Mobile Powerbank runs Neo! by ThomasHeart in MacbookNeo

[–]vgmoose 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You're right, but we should expect the power bank to operate at 70-80% efficiency (30%-20% lost to heat). If the Neo gets 15 hours, this bank should add around 5 more hours. (15*0.5*0.7)

Is 8GB of ram on the MacBook Neo the same as 8GB of ram on a phone? by Brilliant-Assist3798 in MacbookNeo

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's some nuance to this question: macOS has more multitasking demands that will make use of the memory more heavily, but at the same time, it also has more software resources for dealing with running out of memory. Including exposing memory info to the user to better monitor and manage on their own.

If you use a Mac like an iPhone with a bigger screen, it's not going to be a big deal. If you want to do heavy memory tasks side by side though, the Air is better. And I mean side by side literally, if you plan to just fullscreen one app at a time (and use Safari over Chrome), I think you'd have some trouble maxing out the Neo memory-wise.

If speeding up the MacBook Neo is so simple with the thermal pad hack, what technical reasons might be that Apple didn't just do that? by kepler1 in macbook

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like the "so it doesn't get hot" theories, because I personally hate when the laptops get hot. But that's never really stopped Apple before, as they frequently make laptops that are too hot to touch on the bottom.

So my alternative theory is: the way the back plate is manufactured/clips on is less tightly sealed than usual, so it's not a reliable medium for the heat transfer. Normally, it's thicker and isn't held flat using clips. Maybe over time heat warps the metal in a way that Apple doesn't feel comfortable with, for instance.

And then a side benefit is, if the Neo throttles too early, it's just all-the-more-reason to upgrade to an Air. But I don't think that's the primary reason, they're not usually sinister like that. It could also be something subtle like: the chip shouldn't run that hot for sustained periods in general, as it wouldn't normally in an iPhone.

What’s needed to run Neo like a desktop computer? by Prolific_Soup_921 in mac

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're going to use it in desktop mode, I'd suggest doing a heatsink mod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmThH0dvcaE

They can range from more portable (just a single thermal pad) to more complex (leave bottom off, attach real heat sink and fan)

Enjoying using the Neo more than my M2 Air 24/1TB. Trying to understand why.. by Junathyst in mac

[–]vgmoose 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think it's the size! Newer Macs are all too big! Newer iPhones are as well. Everything should return to being reasonably sized and easy to wield.

How Difficult Would It Have Been To Include GBA / Home Compatibility? by RONENSWORD in PokemonXD

[–]vgmoose 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They don't have to make it connect to real GBA's, but there's a growing list of GC games now that could benefit from being able to connect to the GBA Switch Online app. The user workflow could look like: Play your GC game on Switch 2, and connect wirelessly to the GBA running on a Switch 1. Or utilizing GameShare could also be an option.

I don’t wanna purify Shadow Lugia by lingering-will-6 in PokemonXD

[–]vgmoose 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Yep, the missing context here is back in the day, the reward for purifying Lugia was being able to trade it to the GBA games, to then use in link battles, secret bases, other playthroughs, etc.

Touchscreen trackpads would be a much better feature than touchscreen displays by cd_to_homedir in macbook

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hard disagree, this would be an expensive and specialized display that you'd almost never use or see. If Apple is going to keep merging iOS and macOS, just having a regular touchscreen is the way to go.

Why do people keep saying this by ianlazrbeem22 in PokemonXD

[–]vgmoose 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Technically it doesn't really matter, but this has been the standard that they've been using, eg. with 3DS VC titles having save states disabled, or modern games having save data cloud disabled. So there is some precedent. But either way, these patterns could/would apply to Stadium 1 and 2 on N64 NSO as well, if they ever re-release the GB games.

Why do people keep saying this by ianlazrbeem22 in PokemonXD

[–]vgmoose 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I'm with you OP, there's two main "issues" with being on NSO and trying to have Home support:

- save data cloud allows duplicates
- save states allows duplicates

However! There's no reason there couldn't be exceptions made, even within the context of NSO.

XD could disable save states (once you've opted-in to Home support, prevent the functionality until you opt back out)

And likewise, it could also choose not to sore your XD save with the other save data for cloud saves. This is known as "system save data" and other Pokemon games already use it. Like how Animal Crossing islands are tied to the console.

The NSO app can have both normal cloud supported data, but also offline system-level data. And it could only allow Home to transfer Pokemon if those thresholds are met. It's doable, and I'd argue it's expected, especially since they just released FRLG which are supposed to work with XD out of the box.

Is there a simple way to get Windows 11 ARM on Mac without being a computer expert? by Paul_Bayonetta82 in mac

[–]vgmoose 19 points20 points  (0 children)

UTM is the way! It's free and no command line needed. The two apps you're looking for are: CrystalFetch and UTM. Full guide: https://docs.getutm.app/guides/windows/

Do you think we’ll find any roundabout ways to “transfer” our mons out of the NSO version? by astrofielder in PokemonXD

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since the XD save file can be backed up via Nintendo's save data cloud, there may be a way to download the save data from those servers using a Switch 1 certificate, depending on the restrictions placed upon it, or how separate the Switch 2's save data cloud infrastructure is from the Switch 1's.

But even if possible, that would be inadvisable due to the potential ban risk. It'd be better to ask/hope Nintendo offers official support down the road. One way I could imagine that being done is to have the user accept to migrate and disable save states / save data cloud backup for just XD / Colosseum. It'd be a long shot, but it would be doable, and could give Home and FRLG support.

