Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
le this under things I definitely did not have on my bingo card for 2026! For years, I have been a dedicated Windows user, relying heavily on powerful, high-end gaming laptops—specifically my 15-inch ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Zephyrus. When you are heavily invested in 3D printing design, video editing, and recording or streaming via OBS Studio, the conventional wisdom has always been that you absolutely need that kind of raw, brute-force hardware.
However, my trusty ROG laptop was starting to bring a multitude of problems to my daily workflow. First and foremost, it is incredibly loud. Because it is a purpose-built gaming computer, those high-RPM fans sound like jet engines spinning up the second you put the machine under any real load. Secondly, it is starting to significantly slow down now that it is about four and a half years old. And let's be perfectly honest: the keyboard on it frankly sucks.
Recently, I tried pivoting to an iPad Air M4. It has been a surprisingly great unit for on-the-go tasks, light video editing, and even serving as a secondary monitor. But it has major professional limitations. I cannot run a full desktop 3D printing slicer on it to properly prepare my PLA or PETG files for my Bambu Lab and Creality printers, and I can't run a full version of Adobe Photoshop.
So, what was I left to do? I picked up the brand new MacBook Neo. But does this budget laptop, which is going right after the Chromebook customer, does it suck?
If you aren't familiar with this machine, what makes it so fascinating is that it is built around an A18 processor—essentially an iPhone CPU architecture. You might think a mobile-first chip wouldn't be powerful enough for heavy desktop tasks, but it is exactly what I need. It handles 3D printing slicers flawlessly. As you can see on screen in this video, I can have a print going down, monitor it in real-time, and keep several instances of my slicer open simultaneously while 3D modeling and setting up future prints. Furthermore, while I'm not the biggest fan of Adobe Premiere, this MacBook Neo runs it perfectly for my video editing workflow. I can even stream in 4K using OBS Studio without breaking a sweat, as my recent test streams have proven.
I didn't just get the base model, either; I opted for the larger 512GB storage configuration. I primarily wanted the extra hard drive space and the incredibly convenient Touch ID fingerprint sensor to log in—if you've used it, you know how much of a game-changer it is. But the absolute best part is the deal I got. I managed to snag this 512GB unit for around $400! I found it on sale as an open-box item at the store, and combined that discount by trading in an old Dell Inspiron laptop I had sitting around for another $185 off the $585 price tag!
While I still do a lot of quick video editing on my phone, knowing I have the power to tackle heavier tasks on this machine is fantastic. The built-in keyboard is phenomenal—a massive upgrade from my old gaming laptop. It does have a minor drawback with only two ports (one high-speed USB-C and one USB 2.0), but overall, I am incredibly impressed with what Apple has pulled off here.
So there you have my MacBook Neo 1st Impressions. Have you thought about picking up a MacBook Neo for yourself? Have you already made the switch? Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments!
Considering a Macbook Neo? Pick one up HERE:
256GB: bestbuycreators.7tiv.net/1GPbqB
512GB: bestbuycreators.7tiv.net/RoXolid
Here's the open box version I bought: bestbuy.com/product/13-inch-macbook-neo-apple-a18-pro-chip-with-6core-cpu-and-5core-gpu-8gb-memory-512gb-ssd-silver/JJGCQYX92P/sku/6615875/openbox?condition=excellent&irgwc=1&afsrc=1&irclickid=UgX2Gs1SpxyZR3S3oWxLqzmSUkuRQWSfB23TXk0&ref=388&loc=roxolidmail%40gmail.com&mpid=6747235&acampid=
#MacBookNeo #FirstImpression #GamingLaptop #Asus #Zephyrus #ROG #RepublicOfGamers #AppleSilicon #MacBook #3DPrinting #OBSStudio #VideoEditing #TechReview #ContentCreation #GamingLaptop #A18Chip #SpringOnShorts
le this under things I definitely did not have on my bingo card for 2026! For years, I have been a dedicated Windows user, relying heavily on powerful, high-end gaming laptops—specifically my 15-inch ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Zephyrus. When you are heavily invested in 3D printing design, video editing, and recording or streaming via OBS Studio, the conventional wisdom has always been that you absolutely need that kind of raw, brute-force hardware.
However, my trusty ROG laptop was starting to bring a multitude of problems to my daily workflow. First and foremost, it is incredibly loud. Because it is a purpose-built gaming computer, those high-RPM fans sound like jet engines spinning up the second you put the machine under any real load. Secondly, it is starting to significantly slow down now that it is about four and a half years old. And let's be perfectly honest: the keyboard on it frankly sucks.
Recently, I tried pivoting to an iPad Air M4. It has been a surprisingly great unit for on-the-go tasks, light video editing, and even serving as a secondary monitor. But it has major professional limitations. I cannot run a full desktop 3D printing slicer on it to properly prepare my PLA or PETG files for my Bambu Lab and Creality printers, and I can't run a full version of Adobe Photoshop.
So, what was I left to do? I picked up the brand new MacBook Neo. But does this budget laptop, which is going right after the Chromebook customer, does it suck?
If you aren't familiar with this machine, what makes it so fascinating is that it is built around an A18 processor—essentially an iPhone CPU architecture. You might think a mobile-first chip wouldn't be powerful enough for heavy desktop tasks, but it is exactly what I need. It handles 3D printing slicers flawlessly. As you can see on screen in this video, I can have a print going down, monitor it in real-time, and keep several instances of my slicer open simultaneously while 3D modeling and setting up future prints. Furthermore, while I'm not the biggest fan of Adobe Premiere, this MacBook Neo runs it perfectly for my video editing workflow. I can even stream in 4K using OBS Studio without breaking a sweat, as my recent test streams have proven.
I didn't just get the base model, either; I opted for the larger 512GB storage configuration. I primarily wanted the extra hard drive space and the incredibly convenient Touch ID fingerprint sensor to log in—if you've used it, you know how much of a game-changer it is. But the absolute best part is the deal I got. I managed to snag this 512GB unit for around $400! I found it on sale as an open-box item at the store, and combined that discount by trading in an old Dell Inspiron laptop I had sitting around for another $185 off the $585 price tag!
While I still do a lot of quick video editing on my phone, knowing I have the power to tackle heavier tasks on this machine is fantastic. The built-in keyboard is phenomenal—a massive upgrade from my old gaming laptop. It does have a minor drawback with only two ports (one high-speed USB-C and one USB 2.0), but overall, I am incredibly impressed with what Apple has pulled off here.
So there you have my MacBook Neo 1st Impressions. Have you thought about picking up a MacBook Neo for yourself? Have you already made the switch? Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments!
Considering a Macbook Neo? Pick one up HERE:
256GB: bestbuycreators.7tiv.net/1GPbqB
512GB: bestbuycreators.7tiv.net/RoXolid
Here's the open box version I bought: bestbuy.com/product/13-inch-macbook-neo-apple-a18-pro-chip-with-6core-cpu-and-5core-gpu-8gb-memory-512gb-ssd-silver/JJGCQYX92P/sku/6615875/openbox?condition=excellent&irgwc=1&afsrc=1&irclickid=UgX2Gs1SpxyZR3S3oWxLqzmSUkuRQWSfB23TXk0&ref=388&loc=roxolidmail%40gmail.com&mpid=6747235&acampid=
#MacBookNeo #FirstImpression #GamingLaptop #Asus #Zephyrus #ROG #RepublicOfGamers #AppleSilicon #MacBook #3DPrinting #OBSStudio #VideoEditing #TechReview #ContentCreation #GamingLaptop #A18Chip #SpringOnShorts
