by Larry Magid
This post first appeared in the Mercury News
For years, people have jokingly referred to the “Apple Tax,” which isn’t a real tax but a premium price for Apple products. Although not always, Apple products are often priced significantly higher than competing products with similar specifications. That’s true with phones and it’s long been true with Macintosh computers.
Until March 4th, Apple’s least expensive laptop was the 13-inch MacBook Air starting at $1,099. Other companies offer laptops with competing specs for as little as $400. I’m not suggesting that the very cheap PC laptops are as good as the MacBook Air, which is known for excellent build quality, but they do pretty much the same thing, just as an inexpensive car does what a luxury model does. Apple products are typically discounted for educators and students and sometimes go on sale at predictable times such as around Thanksgiving and Amazon Prime Day.
Enough power for most users
But Apple has finally released a relatively low-cost laptop called the MacBook Neo starting at $599 for the model with a 256 GB solid state drive (SSD) or $699 with a 512 GB SSD and ‘Touch ID” that lets you log on with your fingerprint. Both models come with 8 GB of RAM, which could be a limiting factor if you’re running multiple apps at the same time or doing very intensive tasks like video. But, for the vast majority of people, this machine will work very well. And, unlike the MacBook Air, which is equipped with Apple’s powerful M5 chip, the Neo comes with the A18 chip, the same less powerful chip used in the iPhone 16.
Although either of the two models are more than adequate, the extra $100 for the higher end model gives you twice the storage and the Touch ID, which not only unlocks the computer but many apps as well. For all but the most budget conscious, it’s probably worth it. Costco members can save $10 on either model and take advantage of Costco’s generous 90-day return policy as opposed to Apple’s 14-day return window.
You might wonder if a smartphone chip is powerful and fast enough for a laptop, but based on my use and other reviews, it does a very good job at typical things people do. Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed.
Besides, these days most of what people typically do on PCs is via a web browser or a cloud connected app where the heavy lifting is done by a server possibly thousands of miles away, not the processor or memory on your computer. Though, as I mention later, there are some tasks that are better handled by more powerful laptops.
The Neo’s 8 GB of memory is low by today’s standards and there isn’t an option for additional memory. That wasn’t an issue in the programs I used, such as web browsers and Microsoft Word, but it might not have enough memory for some programs or people who want to run several programs at a time. The limited memory, along with the less powerful chip, could slow down some applications.
Not for power users
This is not the machine for people doing heavy-duty video editing, gaming or running demanding software, where more power, memory and higher-end graphics matter. Users who depend on a lot of external USB peripherals might also be frustrated, but it will serve most people well, including students who need a rugged, easy to carry laptop. It could also serve as a good second machine, away from home or office when you might not need your more powerful apps.
Delivers what typically matters
So, let’s focus on what really matters for most users: screen quality, the keyboard and track pad, Wi-Fi connectivity, size, weight and battery life, along with reliability, build quality, and how well the device fits your everyday needs.
Start with the build. Unlike some cheap PCs, there is no visible plastic. The case is made of all aluminum and comes in Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo. It looks great and feels great in your hand. It has a similar feel as the MacBook Air, and at 2.7 pounds, it’s the same weight as the Air, which is one of the lightest full-featured laptops you can buy.
As a touch typist, I care a lot about the feel of the keyboard, and Apple’s “Magic Keyboard” is among the most comfortable I’ve ever used. It has a noticeably better feel than some high-end laptops that cost several times as much. I got used to it right away and find myself making fewer typos and having to exert less pressure than I do with many laptop keyboards.
The trackpad is very responsive and can be configured to allow you to click by just gently tapping rather than having to press down.
It has a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with 2408×1506 resolution, 500-nit maximum brightness, and vibrant color supporting up to a billion colors, according to Apple. Specs aside, images and videos look great. Even more important to me, text is easy to read against a high contrast bright white background.
Apple says that the 36.5-watt-hour lithium-ion battery is rated for up to 16 hours of video streaming or 11 hours of web browsing. I didn’t time it, but I did use it for an entire day without having to recharge. PC World’s reviewer got 13 hours and 15 minutes in a looped video test with the brightness turned about halfway down.
The Neo comes with a 20W USB-C power adapter that’s much smaller than most PC adapters, which means less to carry when you’re on the go. It has two USB-C ports for charging and connecting accessories, plus a standard headphone jack. One of those ports is fast enough for an external display or an external drive. The other is mostly just for charging. You can use the fast USB port to connect an external display, though you’ll likely need an adapter.
Like all Apple computers, it plays well in the Apple eco-system for those who own an iPhone, iPad, Airpods, Apple watch or other Apple accessories.
Common Windows laptop features you don’t get
Unlike some Windows laptops, no Macs have touchscreens. I like having a touchscreen for clicking on icons and zooming in or out, but it’s not necessary unless you want to use the screen for drawing. Also, unlike some Windows laptops, none of Apple’s MacBook’s have screens that fold all the way back, to function like a tablet, be used in “tent mode,’ or just allow you to move the screen to any angle. There are many companies that make Windows laptops, so there are a lot more choices and competition including lower prices and higher specs and, of course, there are some programs that run only on Windows.
When deciding whether to switch from Windows to Mac or the other way around, it helps to look beyond the device itself and think about your overall environment. Consider what you use at work or school, and what the people around you are using. If you’re not especially technical and someone you rely on for help is a Windows expert, that alone might be a good reason to stick with Windows.
Inexpensive but not “cheap”
You can find cheaper laptops with the same or maybe even higher technical specs, but it’s hard to find cheap ones that don’t feel cheap. The MacBook Neo is a classy laptop from Apple without that “Apple Tax.”