Apple’s New CEO Could Bring Us Less Pro, More ‘Neo’
Apple’s new chief, John Ternus, is set to bring hardware back to the fore. The first instance of a true Ternus brainchild, the cheap and vibrant MacBook Neo, proved ludicrously successful. Under Ternus, Apple has the chance to take the “Neo” name and revitalize all of Apple’s low-end products, from iPads to Apple Watches to iPhones.
Outgoing CEO Tim Cook is still at the helm until Sept. 1. That means this upcoming WWDC, taking place on June 8, will be his last hurrah and his final chance to share his vision for the $4 trillion tech monolith. But Cook was not a hardware guy. Ternus is. The new CEO started his time at Apple as an engineer and worked his way up through Apple’s external displays, AirPods, and iPads and finally to an executive position where he oversaw the Mac’s landmark transition from Intel’s x86 architecture to ARM-based M-series chips.
The M5 MacBook Air is a great value and the M5 Max MacBook Pro offers some of the best performance we’ve seen from a laptop of its size. Both still cost a tidy sum that many consumers still can’t afford. If there’s any one Mac that has Ternus’ stamp of approval, it’s the $600 MacBook Neo. It came with a new name that had never been used in Apple’s lexicon. It offered a suite of subtle, though still vibrant, colors we had not had on any Mac product before it. It broke with Apple’s penchant for premium and offered a build quality you can’t get from PCs at this price point.
The ‘Neo’ is a blueprint for a more affordable Apple
Ternus, as Apple’s hardware figurehead, propped up the MacBook Neo. He, not Cook, stood up on stage during the laptop’s New York City showcase back in March and extolled the merits of solid build quality and affordability. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote that Ternus “urged the company to sell a cheaper laptop that could appeal to a younger generation.” And people loved it. The laptop continues to sell so well that shipping times for either the $600 or $700 version with extra storage space have slipped all the way into May.
The next Apple products may similarly look downstream for a new customer base. Apple’s cheaper products, like the base iPad and Apple Watch SE 3, are still good for what they are. They just don’t spark the imagination. The Neo name could become the term for all of Apple’s lower-end products. Instead of an iPad that receives an iPhone chip and the leftovers of the iPad Air or iPad Pro, Apple could offer some new features that will entice lingering tablet users to upgrade.
The $600 iPhone 17e addressed most of our complaints about the iPhone 16e, but it still lacks many defining iPhone features, like the Dynamic Island and multiple cameras. I could see the next generation of cheap(er) iPhones drop the “e,” add “Neo” in the name, and offer more than just the scraps of the next-generation iPhone 18. Perhaps we could use more colors than just black, white, and a subtle pink.
Apple doesn’t have to abandon premium products. Its next MacBook Pro with the rumored M6 chip could add an OLED display and a touchscreen, and it will likely cost even more than today’s M5 MacBook Pros do should it see the light of day. The supposed foldable iPhone will certainly cost a pretty penny. Apple’s Mac sales slowed down for the past few years until the Neo came along. Ternus has witnessed firsthand how angling products to the cash-strapped masses is enough to turn things around.
Apple’s new chief, John Ternus, is set to bring hardware back to the fore. The first instance of a true Ternus brainchild, the cheap and vibrant MacBook Neo, proved ludicrously successful. Under Ternus, Apple has the chance to take the “Neo” name and revitalize all of Apple’s low-end products, from iPads to Apple Watches to iPhones.
Outgoing CEO Tim Cook is still at the helm until Sept. 1. That means this upcoming WWDC, taking place on June 8, will be his last hurrah and his final chance to share his vision for the $4 trillion tech monolith. But Cook was not a hardware guy. Ternus is. The new CEO started his time at Apple as an engineer and worked his way up through Apple’s external displays, AirPods, and iPads and finally to an executive position where he oversaw the Mac’s landmark transition from Intel’s x86 architecture to ARM-based M-series chips.
