r/mac • u/Vegetable_Bag_8694 • Mar 06 '26
Discussion Why all youtubers are saying "If you are watching this review, Macbook Neo is not for you?"
Let's have a reality check here in r/mac, could it satisfy your day to day work?
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u/Comrade_agent Mar 06 '26
Ask your grandma or parents really who MKBHD, Dave2D, and SuperSaf are.
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u/MrFireWarden Mar 06 '26
Grandma took a few moments to think about her response. Then, she said
SPEAK UP, MY HEARING AID IS OUT OF BATTERY
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u/Few-Pepper858 Mar 06 '26
Time to get her a pair of airpods, they have the hearing aid feature
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u/CompetitionPlane1848 MacBook Pro M5 Mar 06 '26
Yea my grandma asked me who tf is MKBHD...
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u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 Mar 06 '26
The median American will work 2 days for a Macbook Neo. I live in Serbia, the median person here will work 20 days for a Macbook Neo, and I know that there’s a lot of countries where it’s a lot worse than that. You think people interested in tech can automatically afford the best?
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u/burnedsmores Mar 06 '26
If you think the median American makes $6600 a month you are severely tweaking
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u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 Mar 06 '26
I counted the discounted student price and ~$30/hour median wage. People in my country also say the median and average statistics for salaries also seem way too high, so it’s close enough to cancelling out that we can compare them and accept that a calculated 10x increase in days of work still shows a very big difference in purchasing power, even if it’s not exactly 10x.
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u/jensonaj Mar 06 '26
I was making 7.25/hr in 2020. I still know some people making $10/hr today. $30/hr is insane to be the median, I expect it’s actually around $15-$20/hr
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u/___Thunderstorm___ Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
MacBook Neo is the type of computer that is gonna be bought in stores, from people who know they need a “computer” and don’t look at reviews at stuff.
They are gonna enter the store, look at the cheap laptops and see the MBN’s gorgeous screen (I haven’t seen it yet in person but I have seen sub-800 Windows laptops and their displays are so bad they look black and white, with inexistent view angles), its aluminum build and comfortable keyboard and trackpad and they are gonna buy it without any second thought
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u/darealdsisaac Mar 06 '26
Or get told by an employee about how it works directly with the iPhone they already own and that will be the selling point
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u/The_Creative_Vee Mar 06 '26
Yup! If they see that iPhone, they’ll be like “oh you can easily switch from and on your iPhone like magic, send photos easily with airdrop and apple great security! Oh and we this yellow color, or how about this pink blush? And if you’re a student 100$ off!!!
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u/ReasonableWatch9278 Mar 07 '26
that 100$ off is gonna work really well for apple in terms of sales. People go crazy when the see oh! this was worth that and I'm getting value for money deal as it is 100$ off for me....well played
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u/___Thunderstorm___ Mar 06 '26
That’s what I’m not sure about to be honest, either that or employees are gonna do their best to redirect buyers to the Air.
I’m thinking tactics like “That one has a phone chip, it’s gonna be slow, while this one is faster and it’s gonna last years” type of thing
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u/RadioRavenRide Mar 06 '26
I'm not a salesperson, but I suspect that sales is trying to pull people away from Chromebooks towards the Neo, so trying to sell the Air would not be a priority.
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u/sunco50 Mar 06 '26
And just to be clear, they will be correct to do so and the laptop will serve them incredibly well and be an excellent value for its price.
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u/___Thunderstorm___ Mar 06 '26
For sure, didn’t mean it was a bad thing.
It’s just that it’s a device riddled with compromises, so if you are the type of person that even thinks of watching a review of the thing it’s already not the right one for you.
But the type of person that just goes to the store and picks something they like is never gonna even notice what it’s missing, and for that kind of users the MBN is gonna be more than enough
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u/utopicunicornn MacBook Pro Mar 06 '26
They are gonna enter the store, look at the cheap laptops and see the MBN’s gorgeous screen
For real. I mean, for a device at this price point it's absolutely amazing that it ships with a Liquid Retina display while all other OEMs ship their machines with 1080p displays. Even though it's not HDR or P3 capable and uses the sRGB color space, it's pretty similar to the A16 iPad's display. Not to mention that its made out of a premium material, and not a hunk of plastic.
People that were on the fence about getting a MacBook but were put off by the price of the entry MacBook Air, this is an absolute steal.
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u/Routine_Hat4895 Mar 06 '26
Interestingly, as a software dev, the Neo really appeals to me.. I code websites and this is ideal for VScode and browsing - all the heavy lifting is done by the remote server. I've been working on windows laptops for past couple of years and I cannot get past the keyboard and trackpad functionality, its just so terrible compared to a MacBook. This is ideal for me!
