Apple's MacBook Neo Gets a Split Verdict From Podcast Hosts

Apple's MacBook Neo was the main subject of the latest episode of the Accidental Tech Podcast, and early reactions were far from unanimous. The show notes quote Henry calling the laptop "NFW," while Ari said it "could be a breath of fresh air." The discussion also set the Neo against Chromebooks, the budget category Apple's new machine is most likely to be judged against.

The episode linked to Tim Cook's remarks on the launch and pulled in outside coverage. Framework founder Nirav Patel published a teardown of the machine, and 9to5Mac's Chance Miller reported on information Apple shared about its M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which also came up in the conversation.

The rest of the episode was not all about the Neo. The hosts ran a "RIP, Mac Pro" segment, and a listener-submitted idea for an iBook-style design, labeled "Snow" in the notes, sparked speculation about whether Apple might revisit that look.

Beyond Cook's comments and the chip information Apple supplied, most of what the episode covers is commentary and speculation. The Neo launch is the only confirmed product news in the discussion, so readers should weigh the rest accordingly.