Ridealong has curated the best and most interesting podcasts and clips about MacBook Neo.
Top Podcast Clips About MacBook Neo
“… life my Power Mac 9600 350 which is a long time ago That was an amazing computer but yeah that was the last time you were in that market Yeah I been MacBook as my desktop I think ever since And you were obviously different, but I remember, but I'm excited by Power Macs and Mac Pro hardware. Just knew that they weren't really for me. And I remember being excited about the Trashcan Mac Pro. I was like, wow, that's a cool idea. Yeah, it was. I was excited about it, too. They tried something new. Yeah, and I guess the argument is if you don't occasionally have a dud of an idea, hopefully not like a …”“I don't know about you. And I was already not in the market. I haven't bought a Pro Mac desktop since... I think I only ever bought one in my life my Power Mac 9600 350 which is a long time ago That was an amazing computer but yeah that was the last time you were in that market Yeah I been MacBook as my desktop I think ever since And you were obviously different, but I remember, but I'm excited by Power Macs and Mac Pro hardware. Just knew that they weren't really for me. And I remember being excited about the Trashcan Mac Pro. I was like, wow, that's a cool idea. Yeah, it was. I was excited about it, too. They tried something new. Yeah, and I guess the argument is if you don't occasionally have a dud of an idea, hopefully not like a severe dud, but like, let's backtrack. And, you know, there was only one fat Nano, right? It's like, well, all right, let's backtrack and go back to the other. One buttonless shuffle. Let's, all right, forget about the one. Yeah, but didn't they try to say it had no buttons? I forget. Yeah, no, I said they did the one buttonless shuffle. Oh, okay, …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's current approach under Tim Cook lacks the exciting, rebellious spirit that defined the company during Steve Jobs' era. While the company remains incredibly successful, there's a sense that they're playing it safe rather than taking bold risks, as seen in their product launches and development timelines. This shift raises questions about the future of innovation at Apple and whether they can recapture the creative spark that once made them a trailblazer in tech.
The Talk Show With John Gruber·445: ‘Apple at 50’, With John Siracusa·Apr 01, 2026
“… computing that we have access to. I wrote a whole article about this. You have access to the greatest computing in the entire world from the MacBook Neo. Yes, the cloud computing. I will just mention, I want to go down a little bit of memory lane of my experience with the Mac Pro. And I was working in a place where our use case was we had to ingest two streams of HD video, recording both streams in sync, video and audio, and be able to play back those two channels of video and audio in real time. So we needed a computer that had four video channels, two in and two out, and a computer powerful …”“… It's just not, there's not because anybody who like training LLM models is not a thing you need to be doing locally. Right? Like there's, there is a really good resource for that. It's called infinity in the cloud, right? Like it's like the most powerful computing that we have access to. I wrote a whole article about this. You have access to the greatest computing in the entire world from the MacBook Neo. Yes, the cloud computing. I will just mention, I want to go down a little bit of memory lane of my experience with the Mac Pro. And I was working in a place where our use case was we had to ingest two streams of HD video, recording both streams in sync, video and audio, and be able to play back those two channels of video and audio in real time. So we needed a computer that had four video channels, two in and two out, and a computer powerful enough to do that. Now, sure, the Mac Studio today would be powerful enough to do that. Like it has the horsepower to do it. But what I'm showing right now, and I will put a link in the show notes, even if it's not chapter artwork. And if you see the domain Oak tree pixels, just know it's mine. I'm hosting the pictures. I'm putting those on my cloud …”View more
Ridealong summary
The Mac Pro was a powerhouse for specialized tasks, like ingesting and recording HD video in real time, making it a crucial tool for professionals. In contrast, while the newer Mac Studio can handle similar tasks, it lacks the reliability and convenience of the Mac Pro's PCI card slots. This is a nostalgic look back at how the Mac Pro excelled in demanding environments before its discontinuation.
Primary Technology·Apple’s Legacy and Future After 50 Years, Mac Pro is Dead, Claude Code Leak·Apr 02, 2026
“… list of vintage and obsolete hardware. A piece from MacRumors says Apple has put the third-generation Wi-Fi-only iPad Air and the 13-inch 2017 MacBook Air on the vintage rack. Generally speaking, vintage devices are those that have been off the market for more than five years, but less than seven. While Apple and its authorized service providers will service those machines in theory, such service is dependent on parts availability, so go gentle just in case. As for obsolete devices, the piece says the iPad Mini 4 and 32GB Apple TV HD have taken the long walk. Off the market for seven years or …”“… Cupertino company is said to be issuing refunds for folks in that situation. The ones with the adjustable stand stay the same price. Is. It's $3,299 for the regular glass plus a stand. Nanotexture plus stand stays. $35.99. Additions this week to Apple's list of vintage and obsolete hardware. A piece from MacRumors says Apple has put the third-generation Wi-Fi-only iPad Air and the 13-inch 2017 MacBook Air on the vintage rack. Generally speaking, vintage devices are those that have been off the market for more than five years, but less than seven. While Apple and its authorized service providers will service those machines in theory, such service is dependent on parts availability, so go gentle just in case. As for obsolete devices, the piece says the iPad Mini 4 and 32GB Apple TV HD have taken the long walk. Off the market for seven years or more, neither Apple nor its service providers will service or repair obsolete machines, so go extra gentle with those.”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple has officially added several devices to its vintage and obsolete hardware lists, including the third-generation iPad Air and the 2017 MacBook Air. Vintage devices may still receive service depending on parts availability, while obsolete devices like the iPad Mini 4 will no longer be serviced at all. If you own one of these devices, handle them with care to avoid costly repairs.
Mac OS Ken·Security Updates and Tim's 50 Year Memo - MOSK: 04.02.2026·Apr 02, 2026
“… about all of those use RAM and NAND. That'll hurt PC makers, which will practically be required to raise their prices. And they will also be hurt by MacBook Neo. Not only does Apple have leverage and buying power in the supply chain, the piece says the Neo's own architecture stands it in good stead. MacBook Neo uses 8GB of RAM to a Microsoft-mandated 16GB for Windows machines. Additionally, MacBook Neo's unified memory means it can more efficiently use the RAM that it does have, according to Engadget. efficiency and buying power aside ramnarock will hit apple in the form of higher prices same as it's …”“… that it would end its consumer-facing business to focus on providing RAM and other components to AI customers. Engadget had the CEO of SK Hynix saying recently that memory shortages could last until 2030. That'll hurt consumer electronics since just about all of those use RAM and NAND. That'll hurt PC makers, which will practically be required to raise their prices. And they will also be hurt by MacBook Neo. Not only does Apple have leverage and buying power in the supply chain, the piece says the Neo's own architecture stands it in good stead. MacBook Neo uses 8GB of RAM to a Microsoft-mandated 16GB for Windows machines. Additionally, MacBook Neo's unified memory means it can more efficiently use the RAM that it does have, according to Engadget. efficiency and buying power aside ramnarock will hit apple in the form of higher prices same as it's hitting everybody else but apple can take the hit iphone just had its best quarter ever services keep scaling new heights the way engadget sees it it's time for apple to play hard offense Moving forward, the site argues that Apple should do everything it can to maintain and maybe even lower the price of its computers to a point where its competitors …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's MacBook Neo is poised to disrupt the PC market, leveraging its unique architecture and supply chain advantages. With major memory chip shortages affecting competitors, Apple could maintain lower prices while outperforming rivals like Lenovo and HP. This strategic move could shift consumer preferences toward Mac computers, setting a new standard in the industry.
Mac OS Ken·A Threat Against Apple, Laptop Talk, and Apple at 50 - MOSK: 04.01.2026·Apr 01, 2026
“… yesterday yeah you know the mac pro even the at every end of the spectrum it was bad right it was you know There were no mobile chips. The one port MacBook was incredibly slow with the Atom processor. They got the thermals. They optimized for thermals. It was Intel's M-series chips, and they were awful. And they put that in the Retina MacBook Air, which I bought for my mom, and I'd hoped they'd kind of fix things. She'd had like a 2010, 2011 MacBook Pro, and I got her the Retina MacBook Air, and that was an awful machine. I got her an M3 MacBook Air for Christmas last year. And I bet I bet I …”“… few years of intel max everybody was like hey this sucks you know like these things are hot these things are aren't getting updated on a regular basis you know there was i if we can talk about the mac pro being discontinued yesterday quickly yeah yesterday yeah you know the mac pro even the at every end of the spectrum it was bad right it was you know There were no mobile chips. The one port MacBook was incredibly slow with the Atom processor. They got the thermals. They optimized for thermals. It was Intel's M-series chips, and they were awful. And they put that in the Retina MacBook Air, which I bought for my mom, and I'd hoped they'd kind of fix things. She'd had like a 2010, 2011 MacBook Pro, and I got her the Retina MacBook Air, and that was an awful machine. I got her an M3 MacBook Air for Christmas last year. And I bet I bet I almost like felt like apologizing. Like, I'm very sorry that I, you know, bought you this $1,500 laptop, you know, that looks beautiful, but was not a good performer. Yeah And I think that it a mix of the different places Apple was at and wanting to it like that old adage that you should measure twice cut once When they clearly could have moved the Mac …”View more
Ridealong summary
The discontinuation of the Mac Pro is a strategic move by Apple, reflecting a shift towards more efficient and capable alternatives like the Mac Studio, which better serve professional needs.
Apple's decision to discontinue the Mac Pro is a strategic move that reflects a shift towards more efficient and powerful alternatives like the Mac Studio, despite the nostalgia for the Mac Pro name.
Apple's discontinuation of the Mac Pro reflects a broader neglect of professional users in favor of consumer products, leaving high-end users with subpar options.
Apple's decision to discontinue the Mac Pro highlights years of missteps and underperformance during the Intel era, suggesting a delayed transition to Apple Silicon that could have happened much earlier.
The discontinuation of the Mac Pro is a strategic decision reflecting the strength and evolution of Apple's current hardware lineup, particularly with the success of the Mac Studio and Mac Mini.
