If you are in the market for a Neo, see this: Dave2D shows (youtu.be/h26FlWu7aDc?t=587) that while a used/Apple Refurb MacBook Air costs more, the Air has:
- Better and bigger display
- Chunkier bezels on the Neo, but also no notch
- Better trackpad (haptic on the Air vs machanical on the Neo)
- 16 GB unified memory (vs 8 GB on the Neo)
- Better chip (M4)
- Backlit keyboard
- 2 vs 4 speakers on the Air
- 7.5 vs 11.5 hours battery on the Air
- 3 microphones vs 2 on the Neo
- All this despite the weight being the same
- No Touch ID on the Neo base 599 model
And (feel free to add more to the list)
- Better screen ratio on the Air (1:1.545 (2880px/1864px) vs 1:1.6 (16:10) on the Neo)
- Temporal dithering on the Neo (can cause eye strain)
- MagSafe (magnetically attached power connector) on the Air
- Both fast USB-C ports on the Air
Dave2D concludes: "Personally, I would go for the MacBook Air".
At the end of this video, Just Josh also says he'd buy a refurbished Air instead: youtube.com/watch?v=OaENnuQvv9o
The Neo is still a win. Since the Neo is smaller than the Air 13, but weights the same, it could have weighted a bit less. Things to improve for a Neo 2: A bit lighter by 0.22 to 0.33 lbs and 12 to 16 GB unified memory. If temporal dithering is such an issue, then it needs to be fixed as well.
How does the temporal dithering look like from a normal viewing distance and why is it so bad that:
QuoteIf you are sensitive to temporal dithering, you will not be happy with the MacBook Neo.
?
First search result when searching for "temporal dithering":
QuoteThis method can sometimes cause issues like eye strain or headaches for sensitive individuals due to the flickering effect it creates
If not already, APPLE should introduce a setting to disable temporal dithering.
Second search result:
Quote from: github.com/waydabber/BetterDisplay/wiki/..Preventing temporal dithering on Apple Silicon Macs
Quote from: NuclearNotebook on Today at 07:43:33Interesting to see that the speakers measure slightly better than the Air's
Except they don't?:
QuoteThey lack a bit of punch compared to the MacBook Air