CEO Tim Cook says Apple just had its “best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers.” That means the MacBook Neo is doing exactly what it was designed to do: bring in people who have never owned a Mac before.
The first entry-level macOS notebook launched on March 11, and Apple can’t keep up with demand. Orders placed today come with wait times of several weeks.
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MacBook Neo brings in unprecedented wave of new customers
The MacBook Neo grabbed attention with its $599 price tag, making it by far the cheapest notebook Apple has ever offered. Even so, it’s not like cheaply made bargain-bin PCs. Early reviews highlight Neo’s solid build quality and strong performance.
And it is clearly finding a market with buyers who may have previously opted for Windows PCs or tablets.
“Mac just had its best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers. We love seeing the enthusiasm!” said Apple chief executive Tim Cook on Friday morning in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Mac just had its best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers. We love seeing the enthusiasm!
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 20, 2026
While Cook did not share specific figures, the comment points to unusually strong performance among first-time Mac buyers rather than just upgrades from existing users.
That distinction matters. Apple faces the challenge of expanding the Mac beyond its established base of long-time users, particularly with price-sensitive customers. By introducing a more affordable model, the company lowered one of the biggest barriers to entry… without ruining the Mac experience.
Demand outpaces supply
The MacBook Neo hit the market more than a week ago but Apple still can’t keep up with demand for it. Anyone placing an online order on Friday morning from the U.S. Apple Store has to wait until at least April 6 for their delivery to arrive.
For $100 more, buyers can upgrade to 512GB of storage and a keyboard with a Touch ID sensor. That version is also completely sold out at the U.S. online Apple Store — the earliest possible delivery is April 6.
That said, Amazon promises earlier deliveries of some configurations of the popular new macOS notebook.
The MacBook Neo is Apple’s entry-level laptop. It boasts Apple’s signature all-day battery life and ease of use. It can swim through web browsing, document editing and other basic tasks. But if you want higher specs than its 8GB memory or the maximum 512GB storage, the MacBook Air is a better choice.
- 16-hour battery life
- Bright, fun colors
- Thin and light design
- No MagSafe charging
- USB 3 and USB 2 ports
- No support for high-resolution displays
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
