Using a MacBook Neo for web development
I've been in the market for a portable computer for a while, ever since moving my main PC to the attic where it's too out of the way to use for quick tasks.
I originally tried reviving my old ~2012 Dell laptop by flashing Linux on it but even with a lightweight Xcfe distro it still struggled to perform in any capacity that could be considered convenient.
After giving up on my existing hardware options, I briefly looked into getting a Framework 13, but the amount of customisation options and the price point had me hesitating. That period of internal debate happened to coincide with Apple's release of the MacBook Neo.
Looking at the specs (max 8GB RAM) I initially assumed it would be far too underpowered for decent dev work, especially if you need to be running several Docker containers at once.
One of my colleagues persuaded me to give it a try, with the argument that he'd been doing dev work in his spare time on an old M1 MacBook that also has 8GB RAM. Considering the relatively cheap price compared to similar laptop options and that I could get a 30-day full refund guarantee from the webshop I chose, I figured I had nothing to lose.
My initial thoughts when unboxing the Neo was that it was incredibly lightweight. I use an M2 MacBook Pro at work and the difference in weight was immediately noticeable. I actually felt nervous carrying the Neo downstairs at first because it was so light I thought I might accidentally drop it.
After powering it on I was surprised to see quite a large bezel around the edge of the screen. While the Neo is described as 13-inch, there's about 1/2 an inch of black around the outside of the screen so your actual useable square inches is a bit smaller than advertised. I'm assuming this is a cost-cutting measure to be able to bring down the price.
Similarly, the touchpad and keys feel a lot less "premium" quality than the MacBook Pro I'm used to. There are no click settings for the touchpad and the setting with haptic feedback feels more dull and clunky than the crips, ergonomic click of the Pro. The keys as well feel less slimline and somehow more rubbery to the touch. Again, typing feels more muddy than with the "clean" Pro keys.
Another obvious cost-saving decision is the lack of MagSafe charging point. The Neo charges through a USB-C port and only one of the 2 ports (both on the same side, for some reason) will work. Similarly, the same port is the only one that will connect to a second screen (and the Neo also only supports 1 external monitor). This hasn't been a deal-breaker for me, but there have been a couple of times when I've had to unplug my monitor so I can charge the laptop. As I just use my Neo for hobby projects, I usually just close the lid and go do something else while it charges. To the Neo's credit, this usually also doesn't take long.
When it comes to doing actual dev work I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting to have noticeable pauses and loading timers as the laptop struggled to swap memory between applications, but I've actually noticed very little difference between my hobby Neo and my work Pro. The machine boots very quickly and it isn't long before my initial start-up applications are ready to go.
Of course, my day job requires running 10+ Docker containers simultaneously, while also running AI agents, browsing the web and chatting on Slack. This is a situation where the Neo would never be able to cope, but it's also a situation that the Neo was never designed to be in. There's a reason the Pro costs roughly 3x the price of the Neo.
For my own small side-projects the Neo has actually outperformed my expectations. The most obvious difference is in things like IDE indexing, running unit tests and package manager installs, that take longer on such a low-spec machine. But hey, I set my own deadlines for my side-projects so there's no rush. As long as the Neo keeps chugging along, I'm happy to wait for it.
And due to it's low weight and quick start-up time, I've found myself using it for a lot more than just dev work (like writing this blog, for example). For the price, I would definitely recommend giving the Neo a try.