- Apple’s MacBook Neo is the best laptop for seniors – a proper Mac from just $599
- Great battery life, in a lighter, more colourful design – and hundreds of dollars cheaper than a MacBook Air
There’s a huge number of laptops, Chromebooks and other options out there – but we think Apple’s MacBook Neo is now the best laptop for seniors. It’s a proper Mac, at a much friendlier price than the MacBook Air, and everything it leaves out to hit that price is stuff most seniors will never miss.
If you’re on an even tighter budget, a Chromebook is worth a look too – see our guide to the best Chromebook for seniors. Prefer Windows? We’ve also got a guide to the best Windows laptops for seniors.
Why the Neo over the Air?
Apple’s pricier MacBook Air is a wonderful laptop, but a lot of what makes it cost more – Thunderbolt ports for fast external drives, a wide-colour display for photo editing, ultra-fast charging – is aimed at people doing demanding work. For email, video calls, browsing, streaming and photos, the Neo does all of it comfortably, and Apple says the battery lasts around 16 hours, which held up well in everyday use.
It also comes in some genuinely nice colours – silver, indigo, blush and citrus – which, beyond just looking good, can make it easier for a relative to recognise their own laptop at a glance rather than it looking identical to everyone else’s.
Software
Of course the software is what makes or breaks a computer, and the MacBook Neo runs the same macOS as every other Mac. It’s excellent – simple, consistent, and it plays nicely with an iPhone or iPad if your relative already has one.
Overall
One thing worth knowing: demand has been high since launch, so it’s occasionally worth checking back if your colour or configuration of choice shows a delivery delay. Otherwise, the MacBook Neo is a fantastic all-round machine, and simple enough to use that we recommend it over every other laptop out there for most seniors.
Buy the Apple MacBook Neo on Amazon
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