Apple's MacBook Neo budget laptop has been an early hit . With supplies constrained in April, there's been speculation about what will happen if Apple runs out of the A18 Pro processor (which was first introduced to power the iPhone 16 Pro ).

In terms of longevity, the Neo might have an advantage over other portables: It's Apple's most repairable laptop in ages.

For several generations, the company's laptops have been designed as sealed vaults that house a processor, memory, storage and other electronics. And when I say "sealed," I mean it: Opening one up often involves using a heat gun to soften stretches of glue and adhesive strips.

That's all great for creating a solid aluminum laptop that won't split when you look at it sideways, but it is an ongoing source of frustration for non-Apple repair shops and individuals willing to violate their warranties to make minor changes instead of paying Apple to do the work.

With encouragement from the right-to-repair movement and those independent shops, Apple has…