MacBook Neo (2026): The “Budget Mac” That’s Turning Heads Down Under
The Big Idea: A Mac for the Masses Apple finally gave the price‑conscious crowd a reason to ditch Chromebooks and cheap Windows clunkers. At A$899 for the 256 GB base model (A$749 for students) the Neo is the cheapest all‑aluminium Mac ever sold. The secret sauce? A 50% reduction in aluminium usage and a “binned” A18 Pro chip ripped straight from the iPhone 16 Pro line‑up. The result is a laptop that looks and feels premium without the premium price tag. Design & Build. Light on Metal, Heavy on Feel Aluminium unibody: Still there, but Apple’s new stamping process cuts the metal budget in half while keeping 90% recycled content. Colour palette: Classic Silver plus the new Blush, Citrus, and Indigo finishes that have already sold out in most stores. Keyboard: No backlight, but the travel is surprisingly generous compared with the Air’s scissor‑type keys. Trackpad: A mechanical clicker rather than the haptic Force Touch you se...