In an uncharacteristic move for a corporate feudal entity, Apple is selling a new generation of Macbook for only $600. Seems too good to be true, right? So, what's the catch?
Well, the catch is obvious. Compulsory AI integration. Unlike Microsoft, which has its own LLM and generative AI processes that it bakes into Windows 11, Apple's model actually co-ordinates with ChatGPT. I couldn't find information anywhere on whether you would need a consistent internet connection to run anything on the Macbook Neo, but you can be assured that, even behind the dark curtain, it's still gathering data to submit to the information synthesiser when a connection is made. A certain amount of analysis is done locally, but it will integrate that data with ChatGPT when asked to (either by the user or by the company). Theoretically, you could do what I do with my Windows 10 PC and never provide it with a connection point; but when the boredom is high, how likely do you think it is that you won't just grab your password and connect to your home Wi-Fi?
But, ok, you're one of those people who doesn't care about AI and you use ChatGPT several times every day (what the actual hell are you doing on this website?). Let's look at specifics. The Macbook Neo is based on an iPhone substrate, meaning you're locked into some really stingey factory hardware. 8 GB of memory, a stock GPU (all new for 2026, but it won't be 2026 forever), and either 256 GB physical storage for the base model or 512 GB for the "pro" version. Let's put that into perspective: my Windows 7 desktop PC from 2013 has 8 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage built in. My Windows 7 laptop from 2011 has 16 GB of RAM. Riza's gaming PC has 16 GB as well. The SSD currently plugged into our release-day model Wii has 2048 GB of physical storage. A computer released in 2026 should have much more than the pittance that Apple is so benevolently providing. 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB hard drive (not even NVMe, just basically a lot of NAND flash memory chips soldered onto the mainboard) is laughably behind the curve. Apple thinks it can make up for that by giving it a 6-core CPU, but put all your hopes of 4K gaming completely out of your mind if you buy this thing. FOr a start, the tiny-ass physical storage is going to get eaten up really quick if you start installing ultra-modern games on it.
Basically, Apple is doing this because Microsoft has been consistently shooting itself in the nuts every day for the past 10 years and it's looking to capitalise on people desperately looking for an alternative to the AI shitfest that is Windows 11. But, Apple computers are no less an AI shitfest than Windows ones, it's just different names in different disguises.
However, this is having an interesting side effect. Pawn shops and computer resellers are getting so many Windows PCs that they're having to throw a lot of them away. This is the best time you could ever hope for to find a pre-owned high-spec Windows PC for dirt cheap, put a new hard drive in it, and install EndeavourOS or Debian. Even the Win11 "gaming laptops" are going to have trouble getting sold, so this is really a windfall for new Linux users. The alternative here is Microsoft relents and returns basic Windows components to Win11, like Notepad, Wordpad, Paint, even Solitaire and Minesweeper; while quietly de-integrating AI from a lot of the operating system. But you know they'll never do that.
Like I said, there isn't going to be a better time to switch to Linux with a high-spec pre-owned Windows PC. Just now, I had a look round for refurbished computers and I found several with better specs than the Macbook Neo for less than, equal to, or slighly higher than $600 (so, like in the $300 to $750 range), which would be more capable of playing modern computer games on Linux with Proton or Winetricks, with 100% less AI integration and more privacy reclamation than you could shake a VPN at. If you're not sure where to start with Linux, I have an article on that subject. Linux Mint is a good starting point for Android users who are new to computers or Windows users who are tired of Microsoft. Once you've had some experience with it, I would recommend switching to EndeavourOS or Debian.
Don't play the corporate feudal state's insipid little game. There's more to life than corporate computing with AI integration. You can't buy it preconfigured from a store, but it exists and it's pretty easy to set up yourself.