{"id":60260,"date":"2026-03-04T19:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T19:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/0bd36366-5d32-4610-833e-c38e87d42e70"},"modified":"2026-03-04T19:01:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T19:01:00","slug":"apples-599-macbook-neo-hands-on-the-budget-laptop-weve-all-been-waiting-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/apples-599-macbook-neo-hands-on-the-budget-laptop-weve-all-been-waiting-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo hands-on: The budget laptop we’ve all been waiting for?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Apple<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>
Kyle Kucharski\/ZDNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Follow ZDNET: <\/em>Add us as a preferred source<\/span><\/a><\/span> on Google.<\/em><\/p>\n

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ZDNET’s key takeaways <\/h3>\n
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  • Apple just announced a new “cheap” MacBook for $599.<\/li>\n
  • It’s called the MacBook Neo, and it comes in multiple “playful” colors.<\/li>\n
  • It uses the A18 chip — the same processor found in the iPhone 16 Pro.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    After months of rumors and speculation<\/a>, Apple just announced its latest entry-level addition to its MacBook lineup: the MacBook Neo. Priced at $599 and equipped with an A18 processor (the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro), Apple takes aim at budget PCs and Chromebooks in the low-end PC market — an area in which it historically has had virtually no market share.<\/p>\n

    Entry-level MacBook<\/h2>\n

    The MacBook comes at a particularly interesting time, amid soaring RAM prices<\/a>, update fatigue, planned obsolescence, and AI dominating the industry — for better or for worse. <\/p>\n

    Also: Apple’s March event live blog: Every new product and updates from the show<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    In contrast to all that, it’s a 2.74-pound, colorful laptop with a breezy price tag and a simplified outlook. You’re not running local LLMs on this laptop or editing 8K video here. You’re surfing the web, responding to email, and connecting to your iPhone — everyday tasks that everyone does. <\/p>\n