The Talk Show With John Gruber·444: ‘You’re Going to Have the Niggles’, With Christina Warren·Mar 29, 2026
“… you know um pull up like a definition or something like that um and yeah you don't i guess like the screen is bezel they're a little thicker than macbook air but like other and you get like eight gigs of unified memory instead of like you know 16 gigs uh on the macbook air but like i think people have done their testing and realized that like it's not a one-to-one comparison and i've been saying this since like 2020 when the first m1 macbook air came out and apple didn't send us a review unit to test and so like we at the time i was working at input and we bought a base macbook air um with m1 …”“… usbc ports they're not thunderbolt um the trackpad is a what is it called haptic it's not magic try multi-touch trackpad multi-touch uh track so it's not haptic anymore so you don't get that pressure sensitive layer where you can press into it and like you know um pull up like a definition or something like that um and yeah you don't i guess like the screen is bezel they're a little thicker than macbook air but like other and you get like eight gigs of unified memory instead of like you know 16 gigs uh on the macbook air but like i think people have done their testing and realized that like it's not a one-to-one comparison and i've been saying this since like 2020 when the first m1 macbook air came out and apple didn't send us a review unit to test and so like we at the time i was working at input and we bought a base macbook air um with m1 chip and eight gigs of ram and so i used that for like you know several weeks and then wrote my review um and so i knew firsthand You can go back in my review, and I did, just to see what it wrote, I did all these Final Cut export tests, and I did all these things, and I was like, this is still somehow still picking so much as. It's crushing a …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's AI and Siri upgrades need to demonstrate real innovation and functionality to impress, as past efforts have been underwhelming.
Apple's AI and Siri upgrades need to demonstrate real functionality to impress, as past iterations have been underwhelming.
Apple's focus on function over form is a strategic shift to offer more value, but their AI initiatives, like Siri, need significant improvement to impress.
Apple's AI advancements, particularly with Siri, are met with skepticism as past efforts have failed to impress, and significant improvements are necessary to change perceptions.
Apple's shift towards more functional products is seen as a positive move, but skepticism remains about the impact of Siri updates and the discontinuation of the Mac Pro.
Apple Bitz XL w/ Brian Tong·The Mac Pro Is Dead & WWDC26 Is Official So What Does Apple Need To Do ? (Apple Bitz XL, Ep. 372)·Mar 28, 2026
“Apparently, Tim Cook came out and said that the NEO has caused the largest jump in first time MacBook ownership that Apple has ever seen. Turns out price is important. one yeah one thing i i will point out and i i will give a a tip of the hat to the person who pointed this out to me is that the macbook neo uh very relevant to this conversation but does not have a glowing apple on the back it also does not have a backlit keyboard correct if that's important to you um and i i learned that on saturday because uh our dear friend john martellaro was …”“Apparently, Tim Cook came out and said that the NEO has caused the largest jump in first time MacBook ownership that Apple has ever seen. Turns out price is important. one yeah one thing i i will point out and i i will give a a tip of the hat to the person who pointed this out to me is that the macbook neo uh very relevant to this conversation but does not have a glowing apple on the back it also does not have a backlit keyboard correct if that's important to you um and i i learned that on saturday because uh our dear friend john martellaro was in the market to uh to perhaps buy a macbook neo and then said it was off his list when uh when he realized that that was uh that it did not have a backlit keyboard as many of you might know uh several days later we actually lost john modelero john um he he he actually was in fine health but you know he'd had some issues over the years as …”View more
Ridealong summary
John Martellaro, a brilliant mind behind the Apple II Space Shuttle lander simulator, recently passed away, leaving a legacy of laughter and innovation. His absence is felt deeply, as friends recall his intelligence and humor, highlighting how he made a lasting impact on those around him. In a bittersweet moment, they share memories that celebrate his life while acknowledging the void he leaves behind.
Mac Geek Gab·When the Internet Spits You Out – Mac Geek Gab 1135·Mar 30, 2026
“… the case. One thing I really do hope and look forward to seeing is like, I hope Apple does rev this thing every year. I mean, this is the worst MacBook and EO will ever have, right? I hope so. If the A19 Pro And it's got more memory and maybe both USB ports or 3.0 speed, whatever. But I do think there's also an opportunity here to use color as a feature, right? If we think of the reason some of us love this computer, I think, is because it reminds us of things like that first iBook or the iPod Nano, which got new colors every year for like six or seven years. like I would love to see this …”“… interesting that it's even hackable in that kind of sense. Or my kid, my kid's laptop burned their skin because it got too hot down there. He's like, yeah, maybe not. Maybe it's good enough. That's not going to help your fleet sales to schools. if that's the case. One thing I really do hope and look forward to seeing is like, I hope Apple does rev this thing every year. I mean, this is the worst MacBook and EO will ever have, right? I hope so. If the A19 Pro And it's got more memory and maybe both USB ports or 3.0 speed, whatever. But I do think there's also an opportunity here to use color as a feature, right? If we think of the reason some of us love this computer, I think, is because it reminds us of things like that first iBook or the iPod Nano, which got new colors every year for like six or seven years. like I would love to see this thing come out with an updated processor and new colors a year from now. Not because this one isn't good. It's great. But Apple, I want Apple to be committed to this, just like we've seen with the iPhone 16E and 17E. Right. It's not like the old iPhone SE that just languished for years. It's like, well, when is when is there going to be another one? …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's MacBook Neo is poised for exciting updates, potentially featuring annual redesigns and vibrant colors reminiscent of the iPod Nano. This approach could keep the product fresh and appealing, much like the iPhone's successful refresh strategy. With the promise of improved performance and aesthetics, the Neo could redefine Apple's laptop lineup.
MacBreak Weekly (Audio)·MBW 1017: We Found a Google, and Put it in - WWDC 2026 Dates Announced!·Mar 24, 2026
Ridealong summary
I'm testing whether I can fully trust AI to manage my social media while I focus on other things. This experiment with my MacBook Neo aims to explore the balance between automation and personal engagement in a world dominated by machines. The journey to trusting an AI agent with my online presence could redefine how I interact with social platforms.
The Vergecast·Meta's court losses could be just the beginning·Mar 27, 2026
“… a year. That's an insane amount of phones. And they sell around and it been pretty steady around 23 million Macs The vast majority of those are MacBooks right Yeah And that like its 10 to 1 ratio Right. If it's very, very possible that Apple will more than double their share of how many Macs they sell a year by being in this completely different price band, especially as everything else is getting a price hike. Everything in Windows laptop land is getting more expensive because of all the RAM shortages and chip shortages and everything. So if a year or two from now, Apple is selling 100 …”“… what's going to be exciting to watch with the NeoTrend is Apple sells, they don't give the numbers, but people do their analysis. And the best ones I could find, say Apple sells between 230 and 250 million iPhones a year. A quarter of a billion iPhones a year. That's an insane amount of phones. And they sell around and it been pretty steady around 23 million Macs The vast majority of those are MacBooks right Yeah And that like its 10 to 1 ratio Right. If it's very, very possible that Apple will more than double their share of how many Macs they sell a year by being in this completely different price band, especially as everything else is getting a price hike. Everything in Windows laptop land is getting more expensive because of all the RAM shortages and chip shortages and everything. So if a year or two from now, Apple is selling 100 million Macs a year because they're in this price band where most laptops are sold, most laptops are sold well under $1,000 in the world. that's going to really change how much emphasis the company puts on the Mac and Mac OS and everything else. We may all be the beneficiary of the MacBook Neo, even if we don't want one, just because it's going to make …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo could double Apple's annual Mac sales by tapping into a new price band, attracting customers previously priced out of Apple laptops. With most laptops sold under $1,000, this shift could prompt Apple to focus more on the Mac ecosystem, benefiting all users. If successful, we may see Apple invest more in Mac technology, similar to how they prioritize the iPhone.
Macworld Podcast·Episode 975: Reviews of the M5 Max MacBook Pro and M5 MacBook Air·Mar 18, 2026
“They had the MacBook Neo next to a $600, like, Windows machine. And, dude, the difference in just, like, the look. The look of the laptops, one was made of, like, that black plastic that IBM ThinkPads were made out of. It was creaky. It looked like the panel was, like, was going to, like, fall apart. And then you have the MacBook Neo, which looks like any other high-quality Mac. You know, like, if you took somebody who didn't know what they each were, it's kind of like …”“They had the MacBook Neo next to a $600, like, Windows machine. And, dude, the difference in just, like, the look. The look of the laptops, one was made of, like, that black plastic that IBM ThinkPads were made out of. It was creaky. It looked like the panel was, like, was going to, like, fall apart. And then you have the MacBook Neo, which looks like any other high-quality Mac. You know, like, if you took somebody who didn't know what they each were, it's kind of like the iPad situation. Like you don't really know, oh, this is a $600 laptop and this one's a $2,500 laptop. They look and feel the same, you know. And that's, I think, what the superpower is. It's just like how much value you're getting at the price point and then the new standard that Apple's setting at $600.”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo outshines a $600 Windows laptop in both aesthetics and build quality, setting a new benchmark for budget devices. While the Windows machine feels cheap and creaky, the MacBook Neo maintains a sleek, high-quality design that could easily be mistaken for a premium product. This comparison highlights the immense value Apple brings to the table at an affordable price point.
9to5Mac Overtime·9to5Mac Overtime 063: The new standard·Mar 17, 2026
“… recently, and now some initial reviews are out. Now that we're recording, they announced the iPhone 17e, the iPad Air with M4, m5 pro and max macbook pro the studio display and studio display xdr and the macbook neo so a ton of devices all came out i did buy a couple uh did anything attempt you from these announcements david not really i it's just you know they're just not really in my wheelhouse i you know i know a lot of my nerd friends are buying neos as experiments but uh i number one i guess i'm too cheap but i i don't need it and i i don't think i could add anything to the conversation …”“I do have some more powerful automations we're going to talk about with Finder and Hazel and some other things and shortcuts in a bit. But Apple had some huge announcements recently, and now some initial reviews are out. Now that we're recording, they announced the iPhone 17e, the iPad Air with M4, m5 pro and max macbook pro the studio display and studio display xdr and the macbook neo so a ton of devices all came out i did buy a couple uh did anything attempt you from these announcements david not really i it's just you know they're just not really in my wheelhouse i you know i know a lot of my nerd friends are buying neos as experiments but uh i number one i guess i'm too cheap but i i don't need it and i i don't think i could add anything to the conversation that isn't going to get added anyway but the uh but i do think the neo is the big announcement we talked about it a little bit after sean it was really actually the day before that neo got released so um what are your general thoughts on the neo so i i got one to experiment and as we record it's arriving tomorrow but all the videos that I've been …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's new MacBook Neo is surprisingly powerful for its price, running demanding software like Final Cut and DaVinci Resolve efficiently. With an entry-level price of $500, it's perfect for students and enthusiasts looking to step into video editing without breaking the bank. This marks a significant shift for Apple, making high-performance computing accessible to a broader audience.
