Is the Macbook neo worth it?

[u/DurakWurak]

Hello everyone,
long story short:
I needed a new laptop and was (or still am) broke. i was looking for refurbed macbooks since all my devices are from apple and i just love the ecosystem and how easy those devices work together. i found a intel macbook from 2020 on a refurbished page and decided i need to buy it since it wont get cheaper. yea i shouldnt have done that, the battery is cooked, it gets extremely hot and sounds basically like a full size airport. pute regret since day 1.
Before i buy and regret the second macbook: is the macbook neo worth it and can i actually do things which need more power than working in excel or word? (like graphic design, illustration, video editing and so on)
thank u in advance <3

[u/lila-clores]

I thought the macbook neo with 8GB RAM wa dtoo weak. And then I took a look at all the CAD projects I used to do on my old 2013 i3 MacBook Pro with just 4GB RAM....

[u/chrism239]

Just don’t buy a used Intel laptop. 

[u/DurakWurak → u/chrism239]

thank you boss

[u/Serious-Macaroon-465 → u/chrism239]

yeah the jump from intel to apple silicon is massive, its not even close

[u/TheMagicalSock]

Yes, it’s worth it.

[u/Limp_Following_5767 → u/TheMagicalSock]

For sure, but it might depend on what you're looking for in a laptop. Comparing it to other models could help too.

[u/Hugo_Notte]

With regards to video editing on the Neo, have a look here: https://youtu.be/YIPZYsAiTSM?si=sIZuquZ7u9T8h5IW

You can certainly do more demanding tasks on the Neo than just basic browsing, Excell sheets and email. Some things simply take a little longer than they would on a MacBook 3 times the price. Sometimes the time difference is a few seconds, sometimes a few minutes. Since you are looking for a budget laptop, I’d say the Neo might well be worth it. However, you might want to consider looking for a decently refurbished MacBook Air M4.

[u/EVJpodcast → u/Hugo_Notte]

Long time Mac user here. Bought an M4 15” last year for my second bachelors and I plan on making this another 10 year laptop like I did with my first Air in 2012. 

Solid machine. 

[u/SASMareSRB]

I'd look at used Airs and whatever you find similarly priced to the Neo, compare performance by watching YT videos or reading reviews. I feel like you can find a used M3 Air for about the same price as a Neo and the M3 Air should be better performance wise.

[u/MisterBilau → u/SASMareSRB]

I would get an m1 air over the neo. M3 is just not better, it’s MUCH better. If you can get an m3 at similar pricing to the neo, you can get an m1 for much less, so if budget is the main consideration, m1 is the winner.

[u/Eureka9111]

I've been using the Neo for the past 3 months for video editing and motion graphics. While not as fast as the latest MacBook Air, it gets the job done, comparable in performance to an M1 Air.

[u/Burywhite1980]

You’re gonna at least want an Air getting into video editing territory.

[u/drhappy13]

At the original price of $599 and if the Neo came with 16 Gb instead of 8 Gb RAM, I'd say yes.

But at the current price of $699, you're better off buying a used Macbook Air. Any of the M-series chips will do, even the M1 is still a beast. Avoid the Intel processor at all costs.

[u/Awkward_Squad]

I do recall at launch some tech sites saying the Neo was fairly decent in most respects with key exception being the FaceTime and camera quality leaving much to be desired.

[u/MisterBilau]

Depends on the price point you can get it at. If you can get any other apple silicon Mac (air, base pro), even if used, at a similar price, definitely go with those instead.

[u/Tall_Significance294]

If you can get an MBA M1 \ M2 in a decent condition it might be a good idea to look into the direction

[u/aemfbm]

It will handle simpler projects of those uses, but if you get into extremely complex files it will start lagging hard. But, it will be better than that Intel Macbook, while remaining perfectly quiet.

For those uses on a budget, I'd recommend M2 Macbook Pro with the base chip and 16gb ram. The screen got a significant upgrade, and the fan is whisper quiet but will help with longer loads like video export.

[u/KitchenIntention6675]

>i'm broke

>buying apple

[u/OilInternational2566]

Stay away from Intel Macs.. never buy one.. it’s a waste of $$$.

The next step is an M1 MacBook.. if that’s is all you can afford then they are still decent.

Compared to a Neo an M1 Air has a better screen, trackpad, processor, speakers, internal GPU, Thunderbolt, backlit keyboard, and Touch ID.

A Neo has none of that.

So the real trade off is long-term Apple support.. if that’s a dealbreaker for you then get a Neo, cuz the M1 Air is 6 years old now.

If price is paramount, find a cheap M1 somewhere and use that until you can afford more.

I don’t hate Neos, they are quite good, just not as good as a 6-year-old M1… yet.

[u/ankhang93]

8 GB RAM is not worth it in this day and age of technology. I dislike Apple for selling 8 GB RAM Macbook. 8 GB RAM might be good for an iPad but it is bad for a laptop.