The M5 MacBook Air is a great value and the M5 Max MacBook Pro offers some of the best performance we’ve seen from a laptop of its size. Both still cost a tidy sum that many consumers still can’t afford. If there’s any one Mac that has Ternus’ stamp of approval, it’s the $600 MacBook Neo. It came with a new name that had never been used in Apple’s lexicon. It offered a suite of subtle, though still vibrant, colors we had not had on any Mac product before it. It broke with Apple’s penchant for premium and offered a build quality you can’t get from PCs at this price point.
The ‘Neo’ is a blueprint for a more affordable Apple
Ternus, as Apple’s hardware figurehead, propped up the MacBook Neo. He, not Cook, stood up on stage during the laptop’s New York City showcase back in March and extolled the merits of solid build quality and affordability. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote that Ternus “urged the company to sell a cheaper laptop that could appeal to a younger generation.” And people loved it. The laptop continues to sell so well that shipping times for either the $600 or $700 version with extra storage space have slipped all the way into May.
The next Apple products may similarly look downstream for a new customer base. Apple’s cheaper products, like the base iPad and Apple Watch SE 3, are still good for what they are. They just don’t spark the imagination. The Neo name could become the term for all of Apple’s lower-end products. Instead of an iPad that receives an iPhone chip and the leftovers of the iPad Air or iPad Pro, Apple could offer some new features that will entice lingering tablet users to upgrade.
The $600 iPhone 17e addressed most of our complaints about the iPhone 16e, but it still lacks many defining iPhone features, like the Dynamic Island and multiple cameras. I could see the next generation of cheap(er) iPhones drop the “e,” add “Neo” in the name, and offer more than just the scraps of the next-generation iPhone 18. Perhaps we could use more colors than just black, white, and a subtle pink.
Apple doesn’t have to abandon premium products. Its next MacBook Pro with the rumored M6 chip could add an OLED display and a touchscreen, and it will likely cost even more than today’s M5 MacBook Pros do should it see the light of day. The supposed foldable iPhone will certainly cost a pretty penny. Apple’s Mac sales slowed down for the past few years until the Neo came along. Ternus has witnessed firsthand how angling products to the cash-strapped masses is enough to turn things around.
Now, there’s another class of high-end gaming laptop that focuses more on performance than being thin or portable. The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of my favorites in this class, featuring a beautiful white chassis and glossy OLED display. Unlike some OLED displays, the Legion 7i’s screen can be cranked up to over 1,000 nits of brightness. The result is some really splendid HDR performance that brings games to life. HDR is a powerful way of improving the visuals of your games without a performance cost. The Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of the very best in this regard.
It’s still fairly thin at 0.7 inches thick too, while a lot of the ports are found on the back. It’s the definition of a “clean” gaming laptop. It’s no slouch when it comes to performance either, offering either the RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for graphics.
Cheap Gaming Laptops That Are Worth It
No gaming laptops worth buying are actually cheap. High-refresh rate displays and discrete graphics will always make them more expensive than standard laptops. But as you get closer to $1,000, there is one laptop I always come back to: the Lenovo LOQ 15. Pronounced “Lock,” this Lenovo subbrand is known for cutting the fluff and focusing on giving gamers the performance they need at an affordable price. No laptop does that better than the LOQ 15. Many laptop manufacturers sell their RTX 5060 configurations for hundreds of dollars more. In reality, if you’re shopping around $1,000, there’s no reason to not buy the LOQ 15. Just do it.
If you do want to save some extra cash, there is another option that is cheaper than the LOQ 15 with a few compromises in key areas. The Acer Nitro V 16 is that laptop, which comes with an RTX 5050. This was as affordable as $600 at one point last year—before prices on laptops have risen due to the ongoing memory shortage—but it remains the only laptop cheaper than the Lenovo LOQ 15 that’s actually worth it. It’s fairly powerful for the RTX 5050, and while the screen is pretty shoddy, it’s not a bad-looking laptop. The one big caveat is that the 135-watt power supply it comes with doesn’t deliver quite enough power to keep it charged in Performance mode. Read more about this issue in my review, as it’s important to know about if you’re planning to buy it.
