Custom MacBook Neo

Key Takeaways

Here's how you can make your MacBook Neo into a colorful Franken laptop. Apple doesn't want you to do this, but this is my custom color mixed MacBook Neo with [music] a different bottom case, mixed keycaps, a swapped USB-C ports, and a totally different trackpad. The Neo is Apple's most repairable laptop in years. You can get to all of its inners through just some simple screws and clips, and Apple also sells replacement parts [music] in all four of the Neo's colors. That makes it fairly easy to mix and match colorful parts and make your own custom look. At least I thought it'd be easy. So, to customize the Verge's indigo MacBook Neo, which we bought by the way, I ordered a trackpad, uh bottom case, USB-C ports, and [music] keycaps, all in blush and citrus colors. The parts cost about $166 before tax. So, if you bought a Neo to save money, maybe don't do [music] this. But, it's a fun experiment. So, the bottom case is dead simple. You have to remove these screws to access the internals anyway, so swapping it out is a piece of cake. But, the USB-C ports and trackpad [music] were also refreshingly easy to swap out. I had that all done in like 40 minutes. And then came the keycaps. Come on. What's with you, A key? All of these keys are fine. That is weird. There are some that just are extra like creaky. That's such a bad sound. Woah. I was actually most excited to customize this aspect of the Neo, but changing out these tiny keycaps is no walk in the park. And unfortunately, I neglected to order the key removal tools that Apple sells on its user-hostile parts site, and boy, did I pay the price. I accidentally crushed some of the keycaps' fragile hinge clips that are on their underside when I went to put them in. And when I tried to fix one of the misaligned arrow keys, underneath the clip that holds the scissor switch in place, the metal part just got sheared off. Ooh, Look, you can learn from my mistakes and make yourself an absolutely sick-looking MacBook Neo. Just be aware that even if it's the easiest MacBook to get into, it's also still pretty easy to mess up these tiny keycaps. But I love that you can even do this. Apple never allows this level of DIY customization.