Mac Power Users·840: Finder is More Powerful Than You Think·Mar 15, 2026
“… doing some vertical stacking of dyes, which I didn't quite understand, but that's cool. I don't think we have to get into that here, but the but the MacBook Neo is the actual interesting new product line. Yeah. The, the top line on that is that it's a $600, um, uh, MacBook, small MacBook running, uh, an a 18 pro, which is last year's iPhone pro chip. Yeah. Um, like insane that we're at the point where a phone processor can now run a laptop, but I mean, we've been trying to people and try it for more than a decade. It just is kind of always sucked fair. Um,”“… of it, but there's only one actually new thing. I mean, they announced like M5 Pro laptops, but that's just iterative. I mean, there's some interesting stuff with the way they're designing their SoCs now for those, but I don't think we need, they're doing some vertical stacking of dyes, which I didn't quite understand, but that's cool. I don't think we have to get into that here, but the but the MacBook Neo is the actual interesting new product line. Yeah. The, the top line on that is that it's a $600, um, uh, MacBook, small MacBook running, uh, an a 18 pro, which is last year's iPhone pro chip. Yeah. Um, like insane that we're at the point where a phone processor can now run a laptop, but I mean, we've been trying to people and try it for more than a decade. It just is kind of always sucked fair. Um,”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's new MacBook Neo features a shocking price point of $600, powered by last year's iPhone Pro chip, the A18 Pro. This marks a significant evolution where a phone processor is now capable of running a laptop, challenging the notion of performance in portable devices. Such advancements raise questions about the future of computing and the merging of mobile and desktop technology.
Brad & Will Made a Tech Pod.·330: Our E-Cores Are Better Than Your P-Cores·Mar 15, 2026
“… here we have to talk about war on paramount for the rest of my life apparently thank you david ellison um but yeah we should we should get to the macbook neo because um the the computer is out our review is out antonio de benedetto reviewed it for us the reaction to this thing i would say has been pretty universally like rapturous this computer appears to have accomplished exactly the thing Apple intended it to accomplish, and maybe even more so. Have you been as surprised by the positivity around this thing as I have? Not really. I think what I'm more intrigued by is the positivity around the sense …”“… steal every movie that you make using warner brothers discover 100 100 it's just gonna happen um we'll come back around we we're warner brothers going to make an appearance during the lightning round i believe because you're back and whenever you're here we have to talk about war on paramount for the rest of my life apparently thank you david ellison um but yeah we should we should get to the macbook neo because um the the computer is out our review is out antonio de benedetto reviewed it for us the reaction to this thing i would say has been pretty universally like rapturous this computer appears to have accomplished exactly the thing Apple intended it to accomplish, and maybe even more so. Have you been as surprised by the positivity around this thing as I have? Not really. I think what I'm more intrigued by is the positivity around the sense that Apple is having a good time for the first time in years. Like when you, when you open the box for the Neo, it has the little tab that says hello on it. And that like the classic Mac font, like Apple has not been playful in a long time. Like truly has not, uh, their TikTok account is bananas, like literally pictures of bananas. Right. Do you …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's MacBook Neo has garnered overwhelmingly positive reactions, marking a playful revival for the brand. Priced at $599, it combines an iPhone chip with a colorful design, appealing to users who understand its intended purpose. This shift in Apple's vibe is a refreshing change, showcasing their ability to blend fun with functionality.
The Vergecast·The MacBook Neo is a winner·Mar 13, 2026
“When Apple made repairs for MacBook Neo significantly less expensive with Apple Care Plus versus repairs for other Macs with Apple Care Plus, I really thought it was part of the company's play for the more budget-minded consumer. Make repairs cheaper, so they'll go ahead and sign up. Turns out MacBook Neo is actually significantly easier to repair than other Macs. Mac Rumors has written up a teardown by Australian YouTube repair channel Tech Renew. standard screws less glue zero tape …”“When Apple made repairs for MacBook Neo significantly less expensive with Apple Care Plus versus repairs for other Macs with Apple Care Plus, I really thought it was part of the company's play for the more budget-minded consumer. Make repairs cheaper, so they'll go ahead and sign up. Turns out MacBook Neo is actually significantly easier to repair than other Macs. Mac Rumors has written up a teardown by Australian YouTube repair channel Tech Renew. standard screws less glue zero tape according to the piece a first from macbooks in memory the piece says the two usbc ports speakers and the headphone jack are all modular so the individual components can be swapped without replacing larger assemblies and while tech renewed didn't entirely disassemble the neo the piece says we already knew that the keyboard could be pulled out for …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's MacBook Neo is not only cheaper to repair but also significantly easier to fix than previous models. With modular components and a design that allows individual parts to be replaced, the Neo is a game-changer in repairability. Meanwhile, India's government is pushing for new manufacturing incentives, aiming to make the country a global electronics hub, aligning perfectly with Apple's strategy to reduce reliance on China.
Mac OS Ken·MacBook Neo Repairability + IDC on RAMnarök = MOSK: 03.13.2026·Mar 13, 2026
“… things like you know various electron apps and things like that so like apple does care a lot No one else does Yes the 8 gig RAM constraint in the MacBook Neo keeps macOS lean but macOS wasn your problem Your problem is everyone else, and they're going to do whatever they're going to do. And the best thing macOS can do is have really good swap and virtual memory support. And it does. MacOS can use a lot of memory, especially when things run away. But the real question is, and this was the question when the Neo came out when we were discussing it. if you're going to roll out a brand new computer in …”“… use all the ram in the world should we maybe put a second of effort into not duplicating this thing over here nope nope no one thinks that way at all no one pays attention not a single software developer ever cares about that kind of stuff when making things like you know various electron apps and things like that so like apple does care a lot No one else does Yes the 8 gig RAM constraint in the MacBook Neo keeps macOS lean but macOS wasn your problem Your problem is everyone else, and they're going to do whatever they're going to do. And the best thing macOS can do is have really good swap and virtual memory support. And it does. MacOS can use a lot of memory, especially when things run away. But the real question is, and this was the question when the Neo came out when we were discussing it. if you're going to roll out a brand new computer in 2026 with eight gigs of ram how long will mac os run on that computer because that's the question like i don't think their apple will feel constrained to keep mac os lean because they needed to run on the neo i think they'll decide based on wherever mac os is going how long the neo will be supported and i'm sure it'll be supported for years because …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo's 8GB RAM may soon limit its software support, raising questions about its longevity. As macOS evolves, the Neo risks being the first Mac to fall off the update list, especially compared to its contemporaries with more RAM. This could leave users stuck with outdated software while others thrive.
Accidental Tech Podcast·684: It’s Not What Young People Do·Mar 26, 2026
“it was noted that um the ssd speeds basically doubled because i guess they doubled the the bus width or whatever they did anyway the m5 macbook air benefits from that as well as does the m5 max and m5 pro macbook pro ssd speeds are just getting better and better so that's great peter pugliao writes uh with regard to john talking about the cost savings for the embossed apple logo on the macbook neo and the more expensive inlaid alternative peter writes i wonder if he was actually if john was actually thinking about the iphone 5 intro video where johnny ive explains how they used …”“it was noted that um the ssd speeds basically doubled because i guess they doubled the the bus width or whatever they did anyway the m5 macbook air benefits from that as well as does the m5 max and m5 pro macbook pro ssd speeds are just getting better and better so that's great peter pugliao writes uh with regard to john talking about the cost savings for the embossed apple logo on the macbook neo and the more expensive inlaid alternative peter writes i wonder if he was actually if john was actually thinking about the iphone 5 intro video where johnny ive explains how they used high-powered cameras to determine which glass cutouts best fit the inlay of the device body i did not remember this until i watched the video and either peter or john was kind enough to put a time stamp link in the show notes which we will put in our show notes um but yeah i do remember this having seen it and that is pretty bananas yeah that's the …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's design choices for the MacBook Neo reflect a balance between cost-saving measures and maintaining their signature precision in product aesthetics.
Accidental Tech Podcast·682: Medium Core·Mar 12, 2026
“… virtual display plus other windows and it's great because i can have a i can have a i can have an xdr display in front of my face you can have your macbook neo as an xdr display i have not tried that yet i'm curious actually if i could do that i mean i would not be able to it's got it's got an a18 pro which is It's essentially an M4. Well, let me try it. I'm curious. But it can what? What can it do? I don't know. I don't know. Do the ultra-wide? I don't know if the MacBook Neo can do the virtual ultra-wide display. I don't know. I don't know. Let me know. Test for next time. Let me do that right now. …”“… really really good it just looks like my face yeah did uh do you still like just read and research on it i use it as so i started out before the mac virtual display was good having like windows open and right but now i use it most frequently as mac virtual display plus other windows and it's great because i can have a i can have a i can have an xdr display in front of my face you can have your macbook neo as an xdr display i have not tried that yet i'm curious actually if i could do that i mean i would not be able to it's got it's got an a18 pro which is It's essentially an M4. Well, let me try it. I'm curious. But it can what? What can it do? I don't know. I don't know. Do the ultra-wide? I don't know if the MacBook Neo can do the virtual ultra-wide display. I don't know. I don't know. Let me know. Test for next time. Let me do that right now. Oh, yeah, go ahead. All right, last couple of things. I have a Samsung Galaxy S26, which we'll just talk about a little later. But Clay was very nice. Sent me a long screen recording of how he customizes and how he uses his Galaxy S26. And there were a lot of things I was not aware of, as you can imagine. So appreciated that. I'm, I'm keeping it …”View more
Ridealong summary
Rumors swirl that Apple is distributing MacBook Neos through a mysterious 'Creator Access Program,' but there's no evidence to support this claim. One Instagram creator's assertion has raised eyebrows, leading to questions about media literacy and the validity of such statements. Without confirmation from Apple or other creators, this speculation remains unverified and intriguing.
Primary Technology·Is Apple Giving Away MacBook Neos? iOS 26.4 Features, AI Generated Dead Actors is Too Far·Mar 19, 2026
“… M5 running a 30 billion parameter model capable of drafting legal briefs, debugging code, synthesizing research in under three seconds on a standard MacBook Pro. 18 gigabytes of memory, no internet, no subscription, no API key. The trick is an architectural advance called Mixture of Experts. The model carries 30 billion parameters, but fires only 3 billion per query. With 2.5 billion active devices prowling the planet, the journal P says Apple has already distributed its existing data center, one device at a time, into the pockets and onto the desks of a quarter of the world's connected population. …”“… Check your laptop, your desktop, and or your pocket. Edge AI is the answer. The journal piece sings the processing praises of last October M5 Apple Silicon with a neural accelerator in every GPU core The journal says Apple own benchmarks show the M5 running a 30 billion parameter model capable of drafting legal briefs, debugging code, synthesizing research in under three seconds on a standard MacBook Pro. 18 gigabytes of memory, no internet, no subscription, no API key. The trick is an architectural advance called Mixture of Experts. The model carries 30 billion parameters, but fires only 3 billion per query. With 2.5 billion active devices prowling the planet, the journal P says Apple has already distributed its existing data center, one device at a time, into the pockets and onto the desks of a quarter of the world's connected population. Again though, this seems to borrow heavily from Didier, who five days earlier posted Apple turned two billion devices into the data center. Every iPhone, Mac, iPad gets distributed AI at a scale no server farm can match, while its rivals burn cash, Apple, is doing the opposite. The thinking is our devices should be able to do a lot of what we want …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's strategic focus on edge AI and customer ownership positions it to lead in AI without massive infrastructure spending.
