GoKawiilEver since the announcement of the $599 MacBook Neo over a week ago, I’ve been wondering: does this destroy the value proposition of other non-Pro laptops in Apple’s lineup? It’s a rather interesting question, because even at its incredibly affordable price point, MacBook Neo still manages to feel quite premium.
After actually trying out the laptop after its launch on Wednesday, I find myself even more perplexed on how this thing fits in Apple’s lineup – but not in a bad way.
MacBook Neo makes few comprimises
At $599 (and $499 for students), the MacBook Neo truly packs all of the things you’d expect out of an Apple product. Despite being the “cheaper MacBook,” you really can’t tell from the outside. It has an incredibly well built aluminum chassis, glass display, a great keyboard, and still gets plenty bright.
The main thing you’ll notice missing compared to other MacBooks is the force touch trackpad. The MacBook Neo uses a traditional click mechanism, though it still does click all the way around, unlike the even older diving board trackpads on pre-2015 MacBooks. Additionally, if you stick to the base model with 256GB of storage, you’ll be missing out on Touch ID. For an extra $100, you can add Touch ID as well as double the internal storage.
To put it simply, Apple did not have to go this hard. Even the M1 MacBook Air in 2020, which people often want to compare this thing to, didn’t have a 500 nit display. It was limited to 400 nits, and that was a limitation that many expected to show up on the MacBook Neo, but Apple decided not to. In my past 72 hours or so of using the MacBook Neo, I’ve been blown away at how little feels missing compared to my MacBook Air.
When thinking about the MacBook Neo, there’s two comparable Apple products that immediately come to mind: the MacBook Air, which previously sat at the bottom of Apple’s lineup, and the iPad Air + Magic Keyboard.
Does it break other Apple products?
MacBook Air now sits at $1099 after its M5 refresh, placing it $400 higher than the MacBook Neo with 512GB and Touch ID.
Obviously, the MacBook Air still has some things going for it. For one, you get 16GB of RAM on the MacBook Air, so if you’re a heavy multitasker, the Air will probably make more sense. The MacBook Air has a P3 display, which’ll be important if you do color work. MacBook Air also offers a Center Stage camera, so if you want your FaceTime calls to feel more dynamic, that’s something that MacBook Air offers.
... continue reading