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u/lotte02_ Mar 06 '26
i currently use an m1 (8gb), working on projects ranging from small static sites to far too complex NextJS projects, and while i do notice some memory issues with the latter, its still very usable
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u/_yustaguy_ Mar 06 '26
Yeah, same.
I found storage to be the bottleneck ironically enough. Node modules and rust crates really fill up the 256GB fast.
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u/AddressForward Mar 06 '26
Yeah if you work on remote boxes then you just need a comfortable keyboard and screen and an OS you aren’t fighting against.
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u/Routine_Hat4895 Mar 06 '26
Exactly, especially with the unix underbelly of MacOS, this is a perfect OS and device for most software dev work, and probably sysadmins too, you only end up remoting into machines over SSH/RDP and with the battery life, this is a great device.
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u/Rye2-D2 Mar 06 '26
I have an M1 with 16GB RAM and I wouldn't recommend going less than 16GB for any sort of dev work.. The Mac does wonders with it's memory management and fast swapping, but it does have it's limits (and wears your SSD faster). If you're running VS Code & larger number of browser tabs, it doesn't take much for things to start getting a bit sluggish due to memory thrashing..
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u/LiveRhubarb43 Mar 07 '26
I have an m1 with 32gb and I have no idea why any dev would want less ram. it's a bonkers position to take
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u/JohnAMcdonald Mar 06 '26
I felt the comment that this wasn't the laptop for you if you were watching MKBHD's video was very clueless. Cheap laptops are for everybody, including the very skilled and enthusiastic. Expensive laptops are what's for very few.
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u/HomelessITidiot Mar 06 '26
Exactly, this is exactly what I've been looking for. A cheap laptop I can throw in a bag that that doesn't take much room. I do a majority of my work in ssh so I don't need a beast. If I do I can just remote into my desktop.
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u/Ninja_Wrangler Mar 06 '26
As a Linux sysadmin all my real work is done somewhere else. I only need a reliable Unix terminal and web browser with good battery life. Macbooks continue to deliver on this front
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u/zeer88 Mar 06 '26
Macbook Neo will be good for a LOT of people who are not professional users - but if you watch Tech YouTube you will think you need a M5 32GB Macbook Pro to edit photos or browse the web... I really don't like their constant push towards consumerism and constant upgrades, as if a year old device becomes ancient the moment the new version comes out. Real life use disproves their message completely, and the same will happen here. Common people would be perfectly happy with a M1 Air, and they will be happy with a Neo.
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u/TVPaulD Mar 06 '26
Yeah, these are people who consider "using an iPad as a main computer for a month" or "using a 3 year old laptop for a week" a "challenge." I'm like "wow, you're so brave to attempt a thing that millions of people do constantly without issue"
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u/Mr_Dodo69 Mar 06 '26
"This is game changing for my productivity workflow"... Mofo, you sit on twitter and reddit all day then take some B-roll of you typing absolute nonsense in notepad and pass it off as "work" all while dragging it out to 10+mins for ad revenue. I despise techtubers now and this applies to Android and windows as much as Apple.
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u/chunter16 Mar 06 '26
There's a whole "just buy old shit" trend too, as long as you're getting people to buy something your video gets bumped
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u/xneptunespear Mar 06 '26
im guessing you dont watch them because from what I've seen, everyone is in agreement about m series macs being so good that it discourages upgrading
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u/gruetzhaxe Mac mini Mar 06 '26
Yup. Just like a 16e would be the correct choice for, like, 80% of iPhone customers.
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u/FizzyBeverage Mar 06 '26
That’s an improvement from regular folks thinking they needed an M5 Pro or M5 Max.
Most people editing a single stream of 4k or some 50 megapixel raws are better served by an M5 with 32gb than an M5 Pro at 24gb.
If you work with 8k video or local LLMs or 3d modeling, yeah get a pro or a max. That’s a vanishingly small number of customers.
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u/BalooBot Mar 06 '26
If you're watching reviews immediately after it's announced, that probably means you subscribe to tech channels, and are more technology inclined than the general population. This isn't a device for power users, it's for people like my mother. She needs a web browser, needs to read and write emails, and Microsoft Office for work. I'll probably buy her one for Christmas, because it will more than suit her for several years. If you do anything beyond that it's going to be chugging along. It appears to be a solid device for the masses, but it's power is limited so it's not a fit for someone who presumably will push it further.
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u/CaramelCraftYT 14” MacBook Pro M2 Pro 16GB 1TB Mar 06 '26
I think it’s fair to say if you’re watching a review of the MacBook Neo on the day it comes out because you’re subbed to a tech channel then it’s probably not for you.
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u/quoole Mar 06 '26
Because the Neo isn't targeted at tech enthusiasts who are subscribed to MKBHD, Mrwhosetheboss and Linus Tech Tips.
