In summary:
- Macworld examines the MacBook Neo launch at $599 ($499 for students), defending it against misleading online criticisms claiming it’s underpowered and overpriced.
- Tech influencers are making false comparisons with Windows laptops, using incorrect pricing and outdated models like ASUS Zenbook A14 to generate engagement.
- The MacBook Neo targets students and budget users with superior design, 1080p webcam, and audio over raw specs like its 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Before Apple unveiled the MacBook Neo on Wednesday, the consensus online was that it would cost too much. Following the shuffling of the MacBook Air lineup on Tuesday, it became clear that the Neo would slide under the Air’s previous $999 slot, maybe $700, but probably $800. It was already declared DOA.
Apple instead released a $599 laptop ($499 for students) with 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, Magic Keyboard, multi-touch trackpad, 1080p webcam, Spatial Audio speakers, and a gorgeous aluminum design. It comes in colors we haven’t seen on a Mac in decades and is aimed at people who are otherwise comfortable using a budget Chromebook or Windows PC. Apple is going to sell a ton of them, and the people who buy one are probably going to love it.
But to read through social media feeds since the announcement, you’d think Apple was charging $1,299 for an entry-level iPad. Scroll through the timeline on your social network of choice, and you’ll read all kinds of advice from experts proclaiming that the MacBook Neo is underpowered, overpriced, and underwhelming compared to similarly priced Windows laptops.
It’s all lies.
MacBook misinformation
This post from Sankew on X sums up the general criticism of the MacBook Neo:
I’ve read countless posts suggesting that getting an older Air is a better option. It’s terrible advice for someone looking for a budget MacBook. For one, any M2 or M3 Air is likely to be refurbished, and any M4 you find will be several hundred dollars more than the Neo.
Mind you, the M2 MacBook Air is the same machine people criticized for starting at $1,099 with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. And now tech influencers are recommending buying one four years later because they don’t want to admit that the MacBook Neo got everything right.
Would Neo be a better machine with an A19 Pro with 12GB of RAM and a P3 display? Of course, but that’s not what the MacBook Neo is and not who it’s made for. And the tech bros on X and other platforms advising people to buy something else are simply spreading misinformation.
There are real reasons to criticize the MacBook Neo. Tying Touch ID to the $699 model effectively forces people to compromise on security. The trackpad misses out on Quick Look and other Force Touch features. It’s the first MacBook since 2011 that doesn’t feature a backlit keyboard. The Indigo color should be brighter.
But instead of appreciating the MacBook Neo for what it is, social media is filled with terrible advice:
Foundry
Any used M-series MacBook Air you can find in this price range will still have 256GB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and a 13-inch display, and it won’t be under Apple’s warranty anymore. You won’t be able to get AppleCare, and it’ll likely stop getting updates a year or two before the Neo. It might be scratched and dented. It’s a lie—there isn’t a used $600 MacBook Air on the planet that will be better than a Neo.
Looking through the wrong Windows
The MacBook Neo is obviously targeted at Windows and Chromebook users, particularly students. Apple has built a machine with low-end specs that performs well enough, but stands out for its design, camera, speakers, and display. There are plenty of similarly priced PCs to compare against the Neo, but few of the comparisons will be flattering. Still, you’ll find them all over your feeds.
Take Windows Latest, which has 50,000 followers and nearly 500,000 views on the following tweet:
It sounds like a well-researched, informed takedown of the MacBook Neo. They argue that there are Windows laptops, specifically the ASUS Zenbook A14 and Galaxy Book4 Edge, with twice the RAM, better displays, more storage, and more ports for the same price. The only problem is it’s completely false—the A14 retails for $999, while the Galaxy Book 4 in question is a year old and still $900 on clearance.
Here’s another one, posted as a quote-reply to a post about an HP laptop from an Apple account:
This machine with “more RAM, more storage, larger screen, touch screen, more pixels, numpad, more ports” is actually one of the best-selling Windows PCs at the MacBook Neo’s price range. It’s such a valid comparison; there was a similar one on hand at Apple’s experience event in New York. But it wasn’t to test performance; it was to show off Neo’s design, display, webcam, and audio advantages.
Yes, 16GB of RAM is more than 8GB. Yes, 15.6 inches is bigger than 13 inches. But Apple didn’t build the MacBook Neo to compete spec-for-spec. The fact is, Windows laptops have had better specs than their MacBook counterparts forever. 32GB of RAM standard, 4K displays, and discrete graphics. The same influencers calling out specs on social media understand this, but they’re choosing to bend the truth for engagement.
Take the bait
If you were considering buying a MacBook Neo until you saw one of these posts, then it’s almost definitely the right machine for you. It wasn’t made for influencers. It’s an affordable MacBook built from the ground up for K-12 students, college kids, grandparents, and anyone who doesn’t know USB 2.0 from USB 3.2.
Apple got it right. And anyone who starts breaking down specs and ports to convince you otherwise is wrong. Or just lying.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.