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  3. The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

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  • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

    The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

    lhauser@mefi.socialL This user is from outside of this forum
    lhauser@mefi.socialL This user is from outside of this forum
    lhauser@mefi.social
    wrote last edited by
    #36

    @samhenrigold Bravo!

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    • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

      The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

      quarterswede@noc.socialQ This user is from outside of this forum
      quarterswede@noc.socialQ This user is from outside of this forum
      quarterswede@noc.social
      wrote last edited by
      #37

      @samhenrigold And then go and watch https://m.youtube.com/shorts/ncubg00Wbd0 and see that the Neo is WAY better than you think.

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      • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

        The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

        brianbuck@mastodon.worldB This user is from outside of this forum
        brianbuck@mastodon.worldB This user is from outside of this forum
        brianbuck@mastodon.world
        wrote last edited by
        #38

        @samhenrigold Thank you for this heartfelt post. Brings back memories of my early childhood experiences with TRS-80, Commodore 64, first IBM PC, and Apple IIe

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        • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

          The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

          chrisdejabet@mastodon.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
          chrisdejabet@mastodon.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
          chrisdejabet@mastodon.social
          wrote last edited by
          #39

          @samhenrigold Thank you for writing this, Sam. Your words took me back 30 years to growing up in the 90’s doing similar things on the family Mac. I’ll admit I even teared up a little as I reminisced.

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          • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS This user is from outside of this forum
            samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS This user is from outside of this forum
            samhenrigold@hachyderm.io
            wrote last edited by
            #40

            @zanchey the primary reason to disable SIP these days

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            • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

              The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

              jessamyn@glammr.usJ This user is from outside of this forum
              jessamyn@glammr.usJ This user is from outside of this forum
              jessamyn@glammr.us
              wrote last edited by
              #41

              @samhenrigold Awww, me and my old Mac Plus. And now I work in a library helping people who, sometimes, are getting their own first computer.

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              • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                safigo@c.imS This user is from outside of this forum
                safigo@c.imS This user is from outside of this forum
                safigo@c.im
                wrote last edited by
                #42

                @samhenrigold Iv'e never thought about editing a version, it's really fun.

                In terms of kids as the main customer, I think it will be hard. Kids use a lot of resource intensive tasks, even at school.

                I'd think it more for a regular person who just watches movies there, writes some text and uses small spreadsheets.

                In my mind, it's more than half of regular population.

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                • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                  The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                  bdatlrides@social.ridetrans.itB This user is from outside of this forum
                  bdatlrides@social.ridetrans.itB This user is from outside of this forum
                  bdatlrides@social.ridetrans.it
                  wrote last edited by
                  #43

                  @samhenrigold Love the article. Exactly like the P133 I used to have!!

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                  • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                    The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                    tedric@dads.coolT This user is from outside of this forum
                    tedric@dads.coolT This user is from outside of this forum
                    tedric@dads.cool
                    wrote last edited by
                    #44

                    @samhenrigold this is beautifully written and my inner 12 year old discovering telnet and Hypercard and ResEdit and TurboGopher on the family PowerMac feels very seen

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                    • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                      The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                      haste@mastodon.socialH This user is from outside of this forum
                      haste@mastodon.socialH This user is from outside of this forum
                      haste@mastodon.social
                      wrote last edited by
                      #45

                      @samhenrigold I’m glad you wrote this. It was really touching.

                      Somewhere around the midpoint I thought, that was me, too. Except you were probably a little cooler. Lol

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                      • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                        The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                        stevenlawsonphotography@mastoart.socialS This user is from outside of this forum
                        stevenlawsonphotography@mastoart.socialS This user is from outside of this forum
                        stevenlawsonphotography@mastoart.social
                        wrote last edited by
                        #46

                        @samhenrigold A fabulous piece of writing. I'm not that kid - I dabble with Linux but I don't have a technical mind - but I heartily support anyone who is that kid.

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                        • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                          The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                          ljrk@todon.euL This user is from outside of this forum
                          ljrk@todon.euL This user is from outside of this forum
                          ljrk@todon.eu
                          wrote last edited by
                          #47

                          @samhenrigold Incredibly well-written (and also I didn't learn about the Neo until now). The only doubt i have is, ironically, the IMHO hefty price.