Apple's strategic focus on edge AI and customer ownership positions it to lead the AI revolution without the massive infrastructure spending of its rivals.
Apple's strategy of integrating AI capabilities directly into its devices positions it as a leader by leveraging its massive customer base rather than investing heavily in infrastructure.
Apple's strategic focus on edge AI and customer ownership positions it to lead in AI advancements without massive infrastructure spending.
Apple's strategic focus on edge AI and customer ownership positions it as a leader in the AI revolution, contrasting with rivals' heavy infrastructure spending.
Mac OS Ken·MacBook Neo News and Two Stories or One on Apple and A.I. - MOSK: 03.16.2026·Mar 16, 2026
“Apple Insider, the reviews are rolling out slowly. As we record, the MacBook Pro review went up, I believe. Yes, I was reading that. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty amazing. We're not going to get into it this week because we have plenty to talk about anyway. But needless to say, it's a MacBook Pro with better chips. It's faster. M5 Max is incredible. If there is an M5 Ultra, it's going to compete with the sun on how much power it can produce. So pretty exciting stuff. But let's look at the lower end first, the iPhone 17e. What did …”“Apple Insider, the reviews are rolling out slowly. As we record, the MacBook Pro review went up, I believe. Yes, I was reading that. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty amazing. We're not going to get into it this week because we have plenty to talk about anyway. But needless to say, it's a MacBook Pro with better chips. It's faster. M5 Max is incredible. If there is an M5 Ultra, it's going to compete with the sun on how much power it can produce. So pretty exciting stuff. But let's look at the lower end first, the iPhone 17e. What did you think of this iPhone now that it's been out in the wild a little bit. Well, I still haven't used one. I have been in Apple sources that came out and I know I won get much more from just trying it but I like to like the feel of it Like I came so close to ordering an iPhone Air until I went into the store and actually used it So I will go, I will …”View more
Ridealong summary
The iPhone 17e is a game-changer for everyday users, especially those upgrading from older models like the iPhone 14. With its affordable price and solid performance, it’s proving to be a hit, as seen when one user traded in their iPhone 13 for a great deal. This phone keeps essential features while simplifying the experience, making it ideal for those who just want a reliable device without the bells and whistles.
AppleInsider Podcast·AirPods Max, MacBook Neo, and Family Sharing on the AppleInsider Podcast·Mar 20, 2026
“… ways kind of out of the box without having to configure things to get started with that sort of stuff is to get a Mac Mini or a Mac Studio or even a MacBook Pro. GPUs are expensive and they can be more powerful, but for what a lot of tasks a lot of people want to do, what's great is, yeah, I think you're right. Like, Apple has maybe they're behind in terms of their own models, but the tooling for the things you can actually do within Mac OS is actually pretty robust because there so many people who love the hardware for other reasons and they like okay we wanna figure out how we can get the custom …”“… pretty powerful and you can get a lot out of them. And if you go to Hugging Face, which is like a great resource just to find people who've tuned local kind of customized AI models that you can run in a cloud or on your own machine, one of the best ways kind of out of the box without having to configure things to get started with that sort of stuff is to get a Mac Mini or a Mac Studio or even a MacBook Pro. GPUs are expensive and they can be more powerful, but for what a lot of tasks a lot of people want to do, what's great is, yeah, I think you're right. Like, Apple has maybe they're behind in terms of their own models, but the tooling for the things you can actually do within Mac OS is actually pretty robust because there so many people who love the hardware for other reasons and they like okay we wanna figure out how we can get the custom AI models to run on these things as well as possible. And so that's opened up a whole new world. Well, last night I was reading about a guy who got QEN 3.5, which is a Frontier model that was released, I think back in February, running on his MacBook, which is astonishing. And he said that he did it, he was able to do it partly because of the …”View more
Ridealong summary
A MacBook user successfully ran a complex AI model with 400 billion parameters, thanks to Apple Silicon's architecture. This innovative use of shared memory allows for astonishing speeds, feeding data at 17.5 gigabytes per second, opening up new possibilities for AI on consumer hardware. This achievement showcases Apple's potential in the AI landscape, despite perceptions of being behind competitors.
Cult of Mac·Surprise! AirPods Max 2 just dropped?·Mar 19, 2026
Ridealong summary
Apple's new MacBook Neo, priced at just $599, combines the power of an iPhone chip with Mac OS, making it a compelling option for travelers. With impressive features like Touch ID and dual side-firing speakers, it promises a great user experience and long battery life. This could redefine what we expect from budget laptops.
Diggnation (Rebooted)·Hard Truths: Layoffs, Bots, and What's Next for Digg·Mar 18, 2026
“… projects for each photo. That would be insane. And then Photomator is fine. But anyway, I just like Pixelmator and how this works. doing that on the macbook neo was not going to happen uh it just kind of slowed to a crawl editing one photo great but you know what william photomater on the macbook neo that is what i should be using i should probably not be using pixelmater pro on the macbook neo um but yes this device is uh really cool in the fact that i i bought a 14 inch macbook pro back in the day because i like the form factor yeah i like a good laptop i like a good clicky keyboard this thing was a …”“… files into a layered stack to edit them layer by layer and export them. I'm sure someone out there is going to tell me that's the wrong way to do it. That's how I do it. It's the wrong way to do it. I don't want to create individual edit files projects for each photo. That would be insane. And then Photomator is fine. But anyway, I just like Pixelmator and how this works. doing that on the macbook neo was not going to happen uh it just kind of slowed to a crawl editing one photo great but you know what william photomater on the macbook neo that is what i should be using i should probably not be using pixelmater pro on the macbook neo um but yes this device is uh really cool in the fact that i i bought a 14 inch macbook pro back in the day because i like the form factor yeah i like a good laptop i like a good clicky keyboard this thing was a good throwback to that it's a good typing experience um i really just i don't know i just got it got into the flow of going through the different settings and things downloading the updates i uh there's no touch id but i immediately clicked on the apple watch thing and i've been just using that without any issue yeah it's a neat little device i you …”View more
Ridealong summary
Editing photos on the MacBook Neo can be a frustrating experience, especially when compared to the simplicity of the iPad's export workflow. Users find the Mac's file management system cumbersome, leading to a preference for alternative devices despite the Neo's impressive performance. This highlights the ongoing debate about user experience across Apple's product lineup.
AppleInsider Podcast·MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e and special guest David Pogue on the AppleInsider Podcast·Mar 13, 2026
“can't a b it's almost like who could tell let's talk about the macbook neo i've heard of this thing yeah i i hear it's one of the pretty popular computer um i got uh two of them i so i i ordered uh the pink one first but for some whatever reason this wasn available for in pickup i only was able to have it delivered and of course my ups happens to run by my house early in the morning so i was at my i was at the apple store picking up the iphone and the studio display when they attempted delivery of the macbook neo and …”“can't a b it's almost like who could tell let's talk about the macbook neo i've heard of this thing yeah i i hear it's one of the pretty popular computer um i got uh two of them i so i i ordered uh the pink one first but for some whatever reason this wasn available for in pickup i only was able to have it delivered and of course my ups happens to run by my house early in the morning so i was at my i was at the apple store picking up the iphone and the studio display when they attempted delivery of the macbook neo and of course it failed to deliver so while i was at the apple store i bought a second one which ended up coming in clutch i got i got the so now i have both i have the pink and the blue um i also got a look at the citrus and i have to say don't like it one bit i think it's ugly i don't know why people like it i don't know why apple decided to make …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo's pink color sold out immediately, while the citrus option left many puzzled. This segment dives into the speaker's personal experience of buying both the pink and blue models, revealing opinions on color choices and keyboard design. It highlights the unexpected popularity of the pink model and critiques the citrus variant, making it clear that color preference can spark debate among users.
Cult of Mac·Hands-on with the Studio Display XDR, MacBook Neo and iPhone 17e·Mar 12, 2026
“and then a year later the headphone jack was gone from every phone in the world Apple kept setting the standard even with the 2015 MacBook the single USB-C port back when USB-C wasn't normal for most people and only one how do I charge it and use a dongle how does that work? exactly it sounds like Apple's been doing that for years they have they'll promote some jack you know, SCSI or DisplayPort. And then, or remember the series of laptops where the power adapter connector would change with every new model? Yeah. That's really ridiculous. But I was just remembering, you know, the …”“and then a year later the headphone jack was gone from every phone in the world Apple kept setting the standard even with the 2015 MacBook the single USB-C port back when USB-C wasn't normal for most people and only one how do I charge it and use a dongle how does that work? exactly it sounds like Apple's been doing that for years they have they'll promote some jack you know, SCSI or DisplayPort. And then, or remember the series of laptops where the power adapter connector would change with every new model? Yeah. That's really ridiculous. But I was just remembering, you know, the iMac, I did not know this until I interviewed John Rubenstein, was originally meant to be an NC, a network computer. This was all the rage in the late 90s that now there was the internet, you wouldn't need a hard drive. You wouldn't need software on your machine. Everything would live on the internet, just like Google Docs now or Google Drive. So …”View more
Ridealong summary
The original iMac was designed as a network computer with no hard drive or CD drive, reflecting the internet's early promise. However, a heated debate between John Rubenstein and Steve Jobs led to the inclusion of essential hardware, transforming it into a real computer. This pivotal change not only saved the iMac but also set the stage for its iconic status in tech history.
9to5Mac Overtime·9to5Mac Overtime 065: Untelling parts of the story w/ special guest David Pogue·Mar 27, 2026
“… making it harder to compete with Neo. One assumes that drives his gobsmacking expectations for the Mac this year. His post has him expecting total MacBook shipments to reach about 25 million units in 2026, up between 20% and 25% year over year. potentially returning to the COVID-era peak and becoming the only real bright spot among laptop brands. Meanwhile, the TF analyst expects shipments of Windows laptops to drop over 10% this year versus last year, according to the Post. Pricing for MacBook Neo and pricing for iPhone 17e have Apple following a path Ming-Chi Kuo had expected them to follow.”“… competitors' low-cost memory inventory accumulated last year is likely to be depleted by the middle of the first half of this year. As a result, more laptop models may start raising prices from the second quarter to reflect higher memory costs, making it harder to compete with Neo. One assumes that drives his gobsmacking expectations for the Mac this year. His post has him expecting total MacBook shipments to reach about 25 million units in 2026, up between 20% and 25% year over year. potentially returning to the COVID-era peak and becoming the only real bright spot among laptop brands. Meanwhile, the TF analyst expects shipments of Windows laptops to drop over 10% this year versus last year, according to the Post. Pricing for MacBook Neo and pricing for iPhone 17e have Apple following a path Ming-Chi Kuo had expected them to follow.”View more
Ridealong summary
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts a significant rise in MacBook Neo shipments, projecting up to 25 million units by 2026. This growth is driven by seasonal demand and a competitive edge due to rising component costs for rival laptops. As Windows laptop sales decline, the MacBook Neo stands out as a bright spot in the market.
