Macbook Neo

[TerminalDreams]

Hey everyone, I need your opinion. I have a 2017 MacBook Pro 15-inch with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, but it's got a lot of problems right now. The keyboard has many keys not working or double-typing, the battery only lasts 2-3 hours, the power button doesn't work (though Touch ID does), and the laptop itself is really slow with many software issues because it's old. So, I have the option to buy a MacBook Neo with 256GB and 8GB RAM for $500 student price, and that's my only option right now. Should I buy it and then replace it with a MacBook Air or Pro in 2-3 years, or just keep my current laptop and replace it in 2 years?

[Electronics Wizardy]

What do you use your laptop for? Do you think you can use that laptop for 2 more years if you went with that path? 
 

I'd be tempted to go new laptop now with those issues, and you can probably get a good amount of life from it if a 2017 laptop is good enough for your needs now.

[Zando_]

48 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

What do you use your laptop for? 

^^^ The only important question. I used a MacBook Air with the M3 chip and 8GB RAM for work, but it finally got so choked up that I had to put in for a new machine (and have since got it). For work, Dropbox, Slack, etc eat a bunch of RAM, then the network admin portals I use in web browsers like to eat a gigabyte or more each, and I've been doing a ton of multitasking recently so it just snowballed. 

 

If you're doing 1-3 light-medium tasks at once, I think the 8GB will be fine, so long as you keep a good bit of free space on the SSD (it'll swap a lot, and SSDs get slower if they're too full). If you do a ton of multitasking or really RAM hungry stuff, it's gonna choke. That said, the 2016-2020 Intel Macs are the most garbage hardware Apple has ever produced, and aren't very repairable, so I think the Neo will be better than nothing. 

[Needfuldoer]

What region are you shopping in? Here in the US, third=party refurbished M1 MacBook Airs and Pros cost around the same as a Neo. We don't know how much longer M1 Macs will be supported, and the battery may not be in 100% original condition, but if you're planning to upgrade in a couple years anyway, it's an option worth considering.

[Commodus]

14 hours ago, TerminalDreams said:

Hey everyone, I need your opinion. I have a 2017 MacBook Pro 15-inch with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, but it's got a lot of problems right now. The keyboard has many keys not working or double-typing, the battery only lasts 2-3 hours, the power button doesn't work (though Touch ID does), and the laptop itself is really slow with many software issues because it's old. So, I have the option to buy a MacBook Neo with 256GB and 8GB RAM for $500 student price, and that's my only option right now. Should I buy it and then replace it with a MacBook Air or Pro in 2-3 years, or just keep my current laptop and replace it in 2 years?

If a refurb Air is available go for that, but otherwise don't hesitate to get the Neo.

 

Remember, the Neo will still be much faster, with a more reliable keyboard and likely better battery life even when compared to the Pro when it was new. The lower storage is the only thing that might constrain you, but that depends on your needs. Are you including trade-in value as part of the strategy?  If not, you might have the budget for the 512GB Neo (or a suitable Air refurb).

 

There's no sense punishing yourself by trying to make a clearly flaky system last for another couple of years. Get the Neo to ease your stress.

[Spindel]

The question is always: What do you expect to do on your computer?

 

But as an general answer to your question: The Neo will run circles around your current macbook as long as your usage is the same. The limitations might show themselves when you expand your usage.

 

Of course one control question is if you use any special software currently, then you should check if there is an Apple Silicon version of it before getting a Neo.