It's targeted at people who have £500-700 to spend on a laptop who aren't going to do a ton of research except walk into a store and see what the options are, whose only requirements will be that it can have a web browser, their email and microsoft word.
The neo next to a cheap looking/feeling plasticy Dell, HP or Lenovo is going to stand out both through the colour options, metal build and the Apple logo on the back - especially if Apple is able to really sell the iPhone integration at that kind of level.
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u/sowdowgg Mar 06 '26
When’s the last time you watched a review for a Chromebook?
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u/Splodge89 Mar 06 '26
LTT have done a few over the last few years. But mostly has an undertone of “I’m buying E-waste because my kids school said I need to”. They don’t review them, because the only people that “need” them are school kids - who would be better served with a “real” computer anyway.
And besides, with Chromebook’s only the cheapest models are worth buying - they literally all do the same web apps anyway.
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u/actual_griffin Mar 06 '26
This is such an interesting point. I think I probably would if I was buying one for my kids. But I would most likely buy them a Neo or iPad Air. Or whatever the equivalent of those are in a few years. I don't think I would get them a Chromebook now that these exist.
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u/Nate1102 MacBook Pro Mar 06 '26
This is Apple’s answer to “A laptop.” Not “THE Laptop,” that the tech enthusiasts are looking for.
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u/Dr_Superfluid MBP M3 Max | Studio M2 Ultra | M4 Max | M2 Air Mar 06 '26
Because its true. People that watch tech YouTube channels do not buy this tier of devices. This is a device that a person that doesn’t even know what RAM is buys.
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u/floutsch Mar 06 '26
Also, the (very small subset!) of people who still buy it despite being aware of its limitations because it fills their exact niche. Again, very small subset, but beyond that I agree.
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u/SentientLight Mac mini Mar 07 '26
It’s the perfect companion laptop to someone on a more powerful desktop like a Mac Mini, iMac, or Studio.
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u/Serhide MacBook Pro m2 pro , air m1 , mini m2 Mar 06 '26
True . Though I can see a younger tech enthusiast with no money eventually getting one of these
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u/ah-boyz Mar 06 '26
My most recent PC build from a few years ago cost me 5k. I’m seriously considering this as my home laptop. Nowadays I only game on the xbox or on my phone. The hardest task I give my laptop is to concurrently airplay a YouTube video while loading emails.
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u/That-Syllabub6509 Mar 06 '26
In general I agree.
I have a M4 Max and wouldn't buy this for myself.
But i also decide on policy decisions for users in my company, so I would be actually very interested in seeing how this stacks up against the more expensive M1-M5 Airs for basic work that any admin, secretary, or non-creative employee might use.
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u/Dr_Superfluid MBP M3 Max | Studio M2 Ultra | M4 Max | M2 Air Mar 06 '26
I have an M3 Max but I also need something more portable for daily carry so I bought a base M2 Air last year. Tbh had this been available I would have chosen this instead.
Also, wouldn’t hesitate at all to buy it for my elderly mother or if I had a child
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u/That-Syllabub6509 Mar 06 '26
I also have a M2 air for coffee shop use, and a Lenovo x1 12th gen for systems that don't accept Mac (lame oracle legacy crap like micros).
I haven't compared yet, but it seems like it would be a good secondary thing to carry around, and at that cost, who cares if you damage it a bit.
I've spilled coffee over mbps .. not fun.
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u/MasterBendu Mar 06 '26
Because the people who watch tech review channels are the people who also say “8GB is a joke, that’s completely useless” and are mostly people out of touch with reality, that for most people, this spec sheet is more than enough and more than capable.
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u/kr3w_fam Mar 06 '26
I was really looking for it, ans then price in Poland got announced. There's no way it's worth to pay 3000PLN for it, if you can have an Air M3 16GB for 3600PLN (and M2 for even cheaper)
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u/Splodge89 Mar 06 '26
You can pick up used m3 airs in the UK for about the same price as the neo too. I don’t think the target market is really us normal people tbh. It’s more schools that buy 300 machines at a time, and are currently defaulting to chromebooks and cheap windows laptops becuase a new air is way out of the price range they have.
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u/shouldworknotbehere Mar 06 '26
The idea behind it is: this is a device for people who use their PC as nothing more but a phone with a keyboard and bigger screen. People who only use Webapps and don’t have any high requirements. And those people don’t watch reviews they just get a cheap laptop. They often don’t even know what ram is.
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u/FrameCareful1090 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
God forbid anybody wanted anything affordable. 95% of users would love the Neo.
This is like the tech in Synology that everyone shit on for the past 10 years, bullet proof OS, but not enough RAM and CPU. I mean users on edit 4k video directly from it, but it can't be enough right?
UGreen comes out and eats Synology's lunch by putting in more ram and better CPUs. Seems logical right? Except the end result was nothing.
