The Neo Effect: How Apple’s cheapest Mac is changing the PC game

April 8, 2026 Antonio G. Di Benedetto

A photo of a person using a laptop with their feet propped up on a window.
This thing is poised to eat their lunch. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The MacBook Neo is disrupting the laptop space and putting Apple into the conversation as a value option like it’s never been before. With a price starting at $599 (or $499 for students and teachers), the colorful laptop’s A18 Pro chip may be stolen from older iPads and iPhones, but it offers more than enough performance for everyday tasks and web browsing.

From the screen sharpness, trackpad/keyboard feel, and its aluminum build, everything else about it is in line with more expensive MacBooks.

And that means PC makers have a hot new competitor to contend with and adapt to — one that they weren’t ready for. Here’s all the news and analysis of Apple’s Mac for the masses.

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