A billion more Mac users?

A billion more Mac users? Apple might be onto something.

Couldn’t agree more with this take. Now that Apple has officially introduced the MacBook Neo, it might turn out to be one of the smartest moves the company has made in a while. Not because it’s cheap, but because it’s a really decent machine for a very nice price. And finally there is no automatic Windows‑only default in the affordable laptop segment anymore.

A small, affordable Mac laptop suddenly opens the door for a lot more people. My teenage niece? Perfect computer. My parents in their mid‑70s already use Macs, and for what they actually do — browsing, emails and a bit of online banking — the Neo would be absolutely perfect.

But it’s not only for students or families. It would also be the ideal private computer next to a work laptop. Right now I still carry a Lenovo machine for work, and with that setup I definitely wouldn’t want to give up my fully‑fledged MacBook Air at home. But if work already provided a solid MacBook, a simple and affordable Mac for private use would be more than enough.

That’s the real opportunity here: a small, budget‑friendly Mac that still feels like a real Mac. A machine that simply feels good to use. A machine that just works. That mix of great industrial design and solid UX. A machine like that could easily create millions of new users. And honestly — it’s about time Apple built something exactly like that.

At that price tag, it’s hard to see any reason to buy a Windows box anymore. And across almost every price tier in the laptop market there’s usually a Mac that’s just – well – better. That’s the bar now.

Originally posted on LinkedIn.