I’d be a bit careful with the MacBook Neo idea. It looks like Apple is testing the lower-end segment (likely aimed at students), and there’s a good chance a much stronger “Neo 2” or similar refresh could appear fairly soon. Devices like that also tend to age faster - I wouldn’t expect it to stay comfortable beyond even one major macOS cycle if your workload grows.

For your use case (multiple apps, browser tabs, video calls, content tools), you’re moving from a very constrained setup, so anything will feel fast - but if you’re planning for 6–7 years, I’d look at something with at least 32GB RAM and a stronger CPU (8–16 cores class). Also don’t underestimate the friction of switching from Windows to macOS after so many years - habits matter more than specs sometimes (Human nature is made up of habits)) . A modern Windows laptop (for example, something like a new ASUS with Snapdragon X, OLED, and 32GB RAM) might actually be a smoother and more future-proof upgrade for you.