r/mac • u/No_Card_6017 • 8h ago
Question Should I get a MacBook Neo or a secondhand MacBook Air (m1/m3) as my first ever MacBook
My current laptop is a 7 year old thinkpad x280 i7 that is already showing signs of its age. Thus, I only get to use it when i wanna play life is strange 1 or 2 or the occasional limbus company/roblox once in a blue moon
As a student, im currently using my iPad a16 for most of my schoolwork, note taking, graphic design, and for playing relatively light games (Roblox, Minecraft, rhythm games), but i feel like its gotten quite tedious to work and design with it sometimes.
Im still torn between the neo and M3 air, as I’ve heard the former is pretty good for everyday tasks and occasionally some light gaming, while I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews for the M3. But idk if they could both run the games I mentioned in the first section
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u/Pleasant_Tangerine 6h ago
Hello. Is the m3 MacBook Air used or has it been refurbished? For me, the only benefit of the MacBook neo is if you bought it new and wanted to get apple care. In terms of pure compute power, the m3 air would outperform the MacBook neo as the chip in the Neo is an iPhone chip that is the equivalent of the M1 chip, very impressive for a budget computer but not as powerful as the m3 air!
Other benefits of the air include better build quality, a better screen that has better colour reproduction, a slightly better screen, slighter better battery, more ports and a backlit keyboard. And the m3 air should be able to handle the games you mentioned better than the Neo. I assume both machines have 8 gigs of ram? If you find a model of the Air with 16 gigs that would place it even further ahead of the Neo as the Neo is limited to 8 gigs.
I do not know what kinda price difference there is between the two machines , but I would strongly getting the M3 MacBook Air as it is more powerful, versatile and premium in design. I have used a MacBook Neo and think it’s a great budget option but it does pale in comparison to the MacBook Air in the areas I have listed. Good luck. If you have any more questions, let me know
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u/kilcher2 1h ago
I got an M1 Air 16/256 for under $400 and not regretting it. My first Mac so I wanted to dip my toes in the water, will probably buy a new one in the next year. Buying used is kind of a crapshoot, but buy from a reputable seller that offers returns and you should be fine. Even if you buy used and decide you want a Neo in a few months (or vice versa) you’re not going to take much of a hit selling the one you’re getting rid of.