In the wake of the very successful launch of the MacBook Neo, Apple should now turn its attention to a desktop version: Let’s call it the Mac Neo. With an A-series processor and 8GB of RAM, this could cost as little as $399.
A macOS desktop at this price could put Macs in the hands of millions who can’t afford one now. It also might expand Apple’s share of the global computer market to heights the company could previously only dream of.
Affordable Mac Neo could flip the PC market
Apple lost the personal computer wars to Microsoft in the 1980s and 1990s because of a massive disparity in consumer costs. By licensing its operating system to third-party manufacturers like Dell and Gateway, Microsoft fostered a competitive ecosystem of “clones” that drove hardware prices down and reached a broader demographic of middle-class families and small businesses.
After a brief, disastrous attempt at Mac clones, Apple reverted to its closed hardware model, which allowed it to ensure every Mac was top quality. But this also kept prices high, and kept Macs out of the hands of cost-conscious consumers and companies.
Apple then seemed content with making premium computers. Its goal became to make the best products, not the most. For decades, Apple found success with that approach — and became remarkably profitable. (See also: Apple by the numbers: Key stats reveal the company’s astonishing scale.)
But for consumers, that meant Macs were either expensive luxuries or priced out of their range. So they got Windows PCs instead, because that’s what they could afford.
The result is that Apple commands only a small portion of the world computer market. Its share has been on the rise recently, but it’s still only up to 9.9%, according to analysts. That puts it in fourth place, well behind Lenovo, HP and Dell.
The MacBook Neo is Apple’s best shot at significantly boosting that percentage. It’s 100% a Mac and it’s also affordable. And an even lower-cost Mac Neo desktop could further grow Apple’s market share by (finally!) putting macOS into the price range of millions more consumers.
MacBook Neo: A new dawn for Apple
What makes the MacBook Neo a huge wake-up call for PC makers isn’t that it costs $599. HP, Acer, etc., already make Windows notebooks and Chromebooks that cost less. But these products are poorly made with terrible performance. A senior editor at Windows Central even described them as “e-waste.”
The Neo has rival companies running scared because it’s good. Reviewers praise its performance and build quality.
Early indications are that it’s selling very well, and that’s predicted to extend throughout the year. It should fare well during dads-and-grads season as well as back-to-school shopping.
And a $399 Mac Neo desktop with the same performance at a lower price could be another hit for Apple.
The next obvious step: a $399 Mac Neo
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple made the MacBook Neo affordable by building in just the necessities. That includes a chip originally used in the iPhone 16 Pro and a maximum 8GB of unified memory. A Mac Neo desktop with the same could cost even less … perhaps $399.
The Mac mini is currently Apple’s most affordable desktop. The latest version is built around an Apple M4 chip and 16GB of RAM. With a starting price of $599, it’s cheap compared to other macOS desktops, but that price is well above many rival Windows desktops aimed at the home market.
A Mac Neo costing $200 less than the MacBook Neo would provide serious competition for those PCs. Especially as the MacBook Neo benchmarks demonstrate that Apple’s offering would run rings around the competition.
The Mac mini is already tiny, but the Neo could be half the size. An A-series processor doesn’t need a fan, and it (and 8GB of RAM) take up little room. The computer could get by with a minimal number of ports — a couple of USB-C ports and HDMI would probably do it.
An aluminum casing is a requirement. This is still a Mac, not a cheap, plastic Windows box. Manufacture it in fun colors and buyers would take notice.
Mac Neo would bring in new customers
A $399 Mac Neo would be a definite win for consumers with tight budgets. It should sell well with parents buying computers for their children to do homework on, and adults might want one for online shopping, email and similar personal tasks. Small businesses buy a surprising number of Mac minis, and many of them would go for Mac Neo at an even more attractive price.
Plus, anyone who’s heard that macOS is easier to use than Windows can try it out without needing to put down much cash.
That said, sales of the desktop version wouldn’t come close to the furor surrounding the MacBook Neo. Consumers overwhelmingly buy laptops rather than desktop computers by a margin of at least three to one. And the difference is even more stark for Apple — some reports indicate that 90% of macOS sales are MacBooks.
Still, a $399 Mac Neo would bring in plenty of buyers attracted to the most affordable Mac ever.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
8 responses to “Don’t stop now — bring on a $399 Mac Neo”
So essentially an Apple TV that runs MacOS?
No, a budget Mac mini.
Not calling it the Mac Mi-Neo would be simply unforgivable.
Love the idea, but I feel this $399 Mac Neo only really works for people who already have the rest of the setup. If you’ve got a good monitor (say, a 27‑inch iMac), keyboard and trackpad lying around, then sure — it’s a great “brains-only” upgrade.
For everyone else it’s not really $399, it’s $399 plus a decent display and peripherals, which quickly gets you close to MacBook Neo territory. I’d buy this in a second if Apple let me use my Intel 27‑inch iMac as an external monitor — instead that “second life” is only available via third‑party mod kits.
You can pick up a 24-32 inch 60hz monitor at 2K of for around 100 bucks but where this will shine is on that old 40″ 1080p TV gathering dust in the closet. New LOGITECH BT keyboard and mouse combos can be had for under 30 bucks
Unlike Apple’s laptop lineup, there is no need for a cheaper device—whether for desktops, iPhones, iPads, or Apple Watches—that would be positioned below the Mac mini M4, the iPhone 17e, the iPad, or the Apple Watch SE. The entry-level options in those categories are already affordable enough. The sky-high sales figures prove it. Even cheaper variants would not only fragment the product portfolio but also lower the ASP of the respective devices. Apple was and is not a budget brand, deal with it. The MacBook Neo is just the exception to the rule.
By the way, in the $599 and under price range, there is absolutely no competition in the Windows market for the Mac mini M4. Eddy should actually know that.
The Mac Neo is a great idea. I would buy it if Apple allowed Linux on it, which is what most folks do with Windows PCs.
This is such a genius idea. Having owned a Mac mini, MacBook Air, and Neo. I would so jump at this form factor for another room, or give to someone. This is brilliant! Yes, Apple needs to do this without question.