{"id":37180,"date":"2026-06-05T18:05:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/37180\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T18:05:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T18:05:14","slug":"i-customized-a-macbook-neo-with-colorful-spare-parts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/37180\/","title":{"rendered":"I customized a MacBook Neo with colorful spare parts"},"content":{"rendered":"

The MacBook Neo is Apple\u2019s cheapest laptop, its most colorful, and its easiest to repair in years<\/a>. That means owners can buy replacement parts in all four of its available colors<\/a> and swap them in on their own. So that got us thinking: What if we bought a Neo just to see how funky we could make it look with official parts?<\/p>\n

I ordered an indigo Neo to tinker with, and some spare parts from Apple\u2019s self-service site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I opted for a replacement trackpad<\/a> and bottom case<\/a> in blush, and USB-C ports<\/a> and keycaps<\/a> in citrus. My goal was to make it as mishmash-y as possible without changing out more labor-intensive parts \u2014 like the top case or lid, which both require taking apart the display.<\/p>\n

Part:Color:Price:Trackpadblush$78.32Bottom caseblush$34.32Keycapscitrus$39USB-C boardscitrus$14Total: $165.64<\/p>\n

The four parts we ordered cost $165.64 plus tax, which is nearly 30 percent of the price of a new Neo. So while it\u2019s fun to experiment, buying all these parts purely for aesthetics isn\u2019t cost-effective. But you can end up with something uniquely yours.<\/p>\n

Opening up the Neo is simple. Check out iFixit\u2019s extensive guide<\/a> and video<\/a> if you want to see how to tear down the whole thing. Replacing the bottom case is of course the easiest, since you have to open it with a pentalobe screwdriver to access the Neo\u2019s innards anyway. The trackpad and USB-C ports were also quite easy, requiring that I just unplug some ribbon cables and remove several Torx screws to put in the freshly colored parts. After about 40 minutes, I already had a customized Neo.<\/p>\n

There are lots of fun color combos you could explore with just the trackpad, ports, and bottom plate. But even those three replacement parts will cost you $126.64 \u2014 not nothing for a $599 laptop.<\/p>\n

But then came the keycaps. I was most excited to customize these, as my love for mechanical keyboards<\/a> and colorful keycaps<\/a> is well documented. I wanted to give the Neo a touch of the two-tone flair you see on mech keyboards \u2014 only changing the alphas, numbers, space bar, and arrow keys to citrus, with the modifiers remaining indigo. Changing out laptop keys is obviously harder than regular keycaps, but I figured I\u2019d be fine.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t order the little adhesives and plastic removal lever tools<\/a> Apple sells you to remove the keys. I overlooked the fact that you have to scroll down on each parts page to see if there are tools to buy along with them. In my defense, Apple farmed out the self-service repair store to a third-party logistics company, and the site is pretty spartan.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The trackpad was a super easy swap.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chiclet-style keys come in a Chiclet-style case.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Challenges aside, I dig this fun and colorful look.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need the keycap tool and adhesive, but I bet it would be easier and less risky than popping them off with a spudger like I did. But you should definitely not miss the instructions on how to put the keys back in<\/a>. I managed to damage the fragile hinge clips on a few keys, and a metal fin attaching an arrow key\u2019s scissor switch sheared off before I figured out the proper way to attach the new keycaps, thanks to a couple<\/a> videos<\/a>. Notably, the key reassembly instructions<\/a> are buried in a secondary page linked at the bottom of Apple\u2019s written instructions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once I had the proper technique, I was able to install the citrus keycaps on the alpha and number keys (minus the A, D, 5, and 8 keys, where I had to use the original undamaged indigo keys, and the W and S, which I kept indigo for the vibes). Sadly, reattaching the arrow key\u2019s scissor switch is probably going to require a trip to the Genius Bar. Maybe I should document how they react to seeing my multicolored Neo.<\/p>\n

1\/4My first attempt at color coordinating the keys, before I partially backtracked.<\/p>\n

Despite my avoidable errors, these mods are very doable if you read the instructions first and don\u2019t get careless or rush through them. It might not be cost-effective to replace all the parts I did, and spending $80 to replace a perfectly good trackpad does feel a bit silly. But just swapping the keycaps for $39 (plus $13 for the removal toolkit) will get you pretty far. Just please learn from my mistakes.<\/p>\n

But even if I didn\u2019t nail these changes like I hoped, I do love that this is even possible on a MacBook. While I was cursing Apple under my breath during the install for its unintuitive parts site and burying some vital repair instructions, I hope the company continues this trend toward repairability with future MacBook Airs and Pros. And I hope we get more fun colors for those too \u2014 including replacement parts to mix and match at our own peril.<\/p>\n

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

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