My nephew just graduated high school, and wants a laptop. When he decides what computer to buy, price (or more precisely, value) is the most important attribute.
Apple’s MacBook Neo upended the ‘value laptop’ equation—Apple’s not supposed to be both the cheapest option and the best value… but it seems like that’s squarely where the Neo landed for the good-but-cheap laptop category.
My nephew is also my godson, and to kick off his computing journey, I thought I’d let him choose from a Framework 12 I bought to test, or the MacBook Neo I bought a couple months ago to use around the studio.
I just got a Macbook Neo for that exact reason. There is nothing comparable at near the same price point running Windows (or Linux).
I found a 512GB used one on eBay for $150 less than retail, with only 4 cycles on the battery in perfect physical condition. So it was an even better deal than retail. First Apple product I’ve had since my old I think 3rd gen iPod touch.
I want a framework, but the value just isn’t there even when considering a high indirect value for things like repair policies.