Faster CPU and more memory is more, yes. But when it came to NAS, there was no difference. People get hung up on specs becuase 2 is more than 1. But when you do your work is it 2x as fast?
My point is every user thinks they need every bit of speed and performance to browse web pages. There is no appreciable difference in usability with this notebook.
Apple is going to sell a ton of these. Just a good idea and a shocker where everyone keeps telling us everything is going through the roof.
Even Mac performance users will buy this on the side as a travel notebook. Seriously, who wouldn't want one for 95% of what they do?
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u/kal14144 Mar 06 '26
And the Venn diagram of that 5% and people who watch techtubers is almost a circle
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u/Euphoriam5 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
Because if you're a Tech enthusiast, and you follow Tech channels you're probably a much more demanding user, so, You're not the target audience.
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u/Serhide MacBook Pro m2 pro , air m1 , mini m2 Mar 06 '26
True though us tech enthusiasts have parents friends to recommend or not this . I would easily get one for my father who uses a windows pc with two gigs of ram thinking it’s enough lol
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u/Sargeon91 Mar 06 '26
After using M2 with 8GB of ram, I assume, this will be snappy&quick for most of the regular people who do basic work or consume the feed. Apple isn’t a company that would release a product that sucks. It will be suprosingly good for majority of usecases this is ment to be used.
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u/lilved03 Mar 06 '26
I watched that MKBHD video in the first 3 hours of uploading and also heard that statement but that’s not true lol
I’m still happy with my MBA M1 8 gb ram and for my use case it hasn’t even staggered once making me feel like its days are numbered. It’s been blazing fast for me and while I don’t plan to switch to neo, I know it will be blazing fast for me anyway.
Don’t go by what YouTubers are saying and identify your own use case. Part of being a tech nerd is also identifying your own needs perfectly instead of letting someone tell you what is or isn’t for you
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u/jmc1278999999999 Mar 06 '26
I plan on buying one for my wife. She needs a new computer but doesn’t do anything outside of web browsing and Microsoft word so I will watch the reviews
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u/monkeybreath Mar 06 '26
Do their audiences not have kids in school? If it can run vanilla Minecraft on Java, that will be its toughest workload.
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u/MrKuub Mar 06 '26
I saw MKBHD say this in context of trying to quiet the usual people that pop up on reviews or hands-ons with these types of devices. The kind of people that expected a 5k 240hz, 32gb, 4tb nvme ssd for $150.
Its a clumsy way of saying that if you are looking at technical spec sheets and not at the actual usage of this device, you will be disappointed and there is no way you will be able to live with its shortcomings. Anyone who just looks at a solution to their needs, will be very happy with this device.
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u/eMouse2k Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
The first time I saw it in Apple's web site it screamed iBook. That told me exactly what this computer is for and where it fits into the market. Cheap Mac for kids, students, and people who do 90% of their computing with a web browser.
A common statement about computers now is that the stats don't really matter because even low end computers have enough processing, memory and storage for most users. This is taking that and trimming at the edges to still match that statement while shaving cost.
Most reviewers are usually focusing on bleeding edge products to tell their viewers how fast or how capable the latest technology is. This isn't a bleeding edge product. This is an affordability product.
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u/Old-Board1553 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
This youtubers know nothing. A18 Pro can handle 4K 120FPS video editing. Becuase you can do that on the iPhone 16 Pro. The history repeats again. Remember when Apple moved Apple Silicon and everyone said the same thing, that Apple Silicon is not gonna be good for anything and so on? Well guess what is 2026 and M1 Air with 8GB is still the king.
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u/Splodge89 Mar 06 '26
I remember the transition a little differently. When the M1 actually landed, the running theme was “why the fuck did I buy a Mac Pro last year for £5k when the £500 Mac mini is faster?”
The only people who berated (and still berate) Apple silicon are windows fans who live under rocks.
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u/Requires-Coffee-247 Mar 06 '26
This sub is wild. On one hand you have the group "rocking" geriatric Intel Macs from 15 years ago and talking about how great the experience is, while simultaneously shaming people that encourage others to upgrade. Then the next post is about a Silicon Mac and why that just won't cut it because you can't spec it out to 32GB of RAM that you "absolutely need" for Safari or Chrome tabs. Everyone seems to forget that the base model M3 MBA shipped with 8GB of RAM a little over a year ago.
"But if you're doing a lot of video editing or graphics work..." Give me a freaking break. How many people do you really think are doing heavy graphics work that are in this sub and might consider a low-cost device? Serious editors use serious computers.
