conmee
macrumors 65816
Why’d you have to fact-check me like that? Haha 😉
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Farewell Neo, Hello Air.
- Thread starter urbis
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Apple not including 12+ gigs of RAM and a backlit keyboard on the Neo was an atrocity. Enthusiasts today will not love the Neo in 3+ years, at least probably not most of them.
conmee
macrumors 65816
I don't know... there are quite a few 12" MacBook enthusiasts floating around here that are still content with a Core i3+8GB RAM going on 9 years. Granted, the 12" MacBook may not be their primary device anymore.
What's also wild is that 1.1M Neos were sold in Q1 and 6.7M Neos in Q2 according to IDC. Given Apple usually sells around ~25M or so Macs per year, it's crazy to think that Neo sales could end up being +30% of all Mac sales this year (unless there's a fair amount of cannibalization vs MBA and MBP). Some people may not be happy with Neo in 3+ years, but for now, 7.8M (and counting) don't seem to care.
pharry
macrumors newbie
I got the MacBook Neo when it came out, it is a nice little machine and I like it being slightly smaller and NOT having the notch. It serves my needs (I’m not a not a pro user) but occasionally the ram speed makes launching new apps a bit frustrating. I could also use a backlit keyboard. On balance, a great value and I’m looking forward to see what the Neo 2 will bring of improvements.
1BadManVan
macrumors 68040
I wouldn't say slower, I've seen plenty of Neo ssd speed tests come in slower, it's basically within the margin of error. But yes, the 256gb ssd on the m2 is much slower than every other gen. But for most usage cases, it's not something you'll really notice. Higher storage tiers of the m2 were about double the speed. I used own an M2 air with 1tb storage
boswald
macrumors 68030
ElPaso
macrumors 6502
This is exactly what Apple wants to happen -- but there's another dynamic in play. The Neo was introduced not to compete with the MBA and MBP, but with mid-priced junk Windows notebooks (HP, Dell, Lenovo etc.). That's where it shines, and in that arena there is no comparison == the MBN is superior in almost every respect. It's Apple's hope that people that make the move from the Windows 11 plastic to the MBN will eventually (probably in your 3 year window) move up to a Pro. They'll become an "enthusiast".
However, the other dynamic is that the Neo really is very, very good and does "computing" at the level many of us want without breathing hard. The spreadsheet, word-processing, YouTube, web-surfing Bookface crowd (like me!) will still be very, very happy in three years.
ElPaso
macrumors 6502
Yes, that was a big oversight. But there's workarounds - I have a keyboard cover from Azamon that is pretty good.
snipr125
macrumors 68030
Apple did the same thing with the new MKB for the iPad Air, no back lit keys, even though the first Gen MKB did/does have back lit keys!
adrianlondon
macrumors 604
As we can't buy a new laptop as good as the MBA for £135, we're spending the money.
We don't need MacOS 27 on it, and it does everything it's needed for. With a new battery, we'll get another couple of years out of it, at least. (I still have an Intel 2013 MBP which is running very well with Ubuntu on it - that computer is 13 years old.)
How much you loo would there be an opening for someone that has a nonprofit management certification lol
I just upgraded my base M2 (8/256) to the base M5 (16/512) because of a recent Amazon sale $949. Given Apple price increases, the M5 is now $1299 so I pulled the trigger on an upgrade earlier than planned to take advantage of this sale. The M2 was working just fine on the latest version of MacOS, so it probably had another couple of good years.
I am a big fan of the MBA, and it has been my laptop of choice since the wedge shaped version was released in 2010 (not the 2008 version which was seriously limited and very expensive). For me, it is the sweet spot of performance, features, size, and weight.
I am a big fan of the MBA, and it has been my laptop of choice since the wedge shaped version was released in 2010 (not the 2008 version which was seriously limited and very expensive). For me, it is the sweet spot of performance, features, size, and weight.
boswald
macrumors 68030
They'll be good for moms and grandmas who play Apple Arcade games, check email, and watch YouTube with though. My mom did that for years on an underpowered Chromebook, and that thing was "ancient" even back then. If she were here today the Neo would be perfect for her for a long time.
Spock
Contributor
I guess it is a good thing that enthusiasts are not who the MacBook Neo was made for. The Neo is an entry level MacBook, Apple is hoping after those 3 years, Neo users will upgrade to a higher end model.
JPack
macrumors P6
Apple literally advertises the Neo targeting first time Mac users. "Love at first Mac."
It's like some people complaining the iPhone 17e doesn't have ProMotion or Dynamic Island.
The floor doesn't start at 12GB and probably won't for a few more years.
If you are questioning things like RAM, thunderbolt port speeds and the like, the Neo is not really made for you in my opinion. It is a moderately priced computer for the non tech masses. If you are wondering how it is going to handle exporting Final Cut files or handle Adobe CC then you are in a different user base. This is a base level computer that handles base level computing really well.
Spock
Contributor
It seems like a group of Mac users are gatekeeping the Mac by bashing the Neo and almost seem mad that they released an affordable machine that is taking off the way it is.
ElPaso
macrumors 6502
This is absolutely true - I think it borders on arrogance. It probably would have been better if they named the MBN something like "iComp" or something - then us Neo users wouldn't feel like we're on their "turf". As I (and several others) have said, the Neo was never intended or marketed to compete against the Air or Pro - it was meant to compete against mid-level Windows 11 devices and Chromebooks, and does that very, very well.
rensuchan
macrumors member
It's weird how much people on here bash it. In general, even if the machine didn't meet my needs specifically (it does for what I use it for), I'd certainly not have a reason to hate on it.
Despite being a tech head myself and someone that has many machines at home, I bought a Neo for exactly what it is made for... taking out of the house and doing light tasks. It's great for keeping up with emails, searching the web, plugging stuff into web/cloud based AI agents, and messing around on Terminal. I can SSH into a Linux machine at home and restart things if needed. It's a great device for working on side projects if you don't have power user needs, and I trust it far more than I would trust a plastic Windows laptop.
I carry a small bag to work. I can't fit my old trusty M1 Pro in that bag, but I can fit the Neo. Sometimes that slightly smaller footprint is also a difference maker.
There's just a lot of positive about the Neo. I understand it's not for everyone, but it's a great low price device that has brought a lot of people into the ecosystem and in general we should be doing the opposite of gatekeeping.
1BadManVan
macrumors 68040
Never going to make everyone happy, and lets face it, the internet has become the prime spot for negativity and bashing. I could get by on a neo quite well for 90% of what i do, i chose the air because i could afford to. But have had no issue recommending it to friends and family that are looking for a cheaper machine. Though unfortunately now in canada, the base model neo is $950 after the price hike and $1150 for the 512gb model. Making it a bit harder to recommend now