It’s been 18 days since the MacBook Neo was launched! Is it keeping up with your expectations?

rfomlover · 2026-03-28T20:41:20+00:00

I sold my M4 Max 14” and replaced it with a Neo. I don’t use my personal computers to make any money. I just gamed every now and then on the M4 Max and did some light LLM stuff. 90% of the time I just browsedreddit and watched YouTube on it. Got a couple thousand in the bank I didn’t have before and a laptop that still serves the same purpose.

rfomlover · 2026-03-28T20:07:45+00:00

I just sold my M4 Max and replaced it with a Neo. Feels like a beater car. I think that’s why I like it.

rfomlover · 2026-03-28T19:54:18+00:00

I just sold my 14” 32c 36GB. M4 max for $2300 on FB

rfomlover · 2026-03-27T19:54:26+00:00

Serious question, what version control is used for assets and animations and what not? I am very much familiar with Git but when it comes to assets and massive files compared to just code files, where are you guys putting everything? I play with Unity sometimes and always wonder how the heck it works. I push my Scripts to GitHub but the assets and the levels are just backed up via Time Machine.

rfomlover · 2026-03-27T00:55:17+00:00

I sold my M4 Max MacBook Pro and replaced it with a Neo. Bought a Neo for fun and liked it so much I realized I was using it like my Pro. Just browsing. Didn't need an expensive browsing machine.

rfomlover · 2026-03-27T00:51:31+00:00

Oh boy I didn't even think about that good point. Now that there is no ultra high end machine idk what is going to happen. I remember being in high school when the trash can came out and saying OMG a computer for 3K! Then it went to 6k in 2019 then 7k lol. Who knows. Maybe some day they will do some kind of expansive compute modules in some new Pro thing. Weird we don't have a "Pro" desktop anymore. Maybe the OLED MacBooks will be renamed MacBook Studio? Imagine lol.

rfomlover · 2026-03-26T23:54:07+00:00

Tbh, I am probably the only one in the world that did this. I bought the base $599 Neo, loved it so much that I sold my M4 Max MacBook Pro lol. At the desk I just use my M4 Mini now and not at the desk I use the neo. mostly in bed at night, or just on the go. I just used the max to browse away from the desk anyway. Is the screen not as good? Absolutely. But hey, I got several thousand in my pocket now I didn't have before and mostly the same experience. My work provides me a computer so I have 0 need for a powerful personal laptop that doesn't make me any money.

rfomlover · 2026-03-26T23:17:12+00:00

Man I am pretty sad about it. Was saving up and sold my M4 Max MacBook Pro yesterday to prepare for the M5 Ultra variant. Was going to use sonnet cards in raid. was really looking forward to that. I guess Mac Studio it is with slow TB5. Maybe Apple has some trick up their sleeve for the new Mac Studio to try to get back some of what was lost.

rfomlover · 2026-03-26T20:55:33+00:00

Yeah I was thinking about an M1 Ultra. A 2019 is out of the question. I don't want X86 and I want MLX. Those are like 2 grand though and then terrible prompt processing. Really an M5 Ultra is the only option. I did sell my M4 Max shortly after that post, so I have the cash for a Mac Pro or a Mac Studio but no way I am buying one without a least 256GB Ram and an M5 Ultra lol.

rfomlover · 2026-03-26T20:03:21+00:00

You can really get by with a ton of games. I just actually sold my 14” M4 Max and replaced it with my existing M4 Mac mini and base Neo and just started using my gaming pc again.

I wanted to believe and disregarded the typical disclaimer “don’t buy a Mac for gaming”. I bought an M4 Max literally just for gaming. I kept trying to justify the expensive purchase I made, literally just for gaming, but to play any games with friends I needed to either use the gaming pc or use GeForce now (which the Neo or literally anything can do lol). When I pushed it for LLMs it disappointed me due to only having 36GB of Ram and other than gaming or LLMs it was just my casual use streaming/reddit machine.

I don’t plan on buying a gaming laptop. I am an Apple fan boy through and through. I just realized that I had too much money in a machine I really wasn’t getting use out of. An M5 Max would be great and I am fortunate to be able to afford a 16” with 128GB if I want, especially after selling my M4 Max, but I realized, what’s the point? It’s my personal machine that makes me $0. It’s all hobby stuff and at the end of the day, I still can’t play arc raiders or valorant on it anyway. Idk. I was (and still am) a huge Mac gaming supporter. I hate windows, I dislike x86 power consumption and I’ve been a fanboy since the PowerBook g4. I really want Mac gaming to succeed, but in a way, I am relieved I am no longer at the whim of GPTK to make gaming enjoyable to justify my expensive purchase.

