Heres how the MacBook Neo compares to older MacBook Airs

Apple's next big hit is here. The colorful new budget MacBook Neo debuted to rave reviews, and a couple configurations were already backordered weeks out the day after its March 11 launch. With a starting price of just $599 (or $499 for students), the Neo marks an exciting entry-level addition to Apple's lineup — not to mention brutal competition for cheap Windows laptops.

We've already stacked the Neo against the latest MacBook Air, which Apple just updated with a supercharged M5 chip....