Mac OS Ken·Important OS Updates and Great MacBook Expectations - MOSK: 03.12.2026·Mar 12, 2026
“Leading off today, Apple just launched the remarkably low-cost MacBook Neo. But the latest reporting from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says the company is also planning to push deeper into the high-end with more quote-unquote ultra devices. Gurman points to five upcoming products from Apple that he describes as having a higher-end Ultra experience. Gurman is careful to say that Apple might not use the Ultra branding for all of them, but that they will be Ultra in terms of things like features and, of course, pricing. …”“Leading off today, Apple just launched the remarkably low-cost MacBook Neo. But the latest reporting from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says the company is also planning to push deeper into the high-end with more quote-unquote ultra devices. Gurman points to five upcoming products from Apple that he describes as having a higher-end Ultra experience. Gurman is careful to say that Apple might not use the Ultra branding for all of them, but that they will be Ultra in terms of things like features and, of course, pricing. There's the upcoming iPhone Fold, new AirPods equipped with computer vision cameras to feed visual intelligence to Siri, the new M6 MacBook Pro with OLED and touch support, the foldable iPad with a rumored 18.8-inch display, and higher-end iMacs featuring beefier processors and larger displays. Three of those products are reportedly set to launch this …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's quiet launch of the MacBook Neo is a strategic move that disrupts the PC market with its budget-friendly pricing, despite concerns about its productivity capabilities.
The MacBook Neo is a budget-friendly device that challenges the PC market, but its capability for productivity-heavy tasks is debated.
The MacBook Neo, despite being powered by an iPhone chip, is surprisingly capable for productivity tasks, challenging the notion that it's merely a content consumption device.
Apple's strategy to introduce a foldable iPhone and high-end 'Ultra' devices signals a strong push into premium markets, enhancing its competitive edge.
“You're closer to the MacBook Air than you are to the MacBook Neo. at that price point, you know? And there is something to say about having an M4 chip and sure Geekbench scores and raw power will kind of lean towards the iPad. But from a practicality sense, if you're looking for a computer experience and you don't want to go through the workarounds and try to push to the limits and deal with some limitations on the OS side, I mean, MacBook Neo, it is a full macOS …”“You're closer to the MacBook Air than you are to the MacBook Neo. at that price point, you know? And there is something to say about having an M4 chip and sure Geekbench scores and raw power will kind of lean towards the iPad. But from a practicality sense, if you're looking for a computer experience and you don't want to go through the workarounds and try to push to the limits and deal with some limitations on the OS side, I mean, MacBook Neo, it is a full macOS experience at $600. Yes, it's very interesting. Like, to me, there's no question which one I would pick. It's a no-brainer. You would go with the MacBook Neo. If it's between the iPad Air and a keyboard versus the MacBook Neo, you go with the MacBook Neo. It has the keyboard built in. It has the nice trackpad. It has a nice display. It has macOS, most …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo offers a compelling full macOS experience at an unbeatable price, making it a clear choice over iPads for those seeking a budget-friendly computer.
9to5Mac Overtime·9to5Mac Overtime 062: MacBook Neo lets the iPad be an iPad·Mar 07, 2026
“… there's that group of people. I could see this in the enterprise world. I could even see this for people who own a really fast, high-powered, chunky MacBook pro like myself and they want a cheaper laptop experience that's smaller that's on the go for a while i had been debating oh maybe i should just get a macbook air and maybe i will one day because at least you can still handle my video editing not as well as the pro but still more than capable but this 13 inch as just like a travel laptop to keep in touch with some things for 5.99 it can be compelling for those people too. I think what I've seen …”“… and it just wasn't attainable. It was $9.99. It was actually higher back in the day. I feel like it was more like $12.99. So that wasn't going to happen for many people when there were competitive PC laptops that were easily under $1,000. So there's that group of people. I could see this in the enterprise world. I could even see this for people who own a really fast, high-powered, chunky MacBook pro like myself and they want a cheaper laptop experience that's smaller that's on the go for a while i had been debating oh maybe i should just get a macbook air and maybe i will one day because at least you can still handle my video editing not as well as the pro but still more than capable but this 13 inch as just like a travel laptop to keep in touch with some things for 5.99 it can be compelling for those people too. I think what I've seen is this weird backlash where people are saying, oh, the MacBook Neo sucks. Apple's lowering its quality. They're no longer innovative. This laptop is not for me. I don't understand why people get so fired up about a product that not made for them This is straight out of the Tim Cook playbook Look at what happened to the iPhone line I believe there …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo is a strategic move by Apple to lower the entry barrier into its ecosystem, offering a quality experience at an affordable price.
The MacBook Neo is a strategic move by Apple to expand its market by offering a quality, affordable laptop that appeals to young consumers and those seeking a secondary device.
Apple Bitz XL w/ Brian Tong·MacBook Neo Hands-On Impressions! Plus, Apple's Spring Announcements (Apple Bitz XL, Ep. 370)·Mar 07, 2026
“Leading off today, a new analyst report from TrendForce sheds light into how successful they think the new MacBook Neo might be. The market intelligence company predicts that the MacBook Neo will sell between 4 and 5 million units this year. It also notes that Apple is headed in the opposite direction compared to most of its competitors. Dramatically increased RAM prices mean that PC makers are struggling to make lower-cost machines, with many of them prioritizing their limited supply of components for their more expensive models. TrendForce's projections …”“Leading off today, a new analyst report from TrendForce sheds light into how successful they think the new MacBook Neo might be. The market intelligence company predicts that the MacBook Neo will sell between 4 and 5 million units this year. It also notes that Apple is headed in the opposite direction compared to most of its competitors. Dramatically increased RAM prices mean that PC makers are struggling to make lower-cost machines, with many of them prioritizing their limited supply of components for their more expensive models. TrendForce's projections estimate that global notebook shipments will decline by 9.2% year-over-year in 2026, with the possibility of an even deeper contraction should demand remain weak. Amid simultaneous shortages and price increases in memory and CPUs, Apple, meanwhile, has taken the opposite approach, introducing this new entry-level MacBook Neo. The firm says there is a …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's introduction of the MacBook Neo could reshape the pricing structure and competitive landscape of the global notebook market.
“… do display. I haven thought about display port being a spec in the USB port hole in a long time But there no display port in the USB port on the MacBook Neo So it won do a display through that one It's just the USB 3.0 one, the one in the back. So the back one is, like, your fastest data and display. And then the front one is, like, charging if you're also doing data transfer with the other one. You know, if you're not doing any data transfer, it doesn't matter. You just charge however you charge. But yeah, there's that awkwardness to it. And right, Gruber had asked and Apple had said that there'll …”“… charging port, it's like the back port, because that's what MacSafe always is. So you kind of want to, you might instinctively charge the back one and then use the other one for data transfer, but you shouldn't because it's so much slower, and it can't do display. I haven thought about display port being a spec in the USB port hole in a long time But there no display port in the USB port on the MacBook Neo So it won do a display through that one It's just the USB 3.0 one, the one in the back. So the back one is, like, your fastest data and display. And then the front one is, like, charging if you're also doing data transfer with the other one. You know, if you're not doing any data transfer, it doesn't matter. You just charge however you charge. But yeah, there's that awkwardness to it. And right, Gruber had asked and Apple had said that there'll be a warning in macOS and software that'll say, the system will be intelligent enough to know that you're trying to use a display port, but this port can't do that. So unplug it and plug up the other one. And then once you do that one or two times, then I guess you know, just use the back port. If you're going to power delivery from a display, …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo's introduction with an A18 Pro chip marks a strategic shift for Apple, emphasizing affordability and new technology over traditional fanfare.
Apple's quiet launch of the MacBook Neo is a strategic move to attract first-time Mac users and expand its ecosystem.
The MacBook Neo offers a compelling value proposition at $600, but its lack of a backlit keyboard and other features may deter some buyers.
The MacBook Neo's aggressive pricing at $600 positions it as a highly competitive option in Apple's lineup, challenging perceptions of Apple's products as exclusively premium.
The MacBook Neo is positioned as a strategic entry point into the Apple ecosystem, potentially attracting first-time Apple users with its value proposition.
9to5Mac Happy Hour·Apple launches new MacBook Neo, Studio Display XDR, MacBook Pro, more·Mar 06, 2026
“But this is not just an Apple story in the firm's estimation. Quoting the release again, if the MacBook Neo successfully penetrates the entry-level segment, it could not only offset the broader industry downturn, but also reshape the pricing structure and competitive landscape of the global notebook market. Plus, you know that whole thing about people and Apple's ecosystem pretty much staying there once they're in it? By entering the entry segment Trend4 says Apple can not only fill a key pricing gap but also establish brand loyalty among students …”“But this is not just an Apple story in the firm's estimation. Quoting the release again, if the MacBook Neo successfully penetrates the entry-level segment, it could not only offset the broader industry downturn, but also reshape the pricing structure and competitive landscape of the global notebook market. Plus, you know that whole thing about people and Apple's ecosystem pretty much staying there once they're in it? By entering the entry segment Trend4 says Apple can not only fill a key pricing gap but also establish brand loyalty among students and early career professionals at an earlier stage You know this story is so crazy they could have called the thing MacBook Loco and it would have been cool Crazy cool. Trendforce wasn't the only industry tracker to react to MacBook Neo. Apple 3.0 ran reactions to Apple's low-cost laptop from a few fronts, including analysts at IDC. That firm's …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's MacBook Neo is strategically positioned to capture market share by leveraging its ecosystem and aggressive pricing amidst industry challenges.
Apple's MacBook Neo is strategically positioned to capture market share by leveraging its operational scale and aggressive pricing amidst industry challenges.
Apple's MacBook Neo strategically expands its market reach by targeting price-sensitive consumers and leveraging its ecosystem to gain market share amidst industry challenges.
