Why a MacBook Air when you can buy a MacBook Neo? Here's why: Apple's MacBook Neo starts at $599 and weighs 2.7 pounds. This MacBook Air -- lighter at 2.38 pounds, with the same 512 GB of SSD storage, but a dedicated MagSafe 2 charging port that doesn't borrow from your data connections -- is $155.
That's the pitch. Here's the rest.
This 11-inch MacBook Air (Early 2014, Model A1465) is running Ubuntu 26.04 LTS "Resolute Raccoon," released April 2026, and is ready to use out of the box. It came to me from a private seller who, to the best of my knowledge, used it little if at all. It is in pristine cosmetic condition -- no scratches, no scuffs, no worn surfaces. It looks and feels like a machine that spent most of its life in a bag or on a shelf.
THE NEO COMPARISON:
If you're cross-shopping this against Apple's new MacBook Neo, here's what to know. The Neo is a fine machine, but at $599 (base, 256 GB) or $699 (512 GB), it costs roughly four times what this Air costs. It charges via USB-C -- one of its two ports -- leaving you with a single USB 2.0-speed port for everything else when it's plugged in. It has no keyboard backlight. And it weighs 2.7 pounds.
This Air weighs 2.38 pounds. Its MagSafe 2 charging port is separate from its data ports, leaving both USB 3.0 ports and its Thunderbolt port free at all times. Its keyboard is backlit. (See photo of backlit keyboard.) And it has a hardware camera indicator LED -- a genuine privacy feature that cannot be disabled by software. (See photo of cam in use.) The Neo, by contrast, has only two USB-C ports total -- one running at 10 Gbps and one at USB 2.0 speed (480 Mbps). MagSafe means this Air never sacrifices a data port to stay charged.
The screen is smaller at 11 inches -- that's the screen real-estate tradeoff. But this machine accepts an external monitor via Thunderbolt or Mini DisplayPort (both standards work), so the screen limitation is addressable. And if you ever want macOS back, this hardware still supports El Capitan; you can boot it from an external drive without touching the Ubuntu installation.
Note: among the photos are two showing broadband speeds. The faster speed (about 800Mbps in download) is from a wired connection through an ethernet-to-USB-A adapter; the slower speed (about 275Mbps in download) is from a wireless connection through the MacBook Air's built-in wireless interface. Your results may vary in either direction based on your broadband service and proximity to the broadband modem or router.
HARDWARE SPECS:
- Model: MacBook Air 11-inch Early 2014, A1465 (MacBookAir6,1)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4260U, 1.4 GHz (dual-core Haswell, 64-bit)
- RAM: 4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz (soldered)
- Storage: 512 GB PCIe SSD -- fast, silent, upgraded from stock
- Display: 11.6-inch LED-backlit, 1366 x 768
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000
- Wi-Fi: AirPort Extreme 802.11ac (one of the first Macs to support ac)
- Bluetooth: 4.0
- Ports: 2x USB 3.0, 1x Thunderbolt, MagSafe 2, combo headphone/optical audio out
- Camera: Built-in FaceTime HD -- tested and working; videoconferencing-capable under Ubuntu; hardware LED indicator when camera is active
- Keyboard: Backlit
- Trackpad: Physical clicking trackpad (not haptic)
- Weight: 2.38 lbs (1.08 kg)
BATTERY:
- Current capacity: 96% of design spec -- excellent health
- Charge cycles: 111 -- well below Apple's 1,000-cycle threshold for this model
- This battery has been used and has held up extremely well; 111 cycles at 96% capacity is a strong result
SOFTWARE -- ready to use out of the box:
- OS: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS "Resolute Raccoon" (released April 2026) -- the latest long-term support release from Canonical, with security updates guaranteed through 2031
- Browsers: Mozilla Firefox and Chromium, both installed
- Office suite: LibreOffice (full suite -- Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math)
- An administrator account with a temporary password will be set up before shipping; change it to your own on first login
A NOTE ON RAM:
4 GB sounds modest by 2026 standards, and under macOS, it would be. Ubuntu is a different story -- the OS runs lean, leaving more headroom for your actual work. Web browsing, document editing, video calls, light development -- this machine handles all of it without complaint.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
- Apple MacBook Air 11-inch Early 2014 (A1465)
- One (1) MagSafe 2 45W power adapter
SHIPPING: Carefully packed with appropriate protection. USPS Ground Advantage or Priority Mail. Buyer pays shipping calculated at checkout.
RETURNS: 30-day returns accepted.
QUESTIONS? Ask before buying -- happy to answer anything.