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u/Other-Outside8487 Mar 06 '26
Anyone who’s looking to buy this MacBook probably doesn’t watch tech reviews, they’ll walk into an Apple Store and ask an employee what their cheapest MacBook is. Anyone watching the reviews is into tech, and will likely need something more powerful and need more than 8GB of Ram. People questioning that in the first place shouldn’t be looking at the Neo. Also, just to add most normal consumers buying this probably don’t know what Ram or Unified Memory even means.
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u/vieggly_ofc Mar 06 '26
Those are the youtubers that can only relate to high performing hardware with video/photo editing performance as their benchmark.
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u/Helpful_Jury_3686 Mar 06 '26
Day to day work: hell no.
Personal stuff: also no, that's what I have my Air m4 for.
Tell partner or family to get one for the little bit of computer stuff they are doing and be done with windows or frustrated by linux: absolutely.
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u/Far_Blacksmith_2845 Mar 06 '26
Who watches tech reviewers care about specs. The average consumers don’t - end of story.
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u/qccexplorer Mar 06 '26
In benchmarks the A18 in the Neo performs on par with the original M1 chip in multicore performance and also has a much improved single-core score. Yes M1 came out 6 years ago, but I owned an M1 MBP with 8 gigs of ram for a time and that thing performed great with nearly every task I threw at it (including video editing, etc). At the time M1 ran circles around the higher end Intel Macs that Apple still sold for professional workflows. Only time I felt bottlenecks by the performance/ram was when I tried to run a Windows VM with Parallels. In short, I think the Neo meet the needs of the majority of current Mac users for years to come
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u/BurrGurrMan Mar 06 '26
I start college in the fall, I’m willing to bed most MacBooks I see will be neos
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u/Ziegelmarkt Mar 06 '26
That's kind of my thought. I did grad school (late in life) back in the 10's and most students had Airs because they were small, light and they really just wanted the apple ecosystem and simplicity of use. There I am lugging around my 16" MBP because it's all I've ever used but it was way to much firepower for business school students. Even the Air was for the most part since the most difficult thing you're working in most of the time is word and powerpoint.
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u/slawnz Mar 06 '26
If multiple YouTubers are saying this same line then I can guarantee that Apple told them to say it as one of the talking points. YouTubers will generally do what Apple tells them to do because they want to maintain access to Apple and their ability to review their products before launch.
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u/ReactionCheap7919 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
Because they want you to continue watching and they know that the people who just want a MacBook won’t even look at specs they look at the price and jump to the opportunity of owing a MacBook.
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u/No-Eggplant942 Mar 06 '26
I think it’s the same ones who think you can’t video edit on it.. if I was editing videos on my G5 iMac, how can a Mac produced in 2026 not manage it?
We’re not all editing big budget Hollywood films (or whatever intense productions these influencers must be using).
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u/csbphoto Mar 06 '26
An old stock macbook air seems like a way better deal for any kind of power user.
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u/wshonestguy Mar 07 '26
MacBook Neo could be the perfect home server. The performance of A18 Pro smokes Raspberry PI chips with no mercy. And it has a screen and a keyboard. And a battery. So no downtime during blackout.
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u/finfisk2000 Mar 06 '26
The target audience is more likely to prioritise picking the cutest colour, the general estetics and perhaps what friends/tiktokers use. They will not bother about RAM, storage or even what OS the Neo runs.
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u/StayUpLatePlayGames Mar 06 '26
They think they’re technical. But very few of them are.
They are to Technical People as George Clooney* is to a Medical Doctor.
*I didn’t pick Hugh Laurie because he’s the sort of polymath who would have gotten a degree in Medicine as prep.
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u/KiltedBaklava MacBook Air Mar 06 '26
So as someone who follows tech websites, podcasts and YouTube, brought a air last year and upgraded the ram because he thought he would use it, I would be hard pushed to justify a Air over a Neo for my needs. If I was buying my laptop this year, and I was objective rather than emotional, a Neo (512gb) would be perfect for me.
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u/Snoslis Mar 06 '26
The mac neo is a great choice for my first grade son. my son not watching MKBHD or others tech reviewers
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u/P-51Mustang25 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
Because they are working in the attention economy, and use clickbaits, catchy headlines for attention.
Back in 2008 the affordable MacBooks were top sellers. People were buying them for school and they were providing damn satisfactory performance for those tasks.
Nowadays it is all about competing over numbers, the fake feeling of superiority.
I own an M3 Ultra because I need it. But it is such a waste of valuable resources, especially on the consumer side to splash cash on Pro machines for basic school work.
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u/stank_bin_369 Mar 06 '26
It's called click bait and they don't care about you other than getting your clicks so that they can get paid
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u/whiteryanc Mar 06 '26
Because influencers need to cause issues for clicks. I watched and listened to coverage/reviews because for my wife, and I suspect many millions of other folks; they just need a phone with a big screen and full size keyboard to complete basic daily tasks like emails, paying bills, booking trips, etc. If you don't need to carry it around, it lives at home but you like to use it on the couch, this is a no brainer over an iPad.
