I’ve always wanted a notebook I could take anywhere without the typical anxieties associated with lugging along expensive equipment. What if it breaks? What if it gets stolen? What if I spill iced tea all over the thing while hammering away at the keyboard in a coffee shop, like the eternally frustrated writer I am?
Options have always existed, of course. I was a huge fan of netbooks back in the day, even if the hardware quality was awful and the processing power bad. At least I could take it to class, throw it around, and not care about the outcome.
Lately, though, the market for bangarounds limits the consumer to two options: your typical x86 clunker, or a Chromebook. After switching to the Apple M1 five years ago, I can’t imagine suffering through an x86 clunker (even with Linux installed), and I’m not a huge fan of surrendering my metadata to Big Tech without a fight, which is why a Chromebook has been off the table for a number of years now.
Enter the Neo
When I heard about the MacBook Neo, I immediately bought the cheapest configuration. No waiting. No hemming and hawing over the fact that it is run by a mobile processor. I thought this might be the bangaround of my dreams, able to incorporate everything I do for work seamlessly, since I’m already in the Apple ecosystem.
I was right.
This machine is perfect for all I will ever do with it, and it is still suitable for the things I will never do with it, like editing 4K video.
Sure, I wish it had more than 8GB of RAM, but you will likely never push this unless you’re a Chrome tabs goblin. I hope they push the specs to 12GB in the next chipset, but I experience no noticeable lag running my typical suite of productivity apps.
Is Neo the One?
Can the Neo stand as your only computer? Maybe. It just depends on your use case. Most people browse the web, write emails, and do very light tasks. If this is you, then I could easily see the Neo standing as your only computer. For K-12 students and the elderly, the Neo is a no-brainer.
If you game, then you already know you should never buy a Mac. If you prefer a solid desktop computing experience, this probably won’t stand up to expectations: if there can be only one, save up your pennies and buy a Mac Studio or mini.
For me, the Neo has a place in my arsenal as the computer I carry everywhere, while my other hardware stays rooted to specific locations. As a writer and reader, it's more machine than I'll ever need for its intended use on-the-go.