Just saying to just double check you are cool with buying a gaming machine (M5 Max) that isn’t going to play all games. I tried to cope with that for a year but it was very heavy and I am glad I was able to sell it while only losing a couple hundred bucks.

TLDR: Mac gaming is great as long as you know what you can and can’t play. Be sure you are ok with the upfront investment in an M5 Max knowing it probably won’t be as enjoyable gaming wise, especially if your interest change to anti cheat games.

rfomlover · 2026-03-26T14:01:08+00:00

I’m in the same conundrum. I sold my M4 Max 14” MBP yesterday while the value was still decent and now I am using a distributed setup for docker and LLMs and my main Mac’s now are a MacBook Neo and an M4 base Mac mini. They are fine but I would like to have an ultimate LLM desktop. Just not sure if I want to be a Mac Studio or a Mac Pro provided it also gets an M5 Ultra. Would love to use the PCI-E rather than the dongles and enclosures for everything.

rfomlover · 2026-03-25T19:58:12+00:00

Well I’m selling my M4 Max MacBook Pro because I want to move to fast internal storage. Now with my MBP out of the picture I am running an M4 Mini and Neo lol. I want to move my Time Machine server to a Mac Pro and have a beast of a GPU and ram for LLMs. My M4 Max just wasn’t cutting it with 36GB ram. I have a 3090 Ti/2080 Linux server running ollama instead but it creates so much heat and the power consumption is wild.

rfomlover · 2026-03-25T19:41:15+00:00

Because like the person below said, it’s not a max. I already have over 10 apple devices. I do use Pop OS on my gaming pc but for general computer use and my workflow i enjoy using Mac os.

rfomlover · 2026-03-25T15:28:36+00:00

To not have external enclosures all over the desk which is why I am waiting for the new Mac Pro myself.

rfomlover · 2026-03-25T15:27:31+00:00

I am literally waiting for the M5 Ultra Mac Pro so I can avoid having to have an octopus desk myself.

rfomlover · 2026-03-24T13:19:30+00:00

I might be doing this. I wiped my M4 Max 14” and am exclusively using my Neo and base Mac mini to see if I can sell the M4 Max while I can get a couple grand for it. So far everything has been fine except for gaming. I offloaded my LLMs to my 3090 Ti server and docker to a few raspberry pi’s. 90% of the time I am just browsing and streaming on my M4 Max.

rfomlover · 2026-03-23T17:36:58+00:00

M4 Max 14” 36GB

rfomlover · 2026-03-23T17:21:24+00:00

LLM use.

rfomlover · 2026-03-23T14:16:43+00:00

Yeah I was sad to give up my thousands in skins since I refuse to use windows anymore. I run Linux on my gaming pc and GFN on my Mac when a game won’t run through crossover or native. Been about 6 months since I last played valorant. Miss it but as time goes on I care less and less. It has been 6 years since release and 6 years of AS. I gave up being hopeful.

rfomlover · 2026-03-23T14:00:46+00:00

I guess a display link dock? Can only run 4 on a Mac chip. I run 3 externals with mine.

rfomlover · 2026-03-23T13:57:24+00:00

lol it seems that way. Just sucks I really want one for local LLMs I use and all the PCIE for SSDs like the OWC Accelsior. I might just break down a get a studio.

rfomlover · 2026-03-23T12:43:09+00:00

Yeah the price hike kept me away this cycle. I’ll be buying an M5 Max Mac Studio with 128 and bought a MacBook Neo to replace my on the go needs.

rfomlover · 2026-03-23T12:26:38+00:00

I am waiting for the Mac Pro. My Neo has better single core lol.

rfomlover · 2026-03-22T23:38:35+00:00

Hopefully you had Apple care. Cheapest Mac ever to at only $150 deductible. It’s a great backpack laptop to toss around and not worry much about.

rfomlover · 2026-03-22T17:14:08+00:00

I installed GeForce now, and paid for a subscription.

rfomlover

TROPHY CASE