PC Magazine came to the same conclusion:

> Apple pulled off what I thought wasn't possible. The MacBook Neo is poised to set the budget-laptop world on fire as a $599 system that's better-built and sharper than anything else at or below its price.

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/apple-macbook-neo

Similar to the Verge:

> even the cheapest MacBook Neo is good enough to be the go-to Apple laptop for a lot of people. Actually, not just the go-to Apple laptop; the Neo’s hardware simultaneously embarrasses an entire class of affordable (and even far pricier) Windows laptops, as well as just about any Chromebook. And the thing runs on an iPhone chip.

https://www.theverge.com/tech/891741/apple-macbook-neo-a18-p...

▲

dang 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

(We've since merged the threads, but the pcmag.com link is in the toptext above)

	▲	GeekyBear 2 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		The comment was originally in a thread discussing Engadget's take: > MacBook Neo review: Apple puts every $600 Windows PC to shame https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/macbook-neo-revie...
	▲	cromulent 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I understand the need to join the conversations about the same topic. Thanks for keeping the URLs separate. Reading Gruber's long form considered article is very different to reading some second hand Asus executive "shock" comments.

▲

hulitu 15 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[flagged]

▲

akagr 14 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Go beyond the specs, though. Which windows laptops have similar combination of all metal build with tight tolerances, a display hinge that doesn’t wobble, a nice keyboard and even close to similar feeling trackpad at this 600 dollar price point? Most non haptic trackpads are dive board designs where you can only press the lower part of it because they hinge from the top, whereas as Neo’s trackpad is completely floating and can be pressed even on the very top. Also, one of main target audiences - students - can have this for much cheaper with education pricing.

If quality and in-hand feel matters to you at all, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more well rounded laptop than a MacBook at any price point.

▲

p_ing 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

An all metal build doesn't stand up well to abuse versus higher quality plastics.

Looks nicer. For a time, or if taken care of.

▲

lazerpants an hour ago | parent [-]

I actually dig the patinated look of my dented and scratched old MBP and my current MBA. My plastic Dells from work always look terrible after a few trips living in my backpack and getting banged around. Haven't had actual usability issues with either though.

▲

eldaisfish 27 minutes ago | parent [-]

I have.

Plastic is great, until your laptop falls and the plastic shell shatters. That's the weakness of plastic - it's brittle. I have a ten year old macbook with a dinged aluminium chassis. The structure of the shell is still intact despite a few falls.

	▲	p_ing 3 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Not all plastics are brittle, even after time. It is highly dependent on the plastic used.

▲

lostmsu 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

As I said in another thread $650 HP OmniBook 5 on Ryzen is faster, more RAM, feels great to use, and I don't have to deal with MacOS!

▲

scottyah 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Not liking interacting with an OS is a fair choice to make, but don't be fooled by the bolted-on specs like "more RAM" when less of it is available to the user due to the built-in software and driver compatability issues. It's almost always slower, older, and less quality. They do Product Binning and give the worst quality leftovers to the built-in machines where people are less likely to notice and because it won't change the brand's reputation. The difference between i9, i7, etc are just how many defects there are- they're printed identically on the same wafers.

Even IF the processor and RAM combined with Windows and bloatware is faster, you know they're going to have to cut corners on things like keyboard, trackpad, monitor, battery, webcams, heatsinks, etc.

▲

tuesdaynight 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

IMO, there's nothing comparable to MacBook Air in its price range if you are an average user. Neo is even better in that aspect. The model you cited sounds better if you are planning to use Linux and are computer literate. But if you just want something that is good (not perfect) at everything usual, a MacBook is a no-brainer.

	▲	lostmsu 7 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I don't think MacOS is better than Windows, so I disagree with that take.

▲

wlesieutre 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

To save anyone else trying to figure out what computer lostmsu is talking about, at least going by the current prices on HP's website (not MSRP):

HP OmniBook 5 Laptop Next Gen AI 16-fb0037nr

If I were shopping for a cheap laptop I would have given up and bought a Macbook Neo before I found that one.

	▲	lostmsu an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Sorry about that, here's a link where you can buy one: https://www.staples.com/hp-omnibook-5-16-2k-laptop-copilot-p... I have no affiliation with them of any kind