Will trading down to Apple’s new budget-friendly gear slow you down? Let’s talk about it.

The MacBook Neo is Apple's newest Mac, and the most affordable notebook that Apple has released to date at $599. Designed from the ground up, the Neo is unique because it features an A-series chip instead of a typical M-series chip. It has lower-end features than the MacBook Pro or the MacBook Air to keep costs low.

Apple is offering the MacBook Neo at a more affordable price point by using an A18 Pro chip, which is used in the iPhone 16 Pro.

The MacBook Neo Looks Like a Hit for Students. Should Anyone Else Choose It Over the Air?

The standout feature of the new MacBook Neo is its low price, but it seems a great many buyers are willing to pay extra.

It's been a wild week for Apple. After announcing a slew of new hardware, the company capped things off with its cheapest laptop ever: the $599 MacBook Neo. It's low on specs, but high on character and value.

If you've got $600 to spare and are platform-agnostic, let's walk through the myriad of Neo-like laptops available to you.

The first MacBook Neo benchmark scores confirm that it offers all the performance needed by entry-level computer users.