There are other cheap gaming laptops out there I’ve tested, such as the MSI Cyborg A15, but either the Acer Nitro V 16 or Lenovo LOQ 15 are better, cheaper options. You will also find lots of gaming laptops under $1,000 that use older graphics cards, such as the RTX 4050 or 3050. In general, I’d recommend staying away from these. They’re only one or two generations back, but remember: Nvidia only releases new laptop graphics cards every couple of years. So, an RTX 4050 laptop may be well over two years old already, and an RTX 3050 is over five years old. Not only do you get worse graphics performance, these laptops are much more likely to need to be replaced sooner.
Experimental Stuff
One of the exciting things about the world of gaming laptops right now is the experimentation. While clamshell gaming laptops with a conventional Nvidia GPU are the most standard way to go, there’s a few different ways to take your PC games on the go that stretch the boundaries. You might consider a gaming handheld, for example, like the Steam Deck or Xbox Ally X. These handhelds have their fans, and while you can’t also do your homework on these devices, they’re great on couches, trains, and planes.
Now, there’s another class of high-end gaming laptop that focuses more on performance than being thin or portable. The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of my favorites in this class, featuring a beautiful white chassis and glossy OLED display. Unlike some OLED displays, the Legion 7i’s screen can be cranked up to over 1,000 nits of brightness. The result is some really splendid HDR performance that brings games to life. HDR is a powerful way of improving the visuals of your games without a performance cost. The Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of the very best in this regard.
It’s still fairly thin at 0.7 inches thick too, while a lot of the ports are found on the back. It’s the definition of a “clean” gaming laptop. It’s no slouch when it comes to performance either, offering either the RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for graphics.
Cheap Gaming Laptops That Are Worth It
No gaming laptops worth buying are actually cheap. High-refresh rate displays and discrete graphics will always make them more expensive than standard laptops. But as you get closer to $1,000, there is one laptop I always come back to: the Lenovo LOQ 15. Pronounced “Lock,” this Lenovo subbrand is known for cutting the fluff and focusing on giving gamers the performance they need at an affordable price. No laptop does that better than the LOQ 15. Many laptop manufacturers sell their RTX 5060 configurations for hundreds of dollars more. In reality, if you’re shopping around $1,000, there’s no reason to not buy the LOQ 15. Just do it.
If you do want to save some extra cash, there is another option that is cheaper than the LOQ 15 with a few compromises in key areas. The Acer Nitro V 16 is that laptop, which comes with an RTX 5050. This was as affordable as $600 at one point last year—before prices on laptops have risen due to the ongoing memory shortage—but it remains the only laptop cheaper than the Lenovo LOQ 15 that’s actually worth it. It’s fairly powerful for the RTX 5050, and while the screen is pretty shoddy, it’s not a bad-looking laptop. The one big caveat is that the 135-watt power supply it comes with doesn’t deliver quite enough power to keep it charged in Performance mode. Read more about this issue in my review, as it’s important to know about if you’re planning to buy it.
There are other cheap gaming laptops out there I’ve tested, such as the MSI Cyborg A15, but either the Acer Nitro V 16 or Lenovo LOQ 15 are better, cheaper options. You will also find lots of gaming laptops under $1,000 that use older graphics cards, such as the RTX 4050 or 3050. In general, I’d recommend staying away from these. They’re only one or two generations back, but remember: Nvidia only releases new laptop graphics cards every couple of years. So, an RTX 4050 laptop may be well over two years old already, and an RTX 3050 is over five years old. Not only do you get worse graphics performance, these laptops are much more likely to need to be replaced sooner.
Experimental Stuff
One of the exciting things about the world of gaming laptops right now is the experimentation. While clamshell gaming laptops with a conventional Nvidia GPU are the most standard way to go, there’s a few different ways to take your PC games on the go that stretch the boundaries. You might consider a gaming handheld, for example, like the Steam Deck or Xbox Ally X. These handhelds have their fans, and while you can’t also do your homework on these devices, they’re great on couches, trains, and planes.