Mac OS Ken·MacBook Neo Could Reshape the Global Laptop Space - MOSK: 03.06.2026·Mar 06, 2026
“… not only students but adults too This where this is the case where they had a base model HP or a cheap work laptop and they just can't stand it. The MacBook Neo is going to be a glass of ice water in hell for them because a lot of these computers computers on the Windows side are just terrible. Oh, absolutely. yeah people keep the thing people keep saying is like oh well there's been some interesting pushback we can get i don't know if we're ready for that or not but i think that this i push back a little bit on the idea that this is a device aimed at the education market and i think it's easy to think …”“… all my work is done in a browser and an outlook and Excel. This will easily be replacing my terrible work issued laptop that constantly needs to restart to update and has a three hour battery life I feel like this is indicative of the exact audience not only students but adults too This where this is the case where they had a base model HP or a cheap work laptop and they just can't stand it. The MacBook Neo is going to be a glass of ice water in hell for them because a lot of these computers computers on the Windows side are just terrible. Oh, absolutely. yeah people keep the thing people keep saying is like oh well there's been some interesting pushback we can get i don't know if we're ready for that or not but i think that this i push back a little bit on the idea that this is a device aimed at the education market and i think it's easy to think like this is great for students i mean that's true i would much like we have purchased m1 macbook airs and even and we even have an old intel macbook air that our child is using so that they don't have to use the chromebooks from the school because they are just hot garbage and it's just it's like these things are like a dumpster fire of …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo promises to revolutionize the work experience for professionals stuck with outdated laptops. As users express their frustration with low-performing Windows devices, the Neo emerges as a refreshing alternative, especially for those who rely heavily on web-based applications. This shift highlights a growing demand for quality in the tech landscape, particularly among parents seeking better options for their children in education.
Primary Technology·Who MacBook Neo is For, Studio Display XDR, Anthropic, Nothing, and More!·Mar 05, 2026
“I shared some reactions to MacBook Neo from the tech press earlier. Here are some more. 9to5Mac thinks MacBook Neo gives Apple a real shot at PC switchers. It has shortcomings that might make it unappealing to current MacBook Air or MacBook Pro users, according to the piece. But guess what? It's not aiming at them. 9to5Mac argues Apple knows that there is a massive untapped market of iPhone users who choose PCs or Chromebooks because they are generally more affordable than Macs. But …”“I shared some reactions to MacBook Neo from the tech press earlier. Here are some more. 9to5Mac thinks MacBook Neo gives Apple a real shot at PC switchers. It has shortcomings that might make it unappealing to current MacBook Air or MacBook Pro users, according to the piece. But guess what? It's not aiming at them. 9to5Mac argues Apple knows that there is a massive untapped market of iPhone users who choose PCs or Chromebooks because they are generally more affordable than Macs. But with MacBook Neo, that's no longer the case. Yeah, you can go cheaper than $599 on the PC or Chromebook side. That said, yesterday's introduction makes the Mac far more accessible to more people, according to 9to5. And Gadget Senior Editor Daniel Cooper had a take I've not seen anywhere else. MacBook Neo negates the need for iPad Air. If you're …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo makes Apple's ecosystem more accessible and challenges the need for an iPad Air by offering a more complete computing experience at a competitive price.
The MacBook Neo makes Apple's ecosystem more accessible and could attract PC switchers by offering a more affordable entry point into macOS.
The MacBook Neo's performance is impressive for its price, but limitations like non-upgradable RAM and unequal USB-C ports could hinder its appeal.
Mac OS Ken·Saying Hello to MacBook Neo - MOSK: 03.05.2026·Mar 05, 2026
“… nook and cranny of their business, Apple is moving down the market. Well, even Apple needs a McValue menu now. This is like the Volkswagen Jetta of MacBooks. And there was a raging debate yesterday online about who this particular laptop was for. It is very colorful too. It comes in citrus, silver, indigo, and blush color options. Reminded me of my first iMac that I got, you know, maybe 20 years ago with those particular pastel colors. So who is this for? Well, I was thinking, this is maybe what Apple was thinking, is that when you show up to your dorm the first day of freshman year at college and …”“… product launches from Apple that had a through-line aimed at affordability. The iPhone 17e, which came out on Monday, clocks in at $599 as well. Sort of an interesting approach, Neil. While everyone and their mother is stuffing AI into every nook and cranny of their business, Apple is moving down the market. Well, even Apple needs a McValue menu now. This is like the Volkswagen Jetta of MacBooks. And there was a raging debate yesterday online about who this particular laptop was for. It is very colorful too. It comes in citrus, silver, indigo, and blush color options. Reminded me of my first iMac that I got, you know, maybe 20 years ago with those particular pastel colors. So who is this for? Well, I was thinking, this is maybe what Apple was thinking, is that when you show up to your dorm the first day of freshman year at college and you say, oh, and you're pulling out your laptop, you're meeting your new roommate for the first time you pull out your MacBook Neo and you say, oh, I got this particular color. What's yours? And maybe that is the sort of target audience. At least one slice of it that they're going after is students. It's entry level people who have never had a …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's move to introduce the MacBook Neo at a budget-friendly price is a strategic play to capture the entry-level market dominated by Chromebooks and Windows devices.
Apple's new MacBook Neo represents a strategic shift towards affordability, targeting entry-level users and students, contrasting with the industry's AI-focused innovations.
Apple's introduction of the MacBook Neo represents a strategic shift towards affordability, targeting students and entry-level users with a budget-friendly yet capable device.
Morning Brew Daily·Big Tech Picks Up Data Center Bills? & Apple Intros Low-Cost Laptop·Mar 05, 2026
“… things get wider, the menus change. So, yeah, I think Jason's probably right about that. Yeah, I'd worry about it. But you're right, especially with MacBook Neo, macOS needs some love. They're going to get – I think there's a very good chance that a year from now there's twice as many Mac users as there are now. No doubt. Yeah because everybody wants a laptop So yeah I mean Tim Cook said like this was our biggest our biggest biggest Mac launch for non users which I don know how they measure that so quickly After a week, that is meaningless marketing fluff. But it's still notable in the sense that it's …”“… for the touch. So I feel like be careful what you wish for when you ask to change macOS a lot because it might go the wrong direction. You can kind of get a glimpse of that with iPadOS 26. There's kind of some of that in there where if you hover, things get wider, the menus change. So, yeah, I think Jason's probably right about that. Yeah, I'd worry about it. But you're right, especially with MacBook Neo, macOS needs some love. They're going to get – I think there's a very good chance that a year from now there's twice as many Mac users as there are now. No doubt. Yeah because everybody wants a laptop So yeah I mean Tim Cook said like this was our biggest our biggest biggest Mac launch for non users which I don know how they measure that so quickly After a week, that is meaningless marketing fluff. But it's still notable in the sense that it's immediately attracting people who aren't previous Mac users. Yeah. I've been watching college baseball with my son and like every single ad break has a Mac Neo commercial. Oh, really? They're targeting the audiences that we thought they would. Yep. So that's going to be the ads for that are going to be huge. Come like supply will have rebounded and …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's upcoming macOS update may sacrifice information density for touchscreen compatibility, causing potential frustration among users. As the tech giant prepares to launch touchscreen Macs, the interface might shift to accommodate wider touch targets, leading to a less compact design. This change could attract new users but also risk alienating current Mac enthusiasts who prefer the existing layout.
Macworld Podcast·Episode 976: WWDC26 news, Apple TV rumors, and more·Mar 25, 2026
“… cross bracing in there that's not the inside of any you know base port ever looks like but you do put things like that in to stiffen things so uh macbook neo and possibly also the ipads as well although i haven't seen inside their black things has plastic stiffeners bolted to it to make it so the corners aren't floppy which is maybe why it feels so expensive yeah because otherwise like if you had like battery in there battery is rigid and so you know you probably wouldn't need to add more stiffeners to that but in this case when you don't have enough battery to fill the cavity inside the case yeah …”“… rigidity yep it is a mechanical stiffener that is my theory and i'm sticking to it unless someone from apple's design team tells me that's not what this is for because they're definitely not air pockets to increase base because they wouldn't put those cross bracing in there that's not the inside of any you know base port ever looks like but you do put things like that in to stiffen things so uh macbook neo and possibly also the ipads as well although i haven't seen inside their black things has plastic stiffeners bolted to it to make it so the corners aren't floppy which is maybe why it feels so expensive yeah because otherwise like if you had like battery in there battery is rigid and so you know you probably wouldn't need to add more stiffeners to that but in this case when you don't have enough battery to fill the cavity inside the case yeah that makes a lot of sense so that that's i think that's a very good theory especially looking at these you're right like this you wouldn't design a ported speaker enclosure with that pattern in it i can't even tell if that is open to the air like because they didn't do a good job of peeling off all the plastic like this went by really fast in a few …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo features hidden plastic stiffeners that enhance its structural integrity, making it feel more premium. These stiffeners, cleverly designed with cross-bracing patterns, serve no acoustic purpose but prevent the chassis from twisting. This unique design choice is crucial, especially in areas where battery space is limited, ensuring a robust and luxurious user experience.
Accidental Tech Podcast·683: I Didn’t Want to Melt My Rug·Mar 19, 2026
“… videos you're not doing 3d shit you're not doing you're not processing ai gpu heavy requirements no but my degree is fully online so yes and the macbook airs are incredible the new the m chip macbook pros are incredible i think i have airs airs i think i had a macbook air before yes but not probably not an m chip maybe not but i had that my previous computer i had for like six years yeah the airs were not great before the m chip i'll be completely honest It doesn't matter. Top of the line MacBook Pro. That's not even close. You're not a pro user. You're not. You don't do anything. You use …”“you're not rendering videos you're not doing 3d shit you're not doing you're not processing ai gpu heavy requirements no but my degree is fully online so yes and the macbook airs are incredible the new the m chip macbook pros are incredible i think i have airs airs i think i had a macbook air before yes but not probably not an m chip maybe not but i had that my previous computer i had for like six years yeah the airs were not great before the m chip i'll be completely honest It doesn't matter. Top of the line MacBook Pro. That's not even close. You're not a pro user. You're not. You don't do anything. You use Google Chrome. I need to be able to make sure that I. But you can without a top of the line MacBook Pro. Well, that's. You can do anything you need to do. Tell me one thing you need to do that requires a pro machine. There's nothing that I specifically need to do. There you go. Shut the f*** up. How much did you spend on your MacBook Pro? My computer …”View more
Ridealong summary
Many students are spending thousands on laptops they don't need. In a heated debate, one student argues for a top-of-the-line MacBook Pro despite only using it for basic tasks. This highlights the disconnect between perceived value and actual requirements in education today.
