‘Why does the Neo exist in the first place?’ Framework CEO tears down the MacBook Neo and brilliantly pinpoints why Apple made a $599 laptop
In a fascinating video posted to YouTube, Framework founder Nirav Patel has torn apart the brand new $599 MacBook Neo to find out how Apple’s new product compares to his own.
If you’re not familiar with Framework, the company specializes in modular laptops that priortize upgradeability and repairability. Over the course of the half-hour video, Patel disassembles the Neo alongside a Framework Laptop 12 — which retails for $549 in the U.S. for the DIY edition and $799 if purchased pre-built. There’s a slight caveat to those prices, however. While you can get the Framework 12 at that price, that’s only with the processor. As soon as you start adding elements like RAM, storage and an OS, the price creeps up. In truth, you’re looking at around $800-$900 for a Framework 12 laptop you can actually use.
Still, Patel actually praises some aspects of the MacBook Neo’s build, noting the improvements Apple has made with it when it comes to repairability. Like the MacBook Air and Pro models, the Neo has eight screws holding the bottom lid on. But where it differs is the lack of tape or glue in the entire laptop — a first for modern MacBooks.
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The battery is held in place by 18 screws and lifts straight away, making it much easier to swap in a new battery. However, Apple has also made it so the Neo’s display can’t be replaced unless the entire top section of the laptop is removed.
“Every mechanical engineer in the world knows how to design for repair, so when a company doesn’t make a product repairable, it’s not because they don’t know how,” Patel says in the video.
“The thing that has to change in this industry is the mindset. A computer should be yours, it should be modular, it should be upgradable, and it should last as long as you need it to.”
In contrast to Apple, Framework clearly labels all the internal parts inside its laptops to make it even easier for anyone to disassemble and reassemble the machine. It’s a very interesting video, and I’d recommend giving it a watch.
‘Why does the Neo exist in the first place?’
Once the teardown is complete, Patel gets a little philosophical on why Apple has decided to come to market with a budget laptop in this way.
“The right to repair is being put into place in writing in regulation and Apple is pretty savvy, they know how to look into the future,” he says, citing the right to repair laws in Europe that could become more common Stateside.
It’s your computer, you should be able to use it for as long as you want.
Nirav Patel, Framework Founder
Patel believes the Neo is Apple’s “test vehicle” for repairability but also notes a much more blatant fact about the device.
“A big part of it is to get in new MacBook users right from the start and then bring them into that walled garden that Apple has created for them,” he says. “It makes total sense for Apple to do the things they need to do to win people earlier in their lives as computing users.”
He goes on to point out that younger users — school kids or college students — will get used to Apple’s ecosystem with a device like the Neo and, when they need more space, better ports or a longer battery life, will gravitate towards a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.
“Our philosophy is different. We don’t want this to be a stepping stone to other computers,” he says. “If you’ve got a Framework laptop, we want you to continue to upgrade it and use it as long as you need it.”
“It’s your computer, you should be able to use it for as long as you want.”
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