Will Apple’s MacBook Neo Kill the PC?
There are plenty of people who simply don’t like Apple and the products that the company produces.
The idea of being locked into a system that controls what you can and can’t have on the devices that you own is not something that everyone is able to get on board with, which is why Androids are so popular with phone users. There are others who love Apple, perhaps to the point that their adulation of a tech company has maybe gone a bit too far.
Many people sit right in the middle, however, appreciating what it is that Apple offers whilst still being able to use other devices. The question is, will the MacBook Neo win over more people to Apple?
What is the MacBook Neo?
Even the most fervent of Apple Fanboys (and it’s nearly always boys) would be willing to admit that the devices that the company sells are expensive. The obvious argument is that you’re paying for quality, but what that means is that Apple are pricing themselves out of a whole market of people who simply can’t afford to buy a MacBook.
Although the MacBook Air is cheaper than a MacBook Pro and the Mac mini is an entry-level device that is incredible bang for buck, the Air is still sold for around the £1,000 mark and the mini is a desktop computer. Step forward the Neo, which is aimed squarely at an audience that wants a ‘cheap’ MacBook.
The moment I realized I was going need to find a tougher test for the MacBook Neo😳 pic.twitter.com/QguwCp3BzQ
— Tyler Stalman (@stalman) March 10, 2026
It is basically an affordable MacBook, being up for sale for £599 or £499 for those with access to a student discount. Although a trimmed-down version of what you would get from a MacBook Air, the reality is that most people who are likely to buy it don’t need to be spending the kind of money that it would take to get hold of an Air or a Pro anyway.
This is the MacBook for people whose main use of it will be to send emails, type documents and watch YouTube or Netflix. In other words, there is no point in a power user even considering getting one, but for virtually everyone else it should at least be in the conversation.
A Market Disrupter
There are essentially two reasons why people don’t own Apple products: they either don’t like the company or they can’t afford to buy one. When it comes to the latter, the Neo is there to drive a wedge into the market of budget laptops.
Where previously people would be looking at the likes of a Chromebook, they can now buy into the Apple ecosystem without having to spend huge sums of money, which will make a lot of people think twice before buying a PC. Although the ‘haters’ will still argue that you can get a PC with the same specs, the truth of the matter is that you won’t really be able to do so within the same budget.
@brett.tech I’m sold. #macbook #apple ♬ Wanderlust – Degraus
Microsoft have been dominating the consumer laptop market for decades, seeing more than a billion people using Windows on a regular basis. The problem is, most of them don’t actually like it. Windows is not particularly user-friendly, so the notion of having to pay for a subscription-based model, as Microsoft are alleged planning, isn’t something that many people are going to want to do.
Chromebook has been the main choice opened to those who want to get away from Windows, but now Apple are looking to barge onto the scene and steal as much of the custom as they can, which looks like it is going to be a lot.
What Features You Actually Get
We know that it’s cheap, at least relatively speaking, and we know that it is targeting Windows and Chromebook users, but what else should you learn about the MacBook Neo if you’re considering going and buying one? The first thing to talk about is the processor, which is the same A18 that powers the iPhone.
That means that it is significantly less capable of tackling high-end workflows than an Air or a Pro, but it is still brilliantly equipped in terms of taking on everyday tasks. Whether you want to have a load of browser tabs open, switch between several different apps at the same time or just send emails, you’ll be fine.
It is more than capable of coping with FaceTime calls, iPhone Mirroring or streaming content, which is what the majority of people will be using it for. From young kids to grandparents, via students and stay-at-home mums, the Neo is going to be exactly the right device for virtually all of them.
It is lacking a backlight for the keyboard, there is no haptic touch to the trackpad and the display isn’t quite as good as on one of the other devices, but you’ll still be getting more bang for your buck than a Windows competitor will be able to offer. If you have been considering getting on the Apple train, the MacBook Neo is the device that might win you over.