If you’re as old as I am, you might remember the early-2000s demands for Apple to make a netbook, which was a super-cheap lightweight laptop that cost pennies compared to a normal PC.
Steve Jobs wasn’t impressed, deriding them as “cheap laptops”; he also said that Apple simply didn’t know how to make a $500 computer that was not “a piece of junk”. So Apple made the MacBook Air and then the iPad instead.
Today, though, Apple launched the MacBook Neo — and it’s definitely a cheap laptop. But crucially, while it’s a $500 computer (if you can get the educational discount; it’s a $599 computer for the rest of us) it’s not a piece of junk.
A Cheap Apple Laptop is an Excellent Thing
Jobs was absolutely right when he said it wasn’t possible for Apple to make a cheap laptop that wasn’t a piece of junk. At that time, Apple was two years away from launching its first chip, and the true Apple Silicon revolution was over a decade away.
The Apple A18 Pro processor in the new MacBook Neo is impressively speedy and sufficiently powerful for everyday computing tasks such as browsing the internet, watching multimedia content, and engaging in online shopping. For home and student users, this covers 99% of common use cases.
I wouldn’t buy one for myself, as the specifications aren’t adequate for demanding applications like Logic Pro; for that, I have my M1 Max MacBook Pro.
However, I would readily consider one for my kids, and many parents will likely echo this sentiment. With the launch of the Neo, Apple has effectively halved the cost of owning an Apple laptop.
Distinguishing the Neo from Netbooks
While it may be tempting to label the Neo as a netbook, it is essential to understand that it vastly differs from those early devices. Netbooks were often underwhelming; I personally owned one or two that were merely sufficient for typing on the go. Upon returning home, I would invariably prefer the iBook, which felt more like a supercomputer by comparison. The typing experience on a full-sized computer is far superior.
The Neo is more appropriately viewed as the successor to the original MacBook, which debuted in 2015. Unlike that model, which was Intel-powered and lacked the technological advancement of today, the Neo benefits from Apple’s own innovative silicon, allowing for impressive performance at a budget-friendly price.
Although costs have decreased over the years, they remained high for many users; for instance, UK buyers in 2019 were paying £799 for the equivalent model, due to exchange rate discrepancies that pushed US prices even higher.
A Strategic Move for Apple
Apple was never primed to release a netbook or compete directly with lower-end Chromebooks. Instead, the company has successfully emulated the pricing strategy of its iPhone and Apple Watch models, resulting in the MacBook SE. This device may not match the performance of its pricier siblings, but it’s quite functional for budget-conscious consumers.
Apple aims not just to expand its Mac sales with this offering; it also serves as a strategic gateway for its various service subscriptions, which include Apple Music, Apple TV, and the Creator Studio.
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