I held off on the MacBook Neo. I hope the next one fixes these 5 papercuts before I plonk cash
The author considered purchasing the MacBook Neo but decided to wait for a future model, citing several compromises that detract from the traditional MacBook experience despite the device's strong performance and low price. While the MacBook Neo offers efficient silicon, solid battery life, and a competitive $599 price tag, certain cutbacks raised concerns about long-term usability. The author hopes Apple addresses these issues in the next version to better align with user expectations for the MacBook brand.
- ▪The MacBook Neo is priced at $599, with an education discount bringing it down to $499.
- ▪It features an Apple A18 Pro chip, 8GB of non-upgradeable RAM, and a 13-inch Liquid Retina display.
- ▪The device includes only two USB-C ports, one of which is limited to USB 2 speeds.
- ▪The author tested the MacBook Neo for several days but chose not to purchase due to missing features.
- ▪Apple may use the A19 Pro chip in future models to improve performance.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The MacBook Neo stopped me in my tracks, not because it’s a beautiful piece of tech that appeals to the enthusiast inside me. It’s the overall pitch that Apple puts on the table — aluminum build, efficient silicon, and great battery life — all at an implausible price tag of $599. I wanted to experience it, and I almost bought it a couple of weeks ago. But I didn’t. And it wasn’t because Neo is a bad machine. I got to experience the device for a couple of days (thanks to my friend who splurged his money on it), and the more I dug into what Apple had left out to hit the astonishingly low price, the more I felt like pushing my purchase until the Neo gets better. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends 5 things I want the next MacBook Neo to fix Because here’s the thing: I get most of the trade-offs.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Digital Trends.
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