Apple MacBook Neo can't even handle a browser? Laptops will come with 8 GB of RAM and processors from smartphones

Apple has finally put a label on the budget machine everyone’s been talking about: the MacBook Neo. It’s clearly aimed at Chromebooks and cheaper Windows notebooks, will be offered in bright colors, and runs on iPhone silicon — the A18 Pro — with availability starting March 11. Price starts at $599. There’s a catch: memory. The Neo ships with just 8 GB (8GB) of RAM and comes in only two storage tiers — 256 GB or 512 GB. Don’t expect to run heavy desktop apps smoothly; that much RAM is tight even for multitasking. Browsers, in particular, can gobble memory when you pile on tabs, extensions, or web apps, so swapping to storage and stutters are a real possibility. Apple is marketing the Neo for browsing and other light tasks, so they’re clearly counting on that usage profile.

Specs include a 13" IPS display (500 nits, 60Hz). Other bits: fingerprint scanner (fp), Apple’s keyboard, and stereo speakers — practical, not flashy.