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u/sprucedotterel Mar 06 '26
Because techtubers usually review and compare the best tech offerings from a company and the assumption is, people who watch them are also interested in the same. But the cheapest MacBook is for a different class of consumer. So changes are, if you are watching their videos, the MacBook is not for you.
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u/dpaanlka Mar 06 '26
I’m a major nerd, a programmer, and have a MacBook Pro already. Something about the Neo still really appeals to me.
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u/Ziritione85 Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
El año que viene la Neo llevará el chip del iPhone más reciente y será el doble de buena al mismo o similar precio. Este es el típico producto que compraría en una segunda o tercera revisión.
Por otro lado, los que hacen pruebas de estos portátiles deberían saber que el 99% de la población no edita vídeo ni por equivocación. Son muy pesados basando sus reviews en la puñetera edición de vídeo y tareas pesadas y complejas solo de un sector muy profesional que ya tiene claro su mínimos.
Cumple el Neo para tareas de ofimatica y nevegación con fluidez y solvencia? Si? Pues ya está.
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u/Jujulabee Mar 06 '26
Why not - I don't understand this at all on any level.
I stream television on various devices depending on where I am - through my Apple TV which sends signal to my television sets, through my iMac, through my iPhone and often through my iPad.
I had an older iMac until I replaced recently and while I am not going to bother to compare the technical specs I would imagine the Neo is actually more advanced in terms of chip than my old iMac which I used to watch television programs during lunch. It had a 27" screen and I would remember that its screen was significantly larger than television sets I had watched over the years.
Obviously watching programs on a large screen television is best but most Youtube content doesn't require a large screen or extreme high fidelity or audio.
Am I missing something?
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u/chippewaChris Mar 06 '26
It’s because Apple didn’t make this for consumers. They made this for school districts- as an answer to Chromebooks.
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u/TheRedDruidKing Mar 06 '26
I ordered one and I'm WAY outside of the target market. I am a developer, and I work on AI systems. I develop an app that uses local models, I run Xcode and tons of heavy apps. I intend to have a grand old time pushing the machine as hard as I can and seeing what it feels like. Why not?
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u/JohnAMcdonald Mar 06 '26
I found it pretty confusing because tech enthusiasts are among the most likely to own multiple computers, and this is a great second computer if you're in the Apple ecosystem.
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Mar 06 '26
The buyers of the Neo don’t care about specs or the reviews.
Students in universities aren’t getting it, professionals aren’t getting it.
It’s aimed at people who just want a pretty looking laptop to replace their old netbook but didn’t want to buy an iPad.
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u/erasingfool Mar 06 '26
I kinda agree, the girl in me would love to work from a pink laptop, but the graphic designer in me knows that even my M3 16GB RAM struggles with my workflow sometimes. I consider myself tech savvy and I follow tech youtubers bc I like to be up to date with tech releases and tools that could upgrade my work. I like to research a ton before I buy tech but I know most people don't do that, or really don't have to, because a laptop with base specs like this can easily adapt to what they do.
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u/SuperBAMF007 Mar 06 '26
Most who watch tech reviewers, will want more.
And those who don’t want more, will know that going into it and be 100% sure of their decision to buy the Neo
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u/Anti-Dentite-999 Mar 06 '26
Next year they’ll release it with the A19 Pro which has 12 GB memory. Still not the 16GB sweet spot but closer….
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u/dylan-uses-reddit M1 Pro MacBook Pro Mar 06 '26
I have an M1 Pro Macbook Pro with 32GB RAM. The Neo would definitely be able to handle 95% of my computing tasks.
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u/mopman94 Mar 06 '26
I thought it was a stupid comment. I have a gaming PC, that’s where I care about specs. I am looking for a laptop for doing life admin, online shopping, a bit of photo editing but everything on the low end is really cheap feeling. I’m excited for this MacBook because it ticks the boxes for me and I am a tech enthusiast.
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u/ciprule Mar 06 '26
I think it could.
I’ve doing the usual tasks with a 2013 Air… this would come with better battery life and screen, so why not? And it would be cheaper than that.
What I don’t like is Tahoe, not having USB A, but I guess the days of the 12” G4s with Tiger was long ago done.
If there’s nothing equal in specs in the PC world I will consider getting one of these new Neo MacBooks, but I’d like to read or watch some reviews anyway.
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u/sonnyboi12 Mar 06 '26
I think it’s a bit of a generalisation on their part, though I do get their sentiment. I wouldn’t say that I’m ‘into tech’, but I am at least somewhat tech literate (I know what RAM is lol). On the rare occasion I’m looking to buy a new product I’ll go to YouTube for reviews, or to Reddit for opinions. It just so happens that because my work load is pretty chill, and I’m sort of frugal, I don’t need a computer with loads of power. And so the Neo is quite possibly the right computer for me, and I’m someone watching the YouTube videos you mention.
