26th March 2026
Is the MacBook Neo a budget Windows laptop killer?
For years now apple was always seen as a premium device brand over Windows PCs, only selling expensive top of the line products, and although that is still the case with the majority of their products, the MacBook Neo is a clear change in direction for them. You now have the option to get a premium feeling laptop with exceptional build quality, a great screen, and surprisingly good performance with very few compromises.
Has apple disrupted the market with them MacBook Neo? How good is it really? And could it be the right choice for you?
What makes the MacBook Neo special?
Apple’s products away look sleek and the MacBook Neo is no different, with is super thin, all aluminium casing and colour matched keyboard it’s definitely a looker. There are few Windows device manufacturer that can really compete with apple purely on looks.
If we go deeper into the Neo, the display is incredible with basically the same Liquid retina screen as the more expensive MacBook Air. The battery life should also be close to all day as the Neo manages to include a large battery relative to its size.
The inclusion of macOS makes this such a bargain as for everyday users it couldn’t be more capable, flexible and ultimately user-friendly. This makes tasks such as general web browning, emails, Microsoft Office use all run like a dream. The quality of the screen and spacial audio speakers it’s also a great choice for movie watchers.
Whether you are buying the Neo as your first Apple device or if it’s an addition to your existing collection, the way they all work and sync together is very user-friendly. The Apple ecosystem is something to behold, with seamless integration of Photos, iCloud data and features like Airdrop, screen mirroring and FaceTime all working flawlessly across all your devices, it just works so seamlessly.
All of these reasons do make the MacBook Neo a compelling purchase, it really is a premium product and experience and at £599 a real threat to the budget laptop market. Really apple has created a new sub category or devices offering consumers with more choice than ever.
It can't all be good right?
People will be quick to point out the obvious limitation of the MacBook Neo, it only comes with a 8gb or RAM with no options to upgrade this at the time of purchase it even in the future. You are stuck with 8gb, and that’s that.
Depending on your understanding of this, that may be enough to immediately deter you from the Neo, or it might mean nothing to you. Basically the more free Ram you have the more fluid the user experience is, it helps with multitasking and when you have multiple tabs open in your browser window. Depending on oh how you use the MacBook Neo this could end up being a bottleneck in the performance, but at the time of writing most reviewers have been impressed by what the Neo can achieve practically, even if on paper it looks lacking in this area. The real question is will this be the same 5 years down the line?
Again the Storage could be another issue for some users, with £599 getting you the base configuration with 256gb of storage, although unlike the Ram you do have the option to upgrade this to 512gb bringing the price to £699. Given that you also get Touch ID for the extra £100 it seems like a no-brainer, and its worth considering that this can only be upgraded at the time of purchase. Ultimately even the 256gb should be fine for light users, and there is also the additional option of cloud storage, but again this is something that may put some people off.
These slight drawbacks make the Neo perfect for basic/light users, but those that require more storage and power for high intensity tasks far need to look elsewhere as, although it’s a bargain, it does have its limitations.
To really compare the MacBook Neo to a Windows device we need to pick an equivalent model, and although there is no direct competitor there are many in the same price bracket that are aimed at the same people.
The ASUS VivoBook 14 is the best comparison we are going to get. Priced at around £549 at the time of writing it is actually cheaper and on paper look more powerful than the MacBook Neo. It has double the standard Ram at 16gb and double the storage at 512gb, so right out of the gate the ASUS can handle more stored data and should be better for multitasking with double the Ram.
Windows devices are generally more adaptable in terms of which port and accessorise they support, with the MacBook being limited to the newer type C USB ports and the VivoBook having a selection of different ports including Multiple USB type A ports, type C ports as well as an HDMI port. This just means It’s for flexible in what it can connect to meaning less adapters and dongles.
The biggest trade off with the hardware would be the build quality and overall feel of the VivoBook, with it being made of plastic is will never feel as premium as the MacBook Neo. The screen is also a downgrade compared to the Neo, it nowhere near as sharp and also not as bright.
You also cannot overlook the difference between running Windows vs macOS, the issue with this is there is no clear winner, even with most people agreeing that macOS is more user-friendly it ultimately just come down to personal preference.
Has apple really disrupted the market with the Neo?
The Short answer is yes, but only in a certain way.
Apple definitely hasn’t created the most powerful laptop, or even the cheapest, you’ll find plenty of Windows machines are cheaper, and even offer more power when it comes to raw specs.
What apple has done is something truly unique though, they have carved out a new niche in the market, they have achieved something no company ever has, brought a premium experience to the budget market.
Before the introduction of the Neo:
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- Cheaper laptops really did fell cheap and were 90% plastic
- Performance was inconsistent
- Screens were mostly low quality
- You could not access macOS on a new device for £999
Now with the release of the MacBook Neo for just £599, you can get a device that:
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- Feels truly premium
- Runs smoothly and reliably
- Has an amazing quality screen
- Gives you access to macOS
- Integrates seamlessly into apples ecosystem
This is really where the disruption becomes clear, by bringing a premium experience to the budget market apple have created something that no other company has. Usually when a company like apple brings out a new product, others will follow, so expect more laptops within this new sub category in the coming years.
It’s a great choice for anyone who:
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- Wants a reliable laptop that just works
- Is a standard user who browses and emails with other light work
- Is wanting an introduction to Apple ecosystem or is adding to their collection
It might not be the best choice for anyone who:
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- Relies on multitasking and runs a lot of apps together
- Uses power hunger applications
- Does not want to stop using windows or windows only software
- Wants the best spec to value on paper
Final thoughts
The MacBook will never beat the competition with raw power, but that’s not really the point, and it was never trying to.
Apple instead made something different, and possibly more important, a very accessible, premium quality product, at a price that more people can afford.
For a lot of people in the market for a new laptop, that will be enough to sway them. For the rest of the industry, it gives them a standard to aim for, and even if you were never intending on buying the Neo, it will end up benefiting you in the long-run. If apple continue in this direction, the budget laptop as we knew it will look very different in the next few years.