Welcome to the latest installment of “Tech Journalists Living in a Bubble,” where we analyze a $599 laptop by suggesting you instead spend twice as much money or scour the dark corners of eBay for a used machine that smells like the previous owner’s cat. The recent critique of the MacBook Neo is a masterclass in missing the point, wrapped in the kind of elitism usually reserved for people who argue about the “mouthfeel” of artisanal water.

The central thesis of the “just buy an old Air” argument rests on the bold assumption that the average consumer enjoys the thrill of the hunt. Sure, you *might* find a discounted M2 Air if you happen to be standing in a Best Buy during a localized gravitational anomaly, but for the rest of the planet, $599 is a specific number—one that usually buys a plastic Windows laptop that feels like it was assembled from recycled yogurt cups. Suggesting a budget-conscious student “just” find a discontinued model is the tech equivalent of telling someone looking for a Honda Civic to “just find a vintage Porsche in good condition.”

Let’s talk about the “horrific” cost-cutting measures. The article laments the mechanical trackpad as if we’re being forced to use a stone tablet and a chisel. Oh, the humanity! A button that actually moves when you press it! For the TikTok generation, this might be a vintage novelty; for everyone else, it’s a functional input device that doesn’t require a haptic motor to lie to your fingertips.

Then there’s the A18 Pro chip. The criticism here implies that putting an iPhone chip in a laptop is a downgrade, conveniently forgetting that the A18 Pro is currently outperforming mid-range desktop CPUs in single-core benchmarks. It’s an “iPhone chip” the same way a Ferrari engine is “just a car engine.” If you’re using your MacBook Neo to browse Chrome and write a term paper, the A18 Pro isn’t a bottleneck—your 57 open tabs of “research” (YouTube) are.

The article’s obsession with the 8GB of RAM is perhaps its only tether to reality, but even then, it ignores the target demographic. This isn’t a machine for 4K video editing or simulating the heat death of the universe; it’s a machine for people who want a Mac that doesn’t cost a month’s rent. Criticizing a $599 Mac for having 8GB of RAM while praising a $1,099 M5 Air for having 16GB is like criticizing a bicycle for not having a V8 engine. Of course the more expensive one is better—that’s how linear commerce works.

And let’s address the “basic-looking screen” and the lack of Thunderbolt. To the average user, “Thunderbolt” is something Thor does, and “USB-C” is “the plug that fits my phone.” The Neo provides two ports that charge the device and move data. For the person buying this, that is a 100% success rate. As for the screen, if it’s bright enough to see a Netflix UI, it’s already better than any $500 Chromebook currently rotting on a shelf at a big-box retailer.

The MacBook Neo isn’t trying to be the M5 Air, and acting disappointed that it isn’t is a fascinating exercise in illogical comparison. It’s a $600 entry point into an ecosystem that usually starts at a grand. The Verge might want you to “good luck” your way into an older, unsupported model, but for everyone else, having a brand-new Mac with a warranty for the price of an iPad Pro is a win—even if the trackpad actually clicks.