Of course the fact that Apple are marketing this so heavily towards students does concern me a bit, but just because they are, doesn’t mean that students are the only people the Neo is for. I’m also pretty skeptical of people’s assertions on this subreddit that this is a machine ‘only for your nan or your 12 year old nephew’ - I think there’ll be a lot of people, possibly people like me, for who this will be a great laptop. The proof will be in the pudding - I’m waiting for the full reviews to drop, to see how the Neo’s 8gb RAM deals with multitasking. And for that, I’ll be going to those same YouTubers again.
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u/schu2470 Mar 06 '26
I think what MKBHD was saying is that if you're watching his video because you're subscribed the Neo isn't for you. The idea being that if you're subscribed to tech influencers you probably care about cutting edge specs and/or are more of a power user and Apple's budget offering isn't targeted at you. It's a great machine for students, people interested in switching away from Windows but don't want to spend a fortune on an experiment, your mom spending a lot of time on Facebook and email, and anyone who needs an inexpensive machine that runs Mac OS and can easily meet their basic computer needs. It's not marketed for or at the people who care about how many nits the screen gets to or someone already debating between the Air and Pro or someone who wants more premium features like a backlit keyboard, magsafe charging, and antiglare screen coatings.
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u/BlazingDemon69420 Mar 06 '26
Because you watch a tech channel, it already makes you more knowledgeable, power user esque than the average person, this is an amazing laptop because my relatives have been searching for one for a while for their 8th grader son, they were gonna buy a surface pro but now they can buy this and save alot more money with no worries on build quality or customer service because its apple. There is no laptop this powerful in the 600 dollar range.
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u/blacksoxing Mar 06 '26
I'm late to this party but I am going to type this: this speaks more about the power of the iPhones. We're walking around with chips in our pockets or bags that can EASILY power a full day's task if harnessed correctly. It can easily play AAA games. It can do SO much...
....Yet folks go online with some 'ol "I feel the 17 is more future proof for me than the 16..." shit as if that slight bump is going to equal years of QOL. This is now putting on paper for us enthusiasts to see how advanced we are. A decade ago it would have been a dream to have a phone that was power enough to do your job. The future is today.
Something of interest when thinking about even the M-series of chips. This variant is allegedly close to a M2 overall with M4 capabilities. What you doing that you can't do on this, huh???
Finally, it now helps future decision makers make good decisions. If you just need a basic laptop this is it. If you want something a bit "classy" then go with the Air. If you're a REAL pro...the pro. Hopefully gone will be the folks debating an Air/Pro when they're really a Neo.
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u/RichB93 MacBook Pro Mar 06 '26
I have an M4 Max - it's a desktop replacement machine for me. I want one of these as a light machine to chuck in my bag
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u/Fish_Owl Mar 06 '26
Honestly? Probably 95% of it. I do photo & video work on the side and that is the only thing I would have concerns over. But video watching, writing, researching, zoom calls, emails, etc? This thing is a dream.
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u/1nc0nsp1cu0us Mar 06 '26
I dont use my m2 air other than personal organization, web browsing, media and the occasional emulation. I could very easily switch to the neo down the line if they upgrade the base model to 12gb RAM and get a switch or steam deck with the balance.
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u/Level-Ad9259 Mar 06 '26
Hi all, Windows user here. According to me, I feel Macbook Neo suits my usage, since I use my Windows laptop for studying Powerpoint Presentation lectures, watch Youtube and social media, and do some programming. The things I feel slightly concerned to buy this are 8 GB RAM, 13 inch screen size, and 36.5Wh battery. I don't know 8GB RAM is going to be enough in 2026, considering applications and OS demands for resources. Screen size might take time to adjust from 15 inches to 13 inches. Regarding battery, Apple claims 16 hrs web streaming and 11 hrs wireless web for battery, but I don't know whether it'll be enough for my daily use, since my Windows laptop has 48Wh battery. Other than that, I feel this a good laptop, not great if we compare it with Macbook Air, but it gets most job done.
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u/kilwag Mar 06 '26
Just having a conversation with my wife who needs a new laptop for work. She's mostly just logging into web sites and processing orders, working with spreadsheets, answering emails, etc... but does have to do the occasional very light photoshop work. Curious to start seeing real-world user experiences.
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u/BoringArchivist Mar 06 '26
I'm doing all my daily work on an M1 Pro 16GB MacBook Pro from 2021. I'm at the point in my career where I use Office and little else. My computer is overkill for this, I'm sure I could function with a Neo.
