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Apple surprised customers and the Windows laptop market with the release of its $599 MacBook Neo this April. Featuring the company's A18 Pro chip, which performs on par with the M1 and M2 processors, a premium aluminum finish, great battery life, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB/512GB storage options, Apple is redefining the budget laptop market. After all, a lower price point shouldn't mean users have to settle for a bad product. 

While buyers could opt for an older premium model like the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro, choosing Apple Silicon is wiser. Unlike that final Intel MacBook Pro, which will lose support when macOS 27 launches later this year, these newer options are likely to remain supported for years to come without requiring a massive investment. Still, if the MacBook Neo isn't quite your cup of tea, there is a vast market for used MacBooks in 2026 that are even more affordable and still highly capable, such as the M1 and M2 versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

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There's a wide variety of offerings for the M1 MacBook Air on eBay for the second-hand market, whether as used or refurbished products. One of the highlights is the 8GB version with 512GB of storage for around $380. While prices can vary, this is almost half the price of what someone would pay for a new 512GB MacBook Neo. While this MacBook Air still features the old design, which means it doesn't have a notch cutout, MagSafe support, or an improved webcam, it was responsible for one of the best battery lives on a laptop in such a thin form factor.

The M1 chip also continues to get the job done in 2026, as it's still good for browsing the web, light editing, and helping people work on presentations, school assignments, and more. Still, it's important for customers to ensure they're getting exactly the model they want, as refurbished/second-hand laptops can come with or without a proper charge, and with some marks of usage, which can be expected by a pre-owned computer. That said, paying less than $400 on a MacBook Air, which offers a better display and battery than the Neo, can be a compelling alternative.

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There's also the 16-inch version of the M1 Pro MacBook Pro. I own a 14-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro, and it has been my daily driver for the past four years and have no complaints. Unlike the M1 versions of the MacBook Air and Pro, Apple offers a redesign in the M1 Pro variants. So, not only can users get a beautiful mini LED display, but they can also get Apple's industrial design, MagSafe support, incredible speakers, and a great battery life. To this day, the M1 Pro MacBook Pro can handle multiple apps opened at once, video editing, and everything else without slowing down.

The 16-inch version also means the air can flow better with this machine, and users can find it for around $670, which is below the price of the 512GB MacBook Neo. The previously mentioned 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro features 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is double the amount of RAM available on the MacBook Neo, but also a faster SSD. Customers will also get a better display, battery life, and a more capable processor — all of which are great perks that would make anyone seriously consider getting this laptop instead of the Neo.

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Another great option that's cheaper than the MacBook Neo is a $590 MacBook Air with the M2 chip. While the configurations are similar to the Neo (8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage), it still has a better display, a more capable processor, and better battery life. When Apple announced the M2 MacBook Air, it followed the redesign introduced with the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models with a larger 13.6-inch Retina display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, better speakers, and up to 18 hours of battery life.

This MacBook gets smaller than its predecessor, but is still MagSafe compatible, has two Thunderbolt ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and Touch ID support. When the company released this laptop, Apple said that the M2 MacBook Air was already 40% faster than the M1 when it came to intensive workloads like editing in Final Cut Pro, and 20% faster to apply filters and effects in Adobe Photoshop. That said, getting the M2 MacBook Air, even used, can be a way more solid deal than the MacBook Neo, as you're actually getting a more capable computer, with a more premium look and features, but for around the same price. In terms of longevity, both laptops are expected to last for the same amount, as the A18 Pro and the M2 are somewhat similar.

Lastly, there's the M1 MacBook Pro. Just like the M1 MacBook Air, this laptop still features the old design. While Apple corrected several of the issues available with this Intel counterpart, like the faulty butterfly keyboard and replaced the old chip with its own silicon, this MacBook doesn't feature a mini LED display, a MagSafe port, or other tweaks available with the M1 Pro variants.

Still, what makes the M1 MacBook Pro available on eBay a good deal, besides the Touch Bar, is that it comes with 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM for $599, the price of the MacBook Neo. This MacBook Pro is also a more enticing upgrade than the M1 MacBook Air thanks to its internal fan, as the M1 chip inside this computer can run faster due to its proper cooling system.

Even if you can't nab this exact model, any MacBook Pro M1, even with less capable internal specs, can be a great upgrade over the MacBook Neo, as the Pro lineup usually comes with more perks than the other lines. That said, this one specifically can be the best option for those who want a very capable computer with a ton of internal space, as the MacBook Neo can only be upgraded to up to 512GB of storage.