With the release of the new MacBook Neo, Apple is making me start to question everything about my personal productivity stack. I have been a long time iPhone, iPad and Mac user. I’m also one of those people that has tried (more than once) to make the iPad into a full-blown computer with various add-ons like keyboards, mice and even the rather expensive Magic Keyboard. These devices always seem to miss the mark for me when compared to a dedicated laptop computer.
Of course the iPad is great for media consumption, for drawing and taking handwritten notes. But you know what? I can’t really draw very well and my handwriting on glass is even worse than it is on paper. Do I enjoy using my iPad for browsing the web, reading PDFs and ebooks and some light gaming? Sure. But when it comes time to “make the words on the screen” the iPad usually ends up being a bit of a chore to setup and is always less efficient for me.
You know what is not a chore for me to use? My beloved M1 MacBook Air. I’ve owned this laptop for over 5 years now and it has never let me down. All day battery life - check. Comfortable keyboard and trackpad - check. Good enough display (for my old eyes) - check. For me, the MacBook Air “just works”.
Another point in the MacBook’s favor over the iPad is that I know how it works. No mysteries about iCloud syncing and file saving. My years of keyboard shortcut muscle memory continue to aid me on the Mac. The 13” inch display on my MacBook is alway easy to read and is very customizable.
So what does this have to do with the new MacBook Neo you might ask? The fact that Apple has released a new device powered by last year’s iPhone Pro processor for $600 has me wondering whether I will ever invest in a premium iPad ever again. My reasoning is that when you purchase an iPad Air or iPad Pro for productivity your investment is not just limited to the purchase price of the device.
For an iPad to be fully capable as a laptop replacement, you need to purchase at least a keyboard. You may also want to add a mouse, trackpad or pencil for additional functionality. And of course you’ll want to protect that expensive iPad with a cover of some sort.
One of the things I am trying to watch out for as I get older is to stop buying things for my things. I would rather invest in something that gets the job done without having to make additional investments in add-ons which invariably get lost, wear out or fail to perform.
Here is what the costs come down to when you compare the MacBook Neo to a new iPad and keyboard.
| 13 inch MacBook Neo with 512 GB | $699 |
| iPad Wi-Fi 256GB | $449 |
| Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad | $249 |
| Total | $698 |
I note that these are full retail prices for these devices. You can definitely get better deals from time to time on iPads and even the Magic Keyboard Folio. And we may see similar deals on MacBook Neos eventually. In the meantime, students and educators receive a $100 discount on the Neo which is pretty nice.
I think the numbers speak for themselves.
The MacBook Neo looks like a complete solution in my opinion. It’s not the fastest Mac. And the Neo does not come with a cellular data option (which I would love). But from the reviews I have read and the videos I have watched it looks like Apple has a hit on their hands with this new device.
#blog