MacBook Neo Owner Mixes $165 Spare Parts Into Custom Laptop, Damaging Keys
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jun 5
MacBook Neo Owner Mixes $165 Spare Parts Into Custom Laptop, Damaging Keys
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Jun 5
Summary
$165.64 in official Apple parts let a MacBook Neo owner turn a $599 laptop into a multicolor mix of indigo, blush and citrus in about 40 minutes.
The easiest swaps were the bottom case, trackpad and USB-C boards, which required opening the laptop, unplugging ribbon cables and removing Torx screws.
$39 keycaps proved the trouble spot: missing tools and buried reassembly instructions led to broken hinge clips on several keys and damage to an arrow-key scissor switch.
The experiment showed the Neo’s unusually repairable design makes cosmetic part-swapping possible, though replacing multiple parts for looks alone is not cost-effective at nearly 30% of the laptop’s price.
Apple’s self-service parts store and documentation drew criticism for being sparse and unintuitive, even as the mod underscored demand for more repairable, colorful MacBooks.