“… in the link the show notes below it because that's um so yeah two displays if you buy them both it'll cost you five grand yeah five or 4800 and um macbook pros but so that was tuesday and wednesday was the big experience there was one in new york one in london and one in shanghai and we knew this cheap macbook was coming like it was the world's yes secret you know we were all wrong everyone was wrong about the name we asked everyone what are they going to call it we guessed and everyone guessed and we were all where everyone was wrong well nobody knew i mean to be right you would have had to have …”“… a little UFO across your screen at different rates. and you can see like oh at what point does this stop being clear and start being a blurry mess it's it's quite it's pretty enlightening actually yeah all right uh blurbusters roman put that in the uh in the link the show notes below it because that's um so yeah two displays if you buy them both it'll cost you five grand yeah five or 4800 and um macbook pros but so that was tuesday and wednesday was the big experience there was one in new york one in london and one in shanghai and we knew this cheap macbook was coming like it was the world's yes secret you know we were all wrong everyone was wrong about the name we asked everyone what are they going to call it we guessed and everyone guessed and we were all where everyone was wrong well nobody knew i mean to be right you would have had to have some infinite inside information unless you were really a guesser neo was in there as some sort of code name and everyone's like oh but that's just the code name and then it came out it's macbook neo so yeah mac the day before mac rumors well apple accidentally published on one of the support pages or regulatory page um this this 2026 macbook neo …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's new MacBook Neo stunned audiences with a starting price of just $599, much lower than expected. Revealed during a global event in New York, London, and Shanghai, the device comes with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, making it an attractive option for students and budget-conscious buyers. The reaction in the room was palpable, as attendees gasped at the unexpected pricing.
Macworld Podcast·Episode 973: MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, M5 Pro and Max MacBook Pro, and more·Mar 06, 2026
“… week. Of course, everyone knew that Apple was launching new products, but there were some surprises, and there's some cool stuff. Starting with the MacBook Neo, the more downstream take is like, how is Apple affected by the AI boom? But let's start with the actual products because this thing, in the video, it looks so small. It looks like an eight-inch laptop. So this is the MacBook Neo, sort of designed to compete with the Chromebook. It comes in at 599. Well, not even just the Chromebook, just all PCs. Yeah, but, I mean, you're not going to get this for, like, if you're in a professional workplace, …”“There was some big news this week. Of course, everyone knew that Apple was launching new products, but there were some surprises, and there's some cool stuff. Starting with the MacBook Neo, the more downstream take is like, how is Apple affected by the AI boom? But let's start with the actual products because this thing, in the video, it looks so small. It looks like an eight-inch laptop. So this is the MacBook Neo, sort of designed to compete with the Chromebook. It comes in at 599. Well, not even just the Chromebook, just all PCs. Yeah, but, I mean, you're not going to get this for, like, if you're in a professional workplace, go to a desktop with multiple monitors, plug in, you're doing, like, advanced work. Like, this is for students. This is for the low end. Or just a personal computer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's designed for people that have an iPhone but don't have a Mac because of costs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And now they can have an integrated suite. I love the …”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's introduction of the MacBook Neo at a remarkably low price is a strategic move to capture the low-end market and integrate more users into their ecosystem.
Apple's introduction of the MacBook Neo at a remarkably low price is a strategic move to capture budget-conscious consumers and integrate them into the Apple ecosystem.
Apple's MacBook Neo is a strategic move to capture the low-end market, offering an affordable entry point for students and iPhone users without a Mac.
“… I don't think those really give you much information at all nowadays. But I did some. I put the comparison. So compared to the M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 MacBook Air, everything lines up exactly like what we expected using A18 Pro benchmarks from the iPhone 16 Pro. So single core, you're looking at it's faster than the M1, M2, and M3 MacBook Air models, then slightly slower than the M4 and about 13% slower than the M5. Multi-core is where the results change quite a bit. So it's 4% faster than the M1 Air and then progressively slower than M2, M3, M4, M5. And at the top end, it's 49% slower than M5 …”“Performance. So talking about performance is tricky because the instinct is to go to benchmarks. And I put some benchmark. I didn't put the raw numbers just because I don't think those really give you much information at all nowadays. But I did some. I put the comparison. So compared to the M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 MacBook Air, everything lines up exactly like what we expected using A18 Pro benchmarks from the iPhone 16 Pro. So single core, you're looking at it's faster than the M1, M2, and M3 MacBook Air models, then slightly slower than the M4 and about 13% slower than the M5. Multi-core is where the results change quite a bit. So it's 4% faster than the M1 Air and then progressively slower than M2, M3, M4, M5. And at the top end, it's 49% slower than M5 MacBook Air. This is kind of what we expected with the A18 Pro chip, where that single core, the core design is so fast and you get such good performance for tasks that are single threaded. So things like web browsing, documents, basic photo and video editing. But then when MacBook Neo will at that ceiling is for things that stress all of the available …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo is a great option for those who found the MacBook Air to be an upgrade, offering comparable performance to the M2 and M3 for common tasks.
“Finally today the new MacBook Neo Is it worth giving a try As ever I turned to The Verge for their review Quote The MacBook Neo is basically the M1 MacBook Air all over again That laptop changed the game in 2020 and became the default option for just about anyone who wanted a great all-around thin and light laptop and could spend $1,000. The M1 Air was good enough that you could still buy a new one until last month. The Neo takes its place as Apple's cheapest laptop with a …”“Finally today the new MacBook Neo Is it worth giving a try As ever I turned to The Verge for their review Quote The MacBook Neo is basically the M1 MacBook Air all over again That laptop changed the game in 2020 and became the default option for just about anyone who wanted a great all-around thin and light laptop and could spend $1,000. The M1 Air was good enough that you could still buy a new one until last month. The Neo takes its place as Apple's cheapest laptop with a starting price of $599 and enough power to handle everyday tasks and last all day on a charge. It's designed to entice students and first-time laptop buyers into Apple's world. And it will. The Air is still better than the Neo in pretty much every way, but even the cheapest MacBook Neo is good enough to be the go-to Apple laptop for a lot of people. …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo is a game-changer for budget-conscious consumers, offering impressive performance at a lower price point than previous models.
The MacBook Neo is a game-changer for budget-conscious consumers, offering impressive performance at a lower price point, making it the new default choice for students and first-time laptop buyers.
The MacBook Neo is a game-changer for budget-conscious consumers, offering impressive performance at a lower price point than its predecessors and competitors.
Tech Brew Ride Home·Meta Plumps For Bot Social Networks·Mar 10, 2026
“… you mentioned that about commodity, and although this isn't strictly, I wouldn't quite put this in range, that does bring us to Wednesday, which was MacBook Air. Well, we skipped the MacBook Air, which is fair. Oh, do you know, I totally forgot about the MacBook Air. No. It's got an M5. It's got Wi-Fi 7. It's got N1. Okay. That's it, and we're done. Moving on. MacBook Neo. Okay. I suddenly missed the MacBook Air. There's nothing to say about MacBook Air. Yeah, there's nothing to say. Poor little MacBook Air. But yeah, MacBook Neo was the exciting thing, I thought, of the whole week. iPhone 17E, …”“… feels very much like a business product that is going to do very well in that sector. And Apple is not in the market of commodities. monitors that can be bought from Amazon for $200. If you want that, there's a market for you. This isn't it. Well, you mentioned that about commodity, and although this isn't strictly, I wouldn't quite put this in range, that does bring us to Wednesday, which was MacBook Air. Well, we skipped the MacBook Air, which is fair. Oh, do you know, I totally forgot about the MacBook Air. No. It's got an M5. It's got Wi-Fi 7. It's got N1. Okay. That's it, and we're done. Moving on. MacBook Neo. Okay. I suddenly missed the MacBook Air. There's nothing to say about MacBook Air. Yeah, there's nothing to say. Poor little MacBook Air. But yeah, MacBook Neo was the exciting thing, I thought, of the whole week. iPhone 17E, yes, but MacBook Neo, whoa. Yes, I like this. I need to explain. This is a radically cheaper MacBook, which, I mean, it's not cheap. Apple will never do anything actually cheap. It's expensive. It's a lot lower cost. It's about $500 or pounds less than the base MacBook Air. And as we've said in the rumors before, it achieves this by being based on an …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo represents a strategic shift for Apple, offering a lower-cost option that challenges perceptions of Apple's pricing strategy without compromising on quality.
AppleInsider Podcast·MacBook Neo, Studio Display XDR, iPhone 17e and more, on the AppleInsider Podcast·Mar 06, 2026
“… razors been all over that for the cat ears yeah i have seen that they're still 550 yeah still really expensive you could buy this or you could buy macbook neo truly oh my god this was one of my favorite takes on twitter was that seeing macbook neo and airpods max next to each other in the same store is truly like those are the opposite approach to a product like macbook neo is customers going as low as possible in price to essentially maximize your chances of customer acquisition in like the masses and then hopefully that gets the people into like buying apple services and buying other apple products …”“… are all sorts of like clear slash opaque covers you can get and like sticker packs and like like stickers i've seen i've seen people and you can get attachable cat ears for the canopy like people really like like personalize them mm-hmm that's cool razors been all over that for the cat ears yeah i have seen that they're still 550 yeah still really expensive you could buy this or you could buy macbook neo truly oh my god this was one of my favorite takes on twitter was that seeing macbook neo and airpods max next to each other in the same store is truly like those are the opposite approach to a product like macbook neo is customers going as low as possible in price to essentially maximize your chances of customer acquisition in like the masses and then hopefully that gets the people into like buying apple services and buying other apple products and that's the like trojan horse of like all right now i'm an apple guy macbook neo is their youtube shorts for discovery yeah it's a big funnel but airpods max are the exact opposite it's like these are you're not going to get these as your first apple product ever. Wait, can I tell a recommending MacBook Neo story that happened yesterday? Yeah. …”View more
Ridealong summary
AirPods Max have transformed from a simple design to an iconic accessory, especially in urban settings like Brooklyn. Users are customizing them with colorful ear cups and quirky add-ons like cat ears, showcasing a unique blend of personal expression and tech sophistication. This trend highlights how Apple products can become fashion statements while maintaining their premium image.
Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast·Did Anything Change with AirPods Max 2?·Mar 20, 2026
“Let's talk. You know, we're going to hit these a little faster. The new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, obviously on the high end. Obviously someone who wants the most power. Most people don't need it. Some people like it. It's a thicker machine. It's a feature-packed machine. The new chip or processor inside comes with an 18-core CPU. Now, Apple has broken this down into six super cores because they now have the fastest CPU core in the industry. So they're renaming it the super core and then 12 performance cores. So that's what the CPU is …”“Let's talk. You know, we're going to hit these a little faster. The new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros, obviously on the high end. Obviously someone who wants the most power. Most people don't need it. Some people like it. It's a thicker machine. It's a feature-packed machine. The new chip or processor inside comes with an 18-core CPU. Now, Apple has broken this down into six super cores because they now have the fastest CPU core in the industry. So they're renaming it the super core and then 12 performance cores. So that's what the CPU is made up of. The M5 Pro chip has a 20-core GPU. the m5 max chip goes up to a 40 core gpu these things are beasts if you're talking about storage it now starts with one terabyte for the m5 pro and the m5 max now starts at two terabytes of storage they both have the option to go up to eight terabytes of storage you can go up to 128 gigs of unified …”View more
Ridealong summary
The new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros are true powerhouses, featuring an 18-core CPU that includes the fastest CPU core in the industry. With options for up to 40-core GPUs and massive storage capabilities, these machines cater to a niche of users who demand top performance, starting at $1,699. However, most users will find their needs met by less powerful models, highlighting the disparity between power users and the average consumer.
