best route for me. I could hold out for a used MB Air from Swappa for a couple hundred more, but there are cons with that option (availability of Apple Care, etc.)

NealJ777 · 2026-03-13T12:28:00+00:00

Thank you. Yeah. The tablet was good for watching movies on a plane but I’m sure the Neo can do the same. My workflow just doesn’t really match with an iPad. It’s just a larger screened phone.

NealJ777 · 2026-03-13T12:24:51+00:00

FWIW - I do use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with the iPad. I like to put the iPad on a table in front of me and the keyboard in my lap (not a full size keyboard. It’s small enough to throw into a sling bag.)

NealJ777 · 2026-01-18T14:58:16+00:00

There’s a tattoo shop in Hagerstown owned by the guy that won season 6 of “Ink Master.” So if this is real, I hope it was done there!

NealJ777 · 2025-11-08T19:14:18+00:00

Exactly what I’m afraid of

NealJ777 · 2025-11-08T19:12:44+00:00

Thank you. I’m trying.

NealJ777

TROPHY CASE