In this video, I’m comparing the new MacBook Neo to the new M5 MacBook Air, because on paper they look similar—but the price is wildly different: $600 for the Neo vs $1,100 for the Air. I break down what you actually get for the extra money, starting with the chips. The Air has the M5 (built for laptops/desktops), while the Neo uses the A18 Pro (the same chip as the iPhone 16 Pro). Both support Apple Intelligence, but the core counts and overall config options are not the same. I also go through the practical stuff that matters day-to-day: display size (13" vs 13.6", both Liquid Retina at 500 nits), memory and storage (8GB/256GB on Neo vs 16GB/512GB on Air), battery life differences, and the “little” features that add up—like Touch ID (Neo needs the 512GB model +$100), a backlit keyboard (Air only), Wi‑Fi 7 on the Air vs Wi‑Fi 6E on the Neo, and Thunderbolt on the Air. My takeaway is simple: if you’re a student doing web browsing and light work, the Neo is basically an Apple Chromebook and saves you a ton of money. But if you’re doing any multitasking or video editing, I’d go MacBook Air—personally, that’s the one I’d buy so I know it can handle those heavier moments.