The most interesting product Apple announced this week was its cheapest and least powerful laptop, the MacBook Neo. It’s just fascinating to see the company tackle an entirely new category — it’s not a premium ultraportable like the MacBook Air, and it’s not a computing powerhouse like the MacBook Pro. It’s simply an affordable $599 laptop. And after spending some time with it at Apple’s spring launch event today, I’m convinced it’s going to be a huge hit for the company.
For a $599 system, the MacBook Neo doesn’t look or feel like a budget machine. Its colorful aluminum case looks even more attractive than the MacBook Air and Pro’s, and at 2.7 pounds (the same as the Air), it’s easy to carry. I need to spend more time with its 13-inch screen, but at first glance it looks pretty vibrant as well. In a direct comparison with a similarly-priced HP laptop, the Neo looks far brighter and colorful. HP’s dim budget screen makes daytime photos look dull, whereas the Neo’s screen captures the essence of sunshine.
Similarly, the Neo blew the HP laptop’s speakers away while playing movie trailers. HP’s speakers sound terribly tinny and awful, not the sort of thing you’d ever want to use. The Neo’s speakers made dialog sound crisp and clear, and the rest of the trailer’s audio sounded pretty detailed as well. There’s certainly not as much depth as the MacBook Air and Pro’s upward firing speakers, but the Neo’s setup is certainly better than any budget PC I’ve heard.
As for gaming, the MacBook Neo was able to play the upcoming Oceanhorn 3 smoothly, without any discernible slowdown or stutter. But again, it still looked better than any cheap PC I’ve come across.
It’s a shame Apple didn’t include a MagSafe charging port, but hey, at least the headphone jack is still around. And for many people, two USB-C ports should be plenty. Just keep in mind only one of those is USB-C 3 (DisplayPort, charging and speeds up to 10Gb/s) and the other is USB-C 2 (charging and speeds up to up to 480Mb/s).
The downsides to the MacBook Neo became more apparent as I used it. Its keyboard feels a bit flimsy — it’s almost reminiscent of the old-school butterfly keyboards (though I’m told its mechanism is based on the Air’s). Apple has also color matched the Neo’s keys to its case’s color, though we noticed that doesn’t look as bold in person as it does in Apple’s render. And while the Neo’s touchpad feels smooth and responsive, it lacks the sturdiness from the company’s more expensive haptic touchpads. Apple deserves credit for making a mechanical trackpad that can be clicked anywhere, though, as most budget PC trackpads are only clickable along their lower thirds.
Apple MacBook Neo from the side (Devindra Hardawar for Engadget)
The starting specs are another issue: For $599, the MacBook Neo comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Bumping up to $699 gets you 512GB of storage and a Touch ID button, but you’re still stuck with 8GB of RAM. For a basic productivity machine, I suppose 8GB of RAM can work. But when coupled with the slower performance of the A18 Pro mobile chip, it’s unclear if the MacBook Neo will hold up over time.
At the very least, the MacBook Neo serves an important role as Apple’s cheapest laptop. It’s an inexpensive way to bring people into the world of macOS, and it could be a great option for schools that want something a bit more sturdy than your average Chromebook.
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