#Ive #Tested #Gaming #Laptops #Decade #Buylaptops,computers,shopping,buying guides,gaming,windows pcs">I’ve Tested Gaming Laptops for Over a Decade. This Is What I Think You Should Buy
Lenovo
Legion 7i Gen 10 (16 Inch, Intel)
Now, there’s another class of high-end gaming laptop that focuses more on performance than being thin or portable. The Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of my favorites in this class, featuring a beautiful white chassis and glossy OLED display. Unlike some OLED displays, the Legion 7i’s screen can be cranked up to over 1,000 nits of brightness. The result is some really splendid HDR performance that brings games to life. HDR is a powerful way of improving the visuals of your games without a performance cost. The Legion 7i Gen 10 is one of the very best in this regard.
It’s still fairly thin at 0.7 inches thick too, while a lot of the ports are found on the back. It’s the definition of a “clean” gaming laptop. It’s no slouch when it comes to performance either, offering either the RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 for graphics.
Cheap Gaming Laptops That Are Worth It
No gaming laptops worth buying are actually cheap. High-refresh rate displays and discrete graphics will always make them more expensive than standard laptops. But as you get closer to $1,000, there is one laptop I always come back to: the Lenovo LOQ 15. Pronounced “Lock,” this Lenovo subbrand is known for cutting the fluff and focusing on giving gamers the performance they need at an affordable price. No laptop does that better than the LOQ 15. Many laptop manufacturers sell their RTX 5060 configurations for hundreds of dollars more. In reality, if you’re shopping around $1,000, there’s no reason to not buy the LOQ 15. Just do it.
If you do want to save some extra cash, there is another option that is cheaper than the LOQ 15 with a few compromises in key areas. The Acer Nitro V 16 is that laptop, which comes with an RTX 5050. This was as affordable as $600 at one point last year—before prices on laptops have risen due to the ongoing memory shortage—but it remains the only laptop cheaper than the Lenovo LOQ 15 that’s actually worth it. It’s fairly powerful for the RTX 5050, and while the screen is pretty shoddy, it’s not a bad-looking laptop. The one big caveat is that the 135-watt power supply it comes with doesn’t deliver quite enough power to keep it charged in Performance mode. Read more about this issue in my review, as it’s important to know about if you’re planning to buy it.
There are other cheap gaming laptops out there I’ve tested, such as the MSI Cyborg A15, but either the Acer Nitro V 16 or Lenovo LOQ 15 are better, cheaper options. You will also find lots of gaming laptops under $1,000 that use older graphics cards, such as the RTX 4050 or 3050. In general, I’d recommend staying away from these. They’re only one or two generations back, but remember: Nvidia only releases new laptop graphics cards every couple of years. So, an RTX 4050 laptop may be well over two years old already, and an RTX 3050 is over five years old. Not only do you get worse graphics performance, these laptops are much more likely to need to be replaced sooner.
Experimental Stuff
One of the exciting things about the world of gaming laptops right now is the experimentation. While clamshell gaming laptops with a conventional Nvidia GPU are the most standard way to go, there’s a few different ways to take your PC games on the go that stretch the boundaries. You might consider a gaming handheld, for example, like the Steam Deck or Xbox Ally X. These handhelds have their fans, and while you can’t also do your homework on these devices, they’re great on couches, trains, and planes.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
#NYT #Mini #crossword #answers #hints #April">NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for April 21, 2026
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
As the name suggests, the $299.99 Supersonic Travel is meant for people on the go — whether that’s a business trip or a jaunt to the gym before work. Dyson claims that it’s 32 percent smaller, 25 percent lighter, and capable of fitting in purses and carry-on luggage. It uses the same basic tech as the Supersonic, though it now automatically adapts voltage to the country you’re in. And folks who already invested in the original Supersonic don’t have to worry about buying new attachments. The new hairdryer is backwards compatible. (Otherwise, the various attachments are sold separately.)
Technically, this isn’t the first Supersonic update. In 2024, Dyson introduced the $569.99 Supersonic r, which was aimed at professional hairstylists before eventually trickling down to consumers last year. That hairdryer had a much slimmer design to alleviate wrist pain, as well as RFID attachments that automatically adjusted heat and airflow.