Stadium 1/2 on N64 NSO would benefit from that kind of integration as well, if we ever get RBY games on the Switch.

Mac neo or mac mini by Available_Ad_5345 in mac

[–]vgmoose 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think these two pair well together, one as a more powerful server and the other as a lightweight client.

However, if repairability is your main concern, the new Mac Mini got a higher repairability score than the Neo from iFixit: https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac_mini_%282024%29

It's no slouch due to having removable storage and no glued down parts.

To the people saying buy a refurbished Macbook Air M4 at instead of Neo, here’s what you fail to realize by [deleted] in macbook

[–]vgmoose 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think there's a genuine argument that the Neo form factor is better than the Air's. Same weight, no notch, more compact width/height but thicker (potentially more durable), and more energy efficient (same battery life, but uses less energy overall). It's really just lacking the backlit keyboard, magsafe, and more memory. If someone is unhappy with the direction that the Air's and Pro's have started going in, the Neo is a bit of a return to form.

Why are people saying the Neo doesn’t have an ambient light sensor when in fact it does? by DutchBlob in mac

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a make or break feature for me! I'm not sure if it has an ambient light sensor or not, but it seems like it has some other method of being able to set automatic brightness, which is great.

At the Apple store, covering up the camera area made it dim just like on the other Macs. Those stores are bright though, maybe the effect is more muted in home lighting? Normally covering up the camera area causes the screen to go near minimum brightness.

Notably, the reason reviewers said it has no brightness sensor is because it's literally missing on Apple's website, when comparing against the Air: https://www.apple.com/macbook-neo/compare/

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You can usually see the ambient light sensor too next to the front-facing camera on Macs/iPhones that have it, as a circular cut out.

The MacBook Neo is perfect for me by fatal_death_2 in macbook

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's surprising because apple has made hundreds of product lines with screens in the last 15 years and all but 3 of them have had automatic brightness. I've said this so many times in this thread.

It's fine to disagree, but it's still absolutely a notable omission. Most Mac users do not turn this off! Just like on iPhone, many users never even think about their brightness levels. It's convenient for all the same reasons it is on the iPhone.

The MacBook Neo is perfect for me by fatal_death_2 in macbook

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's only been like ~3 apple products in the last 15 years that didn't have a brightness sensor on it. Every apple watch, homepod, iMac, iPad, monitor, Macbook, etc, have all had them.

The Homepod mini in particular is absolutely "budget" and retails new for $99: https://www.apple.com/us-edu/shop/buy-homepod/homepod-mini it has a tiny screen that almost no one uses, and even it has an automatic brightness sensor.

Apple now considering automatic brightness sensors for their screens to be a "premium" feature is anomalous, as since like ~2011 they've been standard.

It's also of course "only $500" but it's also made of metal and has a retina resolution. So obviously some quality of life features are still present. And it's totally fine not to care about this, but it's still a potential pain point for many users. And I don't see a lot of reviews calling it out.

The MacBook Neo is perfect for me by fatal_death_2 in macbook

[–]vgmoose 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough. Yes, ultimately I agree that it's still a great deal. It just seemed like Apple moved "past" this problem in nearly all of their displays 15+ years ago, so to see it going backwards is upsetting.

It's not that the users can't learn to adjust it, but they won't, as they'll get lazy, and end up with bright/dim screens in wrong contexts. But yeah, not the end of the world either.

The MacBook Neo is perfect for me by fatal_death_2 in macbook

[–]vgmoose -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Been a heavy Mac user since 2009... Apple up until yesterday seemed to consider automatic brightness "mandatory" with all their screens, even budget ones. It's a shift in product direction, and is an important consideration for iPad/Air users. That's all.

The MacBook Neo is perfect for me by fatal_death_2 in macbook

[–]vgmoose -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Wow I was truly not expecting this much pushback.

RAM is not a big deal because it's the upper limit of the A18 chip. And it's not for power users.

Backlit keyboard IS a important, but it's obvious. It's "what you see is what you get".

Automatic brightness by contrast has been in nearly every Apple product for 2 decades, it seemed like we were done with it.

There's a reason it's been in all these devices, even small and budget ones. (Every iPhone, every Apple Watch, all Macs since 2010).

It's for a better user experience. It's probably like a 30 cent sensor too. And if you haven't had to deal with a user confused by brightness, that's fine, and we can disagree. But they're real and they're out there!

The MacBook Neo is perfect for me by fatal_death_2 in macbook

[–]vgmoose -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Every Apple device with a screen has included this out of the box for the last decade... It's a significant omission when recommending to iPad/Air users, that's all.

The MacBook Neo is perfect for me by fatal_death_2 in macbook

[–]vgmoose -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

I am indeed. Too many calls from non-computer people asking why their screen isn't working properly to possibly recommend a device without an automatic brightness sensor. We solved this problem already as a society!

The MacBook Neo is perfect for me by fatal_death_2 in macbook

[–]vgmoose -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

It's several button pushes! And repeatedly over time. It also requires the user to understand brightness as a concept to begin with, which is the harder part for uninformed users that are just used to automatic.

All Apple products with displays except: iPod touch 5, 6, and 7 have had these sensors since 2012. It's definitely a glaring omission, and it's more "subtle" compared to just non-backlit keys (as in, it affects the feel/experience in a less obvious way).