MacBook Neo Looks Like a Hit for Students. Is There Someone Else To Choose In The Air?

Even before the launch of the MacBook NeoApple had a student laptop. I MacBook Air our current option as The best laptop for college students. So more than competing against Chromebooks again budget Windows laptopsthe new MacBook Neo will also compete with the MacBook Air for school laptop buyers.

Given the huge price difference between the Neo and the Air, I think we’ll be seeing tons of colorful MacBook Neos in schools next fall. It may seem like a hit on a student budget, but should you consider buying a MacBook Neo once you’re done with school?

Let’s take a closer look at the new Neo to see what features it offers and what it doesn’t.

MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air

For $599, or just $499 with Apple’s educational discount, the MacBook Neo significantly lowers the entry price for MacBook buyers. Neo comes hot on the heels of the youth M5 MacBook Air, which raises the price of the Air by $100 to $1,099. That probably puts Spirit beyond the budget of most readers.

There’s also last year’s M4 MacBook Air to consider. It can usually be found for under $1,000 on Amazon. Right now, of course retails for $899.

With the M4 MacBook Air models still readily available, budget laptop buyers have three MacBook options.

The fact that the price gap between the MacBook Neo and the discounted M4 MacBook Air is greater than that of the M4 Air and M5 Air makes a compelling case for the Neo. The Neo costs $300 less than the discounted M4 Air and $500 less than the $1,099 M5 Air. Only $200 separates the old M4 Air and the new M5 Air.

We still don’t know how a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro processor and 8GB of integrated memory will compare to a MacBook Air with an M4 or M5 chip and 16GB of RAM.

However, I can tell you right now, that if you are a creator who uses photo or video editing applications or plan to use Apple Intelligence or run other AI workloads, the MacBook Air is a better choice for more GPU cores and a larger memory share. You’re stuck with 8GB of RAM for the Neo; the only upgrade it offers is doubling the storage to a 512GB SSD for $100.

The Neo makes more sense as a MacBook for home use. Think of it as a giant, touchless iPad with a keyboard attached. It will let you browse the web, watch shows and movies, edit photos and videos you take with your iPhone, and respond to texts using the keyboard. It’s also compact and portable, with a lightweight aluminum body, and will undoubtedly make an easy travel companion.

What is missing from Neo

The most pleasant surprise of the MacBook Neo is the size of the display. Rumors were circulating that Apple would partially save costs by fitting the Neo with a 12-inch display, so I was happy to see the Neo get a 13-inch display that’s only slightly smaller than the Air’s 13.6-inch display. Also, a Liquid Retina display with a high resolution of 2,408×1,506 pixels.

However, a few things you get with the Air are missing from the Neo.

Let’s start with the installation equipment. The keyboard does not have a backlight, which is a bummer as that is seen even in most budget Windows laptops and Chromebooks at this price. The basic keyboard also lacks Touch ID. You have to spend $100 on a 512GB SSD to get Touch ID, a feature I can’t live without on my MacBook. Also, the touchpad is mechanical and not the Force Touch haptic touchpad found in the air.

Ports are also low. Instead of the fast Thunderbolt 4 ports, the two USB-C ports are for the slower USB 3 and USB 2. And you’ll need to use one of them to charge the Neo because it doesn’t have a MagSafe connector. I really enjoy the satisfying snap when I plug in my MagSafe cable and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the cable will snap easily and not drag my MacBook to its doom if I trip over the cable.

The webcam can do 1080p video, like you get with the Air, but it doesn’t have Center Stage, which pans and zooms to keep you in the middle of the frame. (Happily there’s no webcam notch, though.) And while you get a Liquid Retina display on the Neo, it lacks Apple’s True Tone technology that uses ambient light sensors to adjust white balance so text and photos look natural and accurate. Most people won’t miss either of these last two things.

Don’t forget the memory

For many people deciding between the MacBook Air and the Neo, the biggest drawback will be the 8GB of RAM. I suspect the six-core A18 Pro will do a good job running macOS. It’s the RAM that makes me nervous.

In this period of The lack of RAM increases the priceit should come as no surprise that Apple only went with 8GB of RAM on the Neo. And it makes sense why you can upgrade the Neo’s memory to 16GB.

Apple charges $200 from 16GB to 24GB of RAM on the MacBook Air. Add $200 to the cost of the Neo on top of the $100 charge for 512GB (because most people wouldn’t do one without the other), and suddenly you’re looking at an $899 price for the Neo. At that price, you’re entering MacBook Air territory.

Unless you absolutely insist on keyboard support, haptic touchpad, Thunderbolt 4 or MagSafe, the decision between MacBook Neo or Air will come down to memory. If you’re keeping things simple, then the Neo’s 8GB of RAM will be more than enough. After all, until the M3 Air, the base models only had 8GB of memory and didn’t struggle to run macOS. Still, for heavy lifting where you’re doing some graphics or AI work — or if you’re a multitasker and find yourself juggling many, many apps every day — then it makes sense to spend the extra money on a MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM.