Macbook neo

A curious question, have anybody tested the new macbook neo with engine dj?

ive been using it with Mac OS Tahoe since it was updated with little issue, the Neo runs Mac OS Tahoe so it shouldn’t be a problem at all.

There’s a discussion going on over on the Algoriddim board. This video on specs is cited

It is slower compared to many other Macs in so many ways.

It is also quick enough for lots and lots of tasks too though. Engine Desktop shouldn’t touch it. And it must be 5 times faster than my 2015 core 2 duo MacBook with 8gb of RAM, that still runs Serato with 3 decks, loops, FX and 2 midi controllers connected without even blinking.

I’ll bet your average person who wants to mix and edit some photos/a bit of video it’ll be absolutely fine.

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Having no backlit keyboard is no use for DJ work in a dark venue. If you look at the full specs it’s been stripped to the bone. Fine for kids and browsing but little else, especially when you can get a nearly new M series for about the sane money.

Depends on your style of DJing, plenty of DJs never touch the computer after firing it up and merely use the buttons and dials on the controller to load their next track etc, with the computer acting as an interface.

This definitely has its place in the market, as the only ā€˜nearly new’ MacBooks it compares to at this price are 4yrs old.

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Do DJs use Chromebooks to make Stems and DJ with? IMHO the Neo is the Apple version of a Chromebook, they lost that market share years ago and now are trying it again.

This. Recently had to work with a laptop without it and its a no-no

It is and it isn’t. The it is part has to do with low specs. The it isn’t part is an OS that is way more open and usable.

It would be slightly overkill for me at this very moment, but in the future I could see myself getting one just for my music library/preparation :blush:

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Reportedly it’s as fast as an M1 MacBook Air. Granted that’s a laptop from 2020, but it was still a giant leap from Intel at the time.

The question was also about Engine DJ, so just to prepare tracks at home, not to DJ out. But I agree it makes more sense to buy a second hand MacBook Air, which will be faster and has more memory.

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Glad to hear it services the computing needs y’all have :grin:

I’ve got an M1 now, so it’s going to have to :rofl::rofl:

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If it’s just for home use I’d go with a Macmini. The latter needs a keyboard, mouse and monitor first go round. But, then those are there for upgrades. I.e., unless we get screwed and connections change again.

I always recommend getting a refurbished or 2nd hand M2/M3/M4 Air instead of the Neo. Go with 16GB of RAM and enjoy the additional benefits, like the illuminated keyboard (which I also regarded as crucial), better ports, trackpad, webcam, and display (larger, more contrast, less reflective, P3, TrueTone). While also having a faster SSD and better Multicore score. And TouchID coming standard.

The Neo is nice with the student discount ($499) for, well, students and such. But in general I regard it as overhyped with too many compromises. People drool about it because it’s new and has nice colors, and at least in the US, the value is good - but I would certainly not buy any 8GB MacBook in 2026, especially if I want to keep it for some more years and have a good time with it. Rather spend a bit more for a much better device.

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The RAM (among many things) is exactly what made me skeptical about the Neo’s longevity.

Given that I process 6K film, I was curious about this review’s conclusion and I was rather surprised, but also not.

TLDW:

  • MacOS is very efficient with RAM allocation (swapping, paging and compressing well before the machine is starved
  • Some CPU benchmarks are faster than the M1
  • Machine is fast enough for basic 4K video editing, can play 10 streams of 4K @ 60FPS simultaneously
  • GPU-intensive tasks are slow. Really slow.
  • When Paging & Swapping is required, apps & the OS UI can become unresponsive (duh).
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Ooh, going by the product page, Apple are definitely aiming this thing at the ladies! :smiley:

The ā€œstunning coloursā€ and all the women in the pictures - even if it’s just hands in shot.

I agree with the Chromebook comments. It’s a Phoneputer.

Sharing for those who might be interested

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So in summary:

It DOES work fine in general as a DJ laptop from a technical perspective.

It only has 8gb RAM but that’s only an issue if your SSD is full.

It only has two ports but that’s not an issue unless you have loads of peripherals, and using a hub is like the worst thing ever.

No mention of the lack of backlit keyboard.

Pretty much a whole video full of waffle.

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