The first reviews of the MacBook Neo are now out and they are uniformly praising, and also all concentrate on the corners Apple cut to make this budget model.
Every review so far agrees that the MacBook Neo is the right Mac for at least many, if not most, users. Until it actually got into reviewers' hands, though, there were complaints about its limitations and iJustine, for one, launched straight in on addressing those.
"Normally when you see my reviews, I'm happy, I'm excited, I'm really bubbly," she begins. "But today, I am upset."
MacBook Neo
She says she's upset because of criticisms from the likes of who she calls an "angry little man," insisting that the MacBook Neo is poor. Specifically that its 8GB RAM means it can't run a series of apps "without crying."
"Well, the only person crying, I think, is going to be you, sir," she continues. Before demonstrating exactly how the MacBook Neo does perform, and where it performs well.
But iJustine is not blind to how this MacBook Neo is right for only a specific audience. This laptop is not geared towards professionals in any capacity," she says. "It's made for casual users who may have never had a Mac before, students, small businesses, and maybe even kids who are getting their first computers."
Frustrations
Wired makes similar points, but does up the criticism about the overall performance. "Buying the Neo does mean you'll get frustrated at some point," it says.
"Apple made a bunch of compromises that might feel like the company is nickel-and-diming its customers, taking advantage of the irresistible appeal of a $599 MacBook," it continues. "While I understand that argument, my time with the MacBook Neo shows that it made cuts in the right places."
Cutting the right corners
That's the other repeated line across every review, that Apple has made cuts, yes, but smart ones.
"The MacBook Neo definitely has flaws," says Ars Technica in its review. "It's missing a few things that have been standard on MacBook Airs and Pros for a very long time."
"Performance is decent," it continues, "but in many of our tests, it's the slowest Mac Apple has shipped since the Apple Silicon Mac era began, including the original M1."
Even so, the review concludes that "Apple has landed on the right side of the line most of the time, cutting features without messing up anything essential."
No-brainer buy
Stuff magazine also mentions compromises, but then goes into simply making up words to describe how good the MacBook Neo is.
"The MacBook Neo's compromises just aren't issues for the vast majority of users and as such what is on offer here is an absolute bargainous no-brainer," it says.
Interestingly, it also makes the point that the MacBook Neo will have a legacy — by making "Windows laptops better and more efficient."
CNN also looks to the future a little, hoping that Apple will one day launch a larger-screen version. But for now, this "is the laptop I'm telling my dad to get."
"For everyone who is looking for a great 13-inch laptop that doesn't make you think as hard about your budget or financing options, the MacBook Neo is the one for you," it concludes.
Fashion magazine GQ, in its British edition, just calls the MacBook Neo "absurdly good value."
"Of course, most Windows laptops will give you better specs on paper for the money," it continues, "but their build quality won't come close to the Neo."
No review so far has come down against the MacBook Neo, but those seem inevitable. Instead, every one of them repeats the first impression, which is that the MacBook Neo may not be for you, but it is the perfect device for many people.