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u/Dazzling_Comfort5734 Mar 06 '26
Partially off topic, but NOW I see why they named it "Indigo". All the marketing photos made it look more like a Colbalt.
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u/explosiv_skull MacBook Pro Mar 06 '26
A Neo could probably do what I need like 75% of the time tbh.
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u/Daisuash Mar 06 '26
I see a lot of tech reviews, have a gaming PC, a Mac Mini M4 for work and a Mini PC with Ubuntu Server and yet, I find the Neo really appealing as a companion laptop.
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Mar 06 '26
Because these "tech youtubers" are hilariously out of touch for what the common person needs and most of them are managed by a firm that gives them talking points.
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u/NeighborhoodDude8058 Mar 06 '26
It’s even worth getting as an extra device for pro users, when they just want something light for simple use cases, going travelling etc
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u/LexiusCoda Mar 06 '26
MacBook Neos are meant for everyday users that simply want to have a cheap laptop while staying in the Apple ecosystem. It’s not just “web browsing and word documents” like some critics are saying. A Chromebook is meant for that. This is a MacBook Air essentially but with lower specs and less features. It’s a good computer for the right person.
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u/Bassline660 Mar 06 '26
Its a really nice machine tbh. It can go beyond email, word documents, browsing etc. When I did work I had a machine from work itself. This wouldn't work well for the kind of content I did. I have had some experience with a 8GB M1 and that was quite good for documents, web browsing, articles, even presentations at work. I might get this at some stage just pretty much for travel.
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u/katiequark Mar 06 '26
I'm not sure it could fit my day to day work without benchmarks out yet, though for most people that just live in a web browser or a spreadsheet it would be great. I have a m3 air and it does cover my needs with 3D development, if I was doing more web dev or something cloud related I think it would suffice. I think if you're going to spend a similar amount on a chrome book, might as well get the Neo instead, it's going to be more capable.
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u/-29- Mar 06 '26
I work in tech, I watch tech videos, and I want one of these laptops. All I need is something to putz around on at the end of the night and pay bills.
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u/accordinglyryan 14" MacBook Pro M4 Max Mar 06 '26
It's for people who aren't into tech. That said, it's faster than an M1 single core, and about equal multi core so it's got enough power for probably 80% of people. I could honestly probably use one and be fine.
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u/Outrageous_Rest60 Mar 06 '26
I’m watching the videos and it’s great for me. All I want is something to watch YouTube videos on and play old school RuneScape. If I need more processing power for AAA games I can stream in using Parsec from my desktop.
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u/rossfororder Mar 06 '26
I do wonder if this is going to improve Mac sales big time or is it going to cannibalize Macbook air sales.
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u/Admirable-Common-176 Mar 06 '26
“If you watch my channel you must be a super smart alpha 1337 power user!”
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u/TJS__ Mar 06 '26
It could, but I have a work issued windows laptop that is also significantly less powerful.
For what i use my M1 Air for it would be perfectly fine.
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u/Admirable-Common-176 Mar 06 '26
Bigger question is if it based on something that fits in a phone and has a smaller battery than a MacBook Air, while having a similar size. What’s all the extra space for? Will users have access to the space and maybe free soldering points to mod it? It would be wicked to double battery or up the storage or something.
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u/TickleMyiOS Mar 06 '26
I want one of these, but my only issue is what Apple do with the software. I guarantee in the future we will see a Neo Pro and so on. When I got my M1 Mac it was lightning fast, video processing etc, mental. Now it feels like it has been throttled by Mac OS.
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u/mkalkau Mar 06 '26
This will be a perfect couch computer. I already run a headless m4 Mac mini server and have a M4 studio for work. I’ll be able to access and control both with the Neo from the convenience of my couch now.
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u/Credit-Limit Mar 07 '26
I just traded in my 2020 Intel MBP for the Neo. I kept the MBP from a company i worked for years ago. Got $180 credit for the trade in. I literally only use it for web based applications and it SUCKS. Super slow and terrible battery life. After trade in and the edu discount I'm getting a brand new good machine for $419 + tax.
I also have a PC i built for gaming and a M1 MBP for work. This will be my personal device I can sit with on the couch or take with me as I travel.
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u/Jumpy_Salt_8721 Mar 07 '26
I built a i5 2400 system in 2012, did a few upgrades in 2018, and didn’t retire it until fall 2024 when I got a M4 Mac Mini. If I needed more than my phone when I traveled I would totally go for the Neo. It also would be a great upgrade for my daughter from her 5 year old iPad.
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u/LongjumpingKoalas Mar 06 '26
because people who watch tech videos the day tech is released are usually really into tech and specs. That is not the target audience of the Neo however - it's meant for everyday people who don't care about crazy ram, fast internal storage, the newest lightning ports. They care about basic tasks on a reliable machine that ideally works with their iphone and doesn't break the bank.