Apple’s new MacBook Neo is being positioned as the ultimate budget option for students and casual users, but Canadian tech reviewer Tyler Stalman decided to see if it could punch above its weight class.
In a new performance test, Stalman put the $799 CAD entry-level Mac through a series of stress tests to see if the A18 Pro chip (the same processor found in the iPhone 16 Pro) is enough to power through intensive creative work.
Despite its entry-level status and modest 8GB of RAM, the results were surprisingly capable for a machine that Stalman noted is actually cheaper than buying a base iPad with a keyboard accessory.
Editing 4K Video on a Budget
Stalman pushed the Neo by opening every application in his folder simultaneously and then jumping straight into a 4K project in Final Cut Pro. Remarkably, the machine handled 4K playback without issues, even with a mix of 6K and 4K footage in the timeline.
While the machine hit its limit when dealing with multiple stacked layers, transitions, and text overlays in “Better Quality” mode, Stalman found that switching to “Better Performance” mode or using proxy files made editing a standard YouTube video entirely possible, with ease.
High-Resolution Photography Performance
The testing didn’t stop at video. Stalman imported fifty 100-megapixel RAW photos from a Hasselblad camera. These files that are over 200MB each, which is no joke. The MacBook Neo managed to import the batch in just 50 seconds.
Inside Adobe Lightroom Classic, flipping through these massive files was instant. While there was a slight delay when rendering original one-to-one previews, AI-driven tasks like sky and subject masking were nearly instant. Stalman noted that while the experience isn’t as seamless as a MacBook Pro, it is completely functional for those who need to get professional photo work done on a budget.
Better Value Than an iPad?
One of the most compelling arguments Stalman made was the price-to-performance ratio for Canadians. He pointed out that a base iPad with a keyboard costs roughly $828 CAD, whereas the MacBook Neo starts at $799 CAD. If we look at education pricing it’s down to $679 CAD (a difference of $149 CAD).
“It is cheaper to get the Neo than an iPad and a keyboard, and to me, way more capable,” Stalman said, highlighting that macOS offers a much more complete experience than iPadOS. While the Neo lacks features like a haptic trackpad and has lower base specs, Stalman concluded that it is a hit that can handle far more than just web browsing and writing essays.
We need to remember the A18 Pro is faster than Apple’s M1 and M2 chips. The MacBook Neo looks like a must-have for students especially at $679 CAD education pricing. It’s a total joke that the M4 iPad Air does not run macOS, but the MacBook Neo can.
Check out Stalman’s video below:
“The MacBook Neo is kind of a hit for me,” concluded Stalman.
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