Apple Bitz XL w/ Brian Tong·MacBook Neo, M5 MacBook Air & M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pro Reviews! Plus, New AirPods Max 2?! (Apple Bitz XL, Ep. 371)·Mar 19, 2026
“… have such a meteoric rise that they have to give you the honorary degree before while you're still eligible. That's a good one. The point about the MacBook Neo is that at a lot of PC makers should be sort of quaking in their booths because you selling at that price point And for a customer who just like I want a laptop normally it was like am I going with like Asus or another brand I'm not I'm not in the Apple category like it's not an option because yeah that that store over there those those laptops start over a thousand that's not my budget so I'm not even going in that store well now you can and …”“There are some legendary leave of absences where people have been away for like 10 years and then they go and do so many. The goal is to defer for so long but then also have such a meteoric rise that they have to give you the honorary degree before while you're still eligible. That's a good one. The point about the MacBook Neo is that at a lot of PC makers should be sort of quaking in their booths because you selling at that price point And for a customer who just like I want a laptop normally it was like am I going with like Asus or another brand I'm not I'm not in the Apple category like it's not an option because yeah that that store over there those those laptops start over a thousand that's not my budget so I'm not even going in that store well now you can and you can spend $600 and get a pretty good computer and And the CFO, Nick Wu of Asus, was on their recent earnings call and he said, actually, don't worry about it, it's not a threat. We found out about the MacBook Neo shipments in the second half of last year. We made some internal prep, but now that it's out, like, we don't think it's that big of a …”View more
Ridealong summary
Companies using AI can actually grow faster while cutting headcount, shifting focus from routine tasks to productivity enhancement. This perspective, shared by industry analysts, highlights a trend where executives are more excited about AI's potential to increase overall output rather than fearing job losses. The conversation emphasizes how AI is reshaping enterprise value and investment strategies.
TBPN·AI vs. Dog Cancer, Timothée Chalamet Under Fire, ‘Agents Over Bubbles' | Diet TBPN·Mar 16, 2026
“the macbook neo so i do i do and they've evolved but but i but i i i will i will um obviously like you're the one who's had the hands on time you're the one who's been able to review it i did have a question i guess kind of generally about the colors because that has been a thing because I haven't been able to see any of them in person, obviously. Like you showed it off, I think, kind of at the beginning. It looks like it's kind of a lime, citrusy lime kind of …”“the macbook neo so i do i do and they've evolved but but i but i i i will i will um obviously like you're the one who's had the hands on time you're the one who's been able to review it i did have a question i guess kind of generally about the colors because that has been a thing because I haven't been able to see any of them in person, obviously. Like you showed it off, I think, kind of at the beginning. It looks like it's kind of a lime, citrusy lime kind of color. It's not really a yellow. But I was curious about the pink most specifically. Is that a proper pink Because the problem with the anodized stuff Apple overexposes as they should in all the press materials So the colors look a lot poppier and brighter than they really are But, you know, the orange notwithstanding, then that's a really bright …”View more
Ridealong summary
Despite expectations, Apple's new MacBook Neo colors may not be as vibrant as anticipated. While it showcases the most color-forward design since the original iBook, Apple remains conservative in its color choices, leaving some fans disappointed. Seeing the colors in person reveals the subtlety that press materials often exaggerate.
MacBreak Weekly (Audio)·MBW 1015: Who Shot Apple Intelligence? - The MacBook Neo·Mar 10, 2026
“… Sure. Are you down with the thickness? I think a lot of people would be totally fine with it. So, technically, it is a little bit smaller than the MacBook Air. It is a 13-inch display instead of 13.6. right but it is basically the exact same weight and it is actually slightly thicker because of the lack of wedge shape and that's not to hold more battery it's not even like a bigger battery it's just like this is a not engineered for maximum thinness air so it feels like an air to me when i'm holding it it does i didn't worry about like extra weight or thickness it's i think technically on paper a …”“… take the call on the iPad. Oh, that's cool. It is cool. Yeah. So, yeah, I guess you could get rid of it. Marques, I want to know, because you actually played with these laptops. People were talking about the thickness. Yeah. Can you talk about that? Sure. Are you down with the thickness? I think a lot of people would be totally fine with it. So, technically, it is a little bit smaller than the MacBook Air. It is a 13-inch display instead of 13.6. right but it is basically the exact same weight and it is actually slightly thicker because of the lack of wedge shape and that's not to hold more battery it's not even like a bigger battery it's just like this is a not engineered for maximum thinness air so it feels like an air to me when i'm holding it it does i didn't worry about like extra weight or thickness it's i think technically on paper a tenth of an inch thicker than the macbook air yeah so like not a big deal yeah is it i'm assuming it's not wedge shape because now the speakers are down here right Which if you wedged all the way down to there you can have the speakers in the bottom corner And also the headphone jack there looks really strange yeah it is weird it is really low yeah …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo offers powerful performance, but is it the right choice for you? With prices starting at $750, there are cheaper alternatives like the M1 MacBook Air or even Windows laptops. In a world where laptops are now full workstations, understanding your needs can help you decide if the Neo is worth it.
Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast·Nothing Like a New Macbook!·Mar 06, 2026
“… protection and all sorts of stuff tries to stop that, but we'll see. sound again dual speakers dual mic array instead of three mics from the macbook air does not support spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and airpods which is fine with me because i hate that feature yeah i was gonna say can i turn that off like universally across all of my devices yeah i wish i always turn it off um the battery as marco said is 36.5 which is 32 percent smaller than the macbook air is 53.8 so that is a big because again this is the same size computer and there's essentially a third less battery in it. …”“… of that because Apple used to brag about how there's no way in software you can disable the green light. Obviously, there's definitely a way in software where you can disable the thing in the menu bar, I would presume, although maybe system integrity protection and all sorts of stuff tries to stop that, but we'll see. sound again dual speakers dual mic array instead of three mics from the macbook air does not support spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and airpods which is fine with me because i hate that feature yeah i was gonna say can i turn that off like universally across all of my devices yeah i wish i always turn it off um the battery as marco said is 36.5 which is 32 percent smaller than the macbook air is 53.8 so that is a big because again this is the same size computer and there's essentially a third less battery in it. So that is big. And why is there a third less battery in it? A, because it seems like they could for power, and B, smaller batteries cost less money. That's what it comes down to. And if the theory about a thicker case is correct, maybe they actually just didn't have room for a bigger battery. Yeah, we'll see. If it's thicker, it could be …”View more
Ridealong summary
The MacBook Neo warns you if you plug a 4K display into the wrong USB port, highlighting its confusing connectivity options. With a smaller battery and fewer features like Touch ID and a haptic trackpad, it raises questions about Apple's cost-cutting decisions. While it offers decent performance, it's clear that this model sacrifices some premium features for affordability.
Accidental Tech Podcast·681: The Price of Your Nightmares·Mar 05, 2026
“… And just say, look, you know, new version things break, new APIs, all of that. And he said when this was a Sinoski's piece as a review of the MacBook Neo. But his point was, how did they get here? One of the ways they got here with Apple Silicon is because Apple wasn't afraid to break so many things and move so many new APIs in. And people on Apple's platforms are kind of used to this happening. And it is, you know, Microsoft's great advantage in so many ways was a disadvantage in this one particular way. And I think it's a great point that it's not like Microsoft wasn't capable of doing a lot …”“… their old software. They can keep running, you know, ancient versions of Excel or, you know, custom apps that were built and it'll still run. And that's all part of the promise. And he said, Apple has never been afraid to break stuff. No, they haven't. And just say, look, you know, new version things break, new APIs, all of that. And he said when this was a Sinoski's piece as a review of the MacBook Neo. But his point was, how did they get here? One of the ways they got here with Apple Silicon is because Apple wasn't afraid to break so many things and move so many new APIs in. And people on Apple's platforms are kind of used to this happening. And it is, you know, Microsoft's great advantage in so many ways was a disadvantage in this one particular way. And I think it's a great point that it's not like Microsoft wasn't capable of doing a lot of that stuff. It's that Microsoft's business was predicated on people relying on them not doing it.”View more
Ridealong summary
Apple's willingness to break compatibility is a key factor in its success with Apple Silicon, while Microsoft's focus on backward compatibility is both a strength and a limitation. This difference highlights how Apple is unafraid to disrupt its ecosystem for innovation, whereas Microsoft prioritizes stability for its users. The result? A stark contrast in software strategies that shapes the future of technology.
MacBreak Weekly (Audio)·MBW 1016: An Orca, a Trombone and a Treasure Chest - AirPods Max 2 Pro Unveiled·Mar 17, 2026
“… get a new power cable from the Best Buy. How's he doing? Did he get in line there? I think he got his USB-C's figured out. Was he able to get that MacBook powered up? Because the whole future of civilization is riding on Gary, And if he doesn't get that power cable, I think we're all in a lot of trouble. If Gary's list, don't keep listing. Yeah. I don't know if you guys ever saw there was a fantastic movie starring Ice Cube called War of the Worlds that came out recently. I don't know if any of you saw this movie. I watched it in five separate small clips. All right. Well, as you know, you think …”“… 20 There we go That closer No problem There we go That why we call them JT and TJ They just mirrors of each other He reviews code by the way By the way, JT's Gary Tan, if you're wondering, even though it's JT. That was a stretch. Yeah, he managed to get a new power cable from the Best Buy. How's he doing? Did he get in line there? I think he got his USB-C's figured out. Was he able to get that MacBook powered up? Because the whole future of civilization is riding on Gary, And if he doesn't get that power cable, I think we're all in a lot of trouble. If Gary's list, don't keep listing. Yeah. I don't know if you guys ever saw there was a fantastic movie starring Ice Cube called War of the Worlds that came out recently. I don't know if any of you saw this movie. I watched it in five separate small clips. All right. Well, as you know, you think I'm joking. But as you know, the fate of humanity itself can very well hinge on one delivery of an Amazon thumb drive. so I don't think what I just laid out is all that far-fetched just go watch the movie if you don't believe me it's a documentary that's what I heard too I just am super proud that Ice Cube was like give me that bag, I don't care …”View more
Ridealong summary
Cognitive debt in software development can hinder teams' ability to navigate complex codebases, especially when senior developers leave. This phenomenon means that as teams claim to review thousands of lines of code daily, they may actually be accumulating knowledge gaps that could jeopardize future performance. The implications of this cognitive debt could reshape how companies approach coding and AI reliance in the coming months.