                          I never paid more than ~500€ for a laptop. I bought a brand new 8GB RAM laptop in 2015 (yes, inflation, slower memory, AI-Slop price hikes) for that price. And that was *a lot* of money back then. While nowadays I have a well-paying job and my Air is paid for by my employer, I do know how it is to not have that kind of money to spare. I have friends who still don't.

                          And what we do if I help them buy something is buy refurbished. You can easily beat the Neo price tag buying a refurbished or "used but new" Air, getting more for it. And then I'm honestly not sure who this laptop is for... . In theory, the Neo refurbished should of course be even cheaper, but only, if people buy it in the first place. And the outlined target group, students, even if they get one – they're the kind of person to hold onto it until the updates run out. So even more limited refurbished options.

                          So I worry whether the Neo will actually ever be the budget laptop it sets out to be. I would never have been able to spend that much money. I mean, yeah, I come from a kinda poor household, maybe I was just too poor even for that. But mostly the cap was/is about 300€ ....

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                          • xeophin@swiss.socialX xeophin@swiss.social

                            @samhenrigold Thank you for writing this.

                            I was this kid.

                            livefish@mastodon.mlL This user is from outside of this forum
                            livefish@mastodon.mlL This user is from outside of this forum
                            livefish@mastodon.ml
                            wrote last edited by
                            #48

                            @xeophin @samhenrigold me too

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                            • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                              The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                              ewen@social.ewenbell.comE This user is from outside of this forum
                              ewen@social.ewenbell.comE This user is from outside of this forum
                              ewen@social.ewenbell.com
                              wrote last edited by
                              #49
                              @samhenrigold

                              This is a beautiful read. Thankyou. I love that you've put into black and white that process of grinding away with whatever hardware you have, and loving it.

                              I was that kid once too. I had just forgotten.
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                              • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                                The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                                aud@fire.asta.lgbtA This user is from outside of this forum
                                aud@fire.asta.lgbtA This user is from outside of this forum
                                aud@fire.asta.lgbt
                                wrote last edited by
                                #50

                                @samhenrigold@hachyderm.io I really love what you wrote and how you said it, and it's something that has been on my mind but I lacked the words for. A topological limitation (physics, etc) is a spark for creativity, and I like that. I do not like being told no. They're very, very, very different things.

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                                • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                                  The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                                  2ndnaturedev@mastodon.nu2 This user is from outside of this forum
                                  2ndnaturedev@mastodon.nu2 This user is from outside of this forum
                                  2ndnaturedev@mastodon.nu
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #51

                                  @samhenrigold bra fuckin vo

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                                  • samhenrigold@hachyderm.ioS samhenrigold@hachyderm.io

                                    The MacBook Neo is such an interesting machine that it coaxed a thousand-word-essay out of me: https://samhenri.gold/blog/20260312-this-is-not-the-computer-for-you/

                                    engel@mastodon.socialE This user is from outside of this forum
                                    engel@mastodon.socialE This user is from outside of this forum
                                    engel@mastodon.social
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #52

                                    @samhenrigold this is very nicely writen, i enjoyed it!
                                    although i gotta say anything looks good when you compare it to a chromebook xD

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                                    • matt@toot.cafeM matt@toot.cafe

                                      @samhenrigold Some of my most formative experiences as a teenager learning to be a software developer happened on a laptop with a 486SX processor (the main limitation of the "SX" family, the lack of hardware floating-point support, was the core of one such experience), 4 MB of RAM, and a ~170 MB hard drive. Granted, that was in 1996-97. Those specs were probably considered inadequate even in that time.

                                      itgrrl@infosec.exchangeI This user is from outside of this forum
                                      itgrrl@infosec.exchangeI This user is from outside of this forum
                                      itgrrl@infosec.exchange
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #53

                                      @matt @samhenrigold

                                      〉 The Four Yorkshiremen have entered the chat… 😜

                                      what is this “lap-top” of which you speak? 🤔

                                      my first computer had 16K RAM^ with no hard drive (just a cassette recorder for saving anything non-ephemeral) and a 6809E microprocessor running at 0.89 MHz & I still had all those feelings and a similar experience 🙃
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                      ^ later upgraded to a staggering 64K 🤯

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