Since the Supersonic arrived on the scene, Dyson has gone all in on hair. That includes multiple versions of the viral Airwrap curler, Corrale straightener, and Airstrait wet-to-dry hair straightener. Its various hair gadgets (and their premium price tags) have enjoyed viral popularity among beauty influencers, spurring an influx of dupes like the Shark Flexstyle. (Because of course Dyson isn’t the only vacuum maker that’s discovered hair gadgets also utilize airflow.) L’Oréal also recently got into the hair tech game with the Colorsonic hair-dye wand, plus its own AirLight Pro hairdryer and Light Straight flat iron.
Oddly enough, Dyson’s beauty journey has since expanded beyond gadgets, too. It also now makes hair oils, serums, styling creams, and scalp treatments.
As the name suggests, the $299.99 Supersonic Travel is meant for people on the go — whether that’s a business trip or a jaunt to the gym before work. Dyson claims that it’s 32 percent smaller, 25 percent lighter, and capable of fitting in purses and carry-on luggage. It uses the same basic tech as the Supersonic, though it now automatically adapts voltage to the country you’re in. And folks who already invested in the original Supersonic don’t have to worry about buying new attachments. The new hairdryer is backwards compatible. (Otherwise, the various attachments are sold separately.)
Technically, this isn’t the first Supersonic update. In 2024, Dyson introduced the $569.99 Supersonic r, which was aimed at professional hairstylists before eventually trickling down to consumers last year. That hairdryer had a much slimmer design to alleviate wrist pain, as well as RFID attachments that automatically adjusted heat and airflow.
Since the Supersonic arrived on the scene, Dyson has gone all in on hair. That includes multiple versions of the viral Airwrap curler, Corrale straightener, and Airstrait wet-to-dry hair straightener. Its various hair gadgets (and their premium price tags) have enjoyed viral popularity among beauty influencers, spurring an influx of dupes like the Shark Flexstyle. (Because of course Dyson isn’t the only vacuum maker that’s discovered hair gadgets also utilize airflow.) L’Oréal also recently got into the hair tech game with the Colorsonic hair-dye wand, plus its own AirLight Pro hairdryer and Light Straight flat iron.
Oddly enough, Dyson’s beauty journey has since expanded beyond gadgets, too. It also now makes hair oils, serums, styling creams, and scalp treatments.
#Dysons #travelsize #Supersonic #hairdryerGadgets,News,Tech">Dyson’s back with a travel-size Supersonic hairdryer
Ten years ago, Dyson kicked off the hair gadget arms race with its $400 Supersonic hairdryer. Today, it’s back with a slightly smaller and cheaper travel-size version.
As the name suggests, the $299.99 Supersonic Travel is meant for people on the go — whether that’s a business trip or a jaunt to the gym before work. Dyson claims that it’s 32 percent smaller, 25 percent lighter, and capable of fitting in purses and carry-on luggage. It uses the same basic tech as the Supersonic, though it now automatically adapts voltage to the country you’re in. And folks who already invested in the original Supersonic don’t have to worry about buying new attachments. The new hairdryer is backwards compatible. (Otherwise, the various attachments are sold separately.)
Technically, this isn’t the first Supersonic update. In 2024, Dyson introduced the $569.99 Supersonic r, which was aimed at professional hairstylists before eventually trickling down to consumers last year. That hairdryer had a much slimmer design to alleviate wrist pain, as well as RFID attachments that automatically adjusted heat and airflow.
Since the Supersonic arrived on the scene, Dyson has gone all in on hair. That includes multiple versions of the viral Airwrap curler, Corrale straightener, and Airstrait wet-to-dry hair straightener. Its various hair gadgets (and their premium price tags) have enjoyed viral popularity among beauty influencers, spurring an influx of dupes like the Shark Flexstyle. (Because of course Dyson isn’t the only vacuum maker that’s discovered hair gadgets also utilize airflow.) L’Oréal also recently got into the hair tech game with the Colorsonic hair-dye wand, plus its own AirLight Pro hairdryer and Light Straight flat iron.
Oddly enough, Dyson’s beauty journey has since expanded beyond gadgets, too. It also now makes hair oils, serums, styling creams, and scalp treatments.
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