When Apple revealed its colorful new budget laptop, the MacBook Neo, to the world earlier this year, I predicted Apple would sell millions of them. (Ten million, by some counts.)
Less than two months later, 9To5Mac reports that Apple has sold out its April supply of the MacBook Neo, with the $599 MacBook Neo backordered until May. While you can still find the MacBook Neo in stock at Amazon and Best Buy, rumor has it that after selling out its initial stock, Apple was forced to place rush orders with its manufacturers earlier this month.
The MacBook Neo has an unbeatable price for its feature set, and students and educators can get the laptop for just $499 by taking advantage of the Apple Store’s education offer. (That might be why the laptop is backordered at Apple but still available elsewhere.) A version with Touch ID and 512GB of storage is available for $699, or $599 with education pricing.
As I explained in my MacBook Neo review, this laptop has no true competitor. Windows laptops and Chromebooks at that price point have much weaker displays, speakers, and overall specs — and that’s before you factor in the Apple status symbol and cool factor as well.
So, if you can’t get your hands on the MacBook Neo or prefer Windows, what should you buy instead? All of these MacBook Neo alternatives come with some tradeoffs, but they won’t break your budget or slow you down too much.
Your best bet: Wait for more inventory
Honestly, unless you prefer Windows or need a gaming laptop, we recommend waiting until the MacBook Neo is available again at the Apple Store. And if you don’t qualify for education pricing, you can still find the Neo in stock at Amazon and Best Buy, for now.
<img src="https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/product/04mXe9F81fkCaWhiY5SDkNV/hero-image.fill.size_256x256.v1772657483.jpg" alt="Apple 2026 MacBook Neo 13-inch Laptop with A18 Pro chip: Built for AI and Apple Intelligence, Liquid Retina Display, 8GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, 1080p FaceTime HD Camera; Indigo”>
Apple MacBook Neo, 13 inches (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)
$699at Amazon
Apple MacBook Neo, 13 inches, Touch ID (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)
$689.99at Amazon
Best for Windows users: Windows 11 Ultimate College Bundle
Last week, Microsoft released a new savings offer for college students that seems designed to compete with MacBook Neo shoppers. Microsoft recently raisedprices on its Microsoft Surface devices, and has no true competitor to the Neo. However, this offer does come with a lot of perks for students.
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When you buy a Windows 11 laptop, the company will also give you one year of Microsoft 365 Premium, one year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and an Xbox Wireless Controller for free, a more than $500 value.
The offer includes popular cheap laptops like the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x and the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. (See all offers at the Microsoft store.)
Best for AI users: Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514
Acer’s popular Chromebook Plus Spin 514 will cost you more than the MacBook Neo, but it comes with 12 months of the Google One AI Premium plan, which includes 5TB of cloud storage. It’s also a 2-in-1 convertible laptop with a touchscreen, so if offers more versatility than a MacBook. In terms of spec, you also get more RAM and a larger display, though you’ll lost out on the MacBook Neo speakers and Retina display.
Again, if you had your heart set on the MacBook Neo, we’d recommend waiting until it’s back in stock at Apple or shopping through Amazon in the meantime.
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Credit: Acer
Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (MediaTek Kompanio Ultra, 12GB RAM, 256GB SSD)
$749
+12 months of the Google One AI Premium plan
Also consider: The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, a Mashable Choice product available at Best Buy for $699.
Best Apple alternative: The M1 MacBook Air
In our performance tests, the new MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro chip performed almost exactly like the original M1 chip on the Geekbench 6 benchmark test. The M1 MacBook Air was also one of the most award-winning laptops ever, and while it’s no longer officially sold, you can still find it in stock at Walmart. However, you can grab it refurbished at Amazon and Best Buy for under $500, which is the most we’d pay for this old model.
The M1 chip is ancient compared to the new M5 chips, but it holds up surprisingly well given its age. There’s a reason Apple silicon has been so disruptive in the laptop market.
Don’t forget: Because this laptop is six years old, it won’t be supported with updates for as long as a newly designed device.
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Credit: Apple
Apple MacBook Air, 13 inches (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)
Refurbished models starting at $439
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Credit: Apple
Apple MacBook Air, 13 inches (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)
$618.19at Walmart
Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men’s product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.
Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He’s currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.
