Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo shakes up Windows laptops
It is legal. Apple is making a $599 MacBook, and it’s going to shake up the Windows laptop space in a big way. Officially called the “MacBook Neo,” this new low-cost macOS laptop is everything your everyday Joe or Jane will ever need in a computer in 2026.
The MacBook Neo features a 13-inch display and is powered by the A18 Pro SoC, the same chip that powers the iPhone 16 Pro series of phones. This chip offers similar performance to that of the Apple M1 SoC, which is widely regarded as one of the best value SoCs you can get in a device.
In fact, it’s clear that Apple expects many Windows users to switch. It even has a “Switch to Mac” tab on the MacBook Neo page, which advertises how easy it is to switch from a Windows PC to a MacBook Neo.
For those of us who don’t like macOS, nothing really changes today. But for the large percentage of people who only use a Windows laptop because they had to or couldn’t afford a MacBook, there is now an affordable and easy way to get a new MacBook from Apple.
Windows OEMs will feel the heat, too. For years, OEMs have failed to ship what could be described as e-waste in this price bracket, with a few exceptions, of course. Most new $599 laptops from HP, Lenovo, Dell, or any of the other big name brands won’t hold a candle to the desirability of a new Mac laptop at the same price. (Though when the ASUS Zenbook A14, one of our top Windows laptops, drops to $599, it’s an amazing price.)
If I were Microsoft, I’d be on full panic alert right now. Unlike Chrome OS, which has never been desirable even at lower price points, a full $599 macOS laptop is a serious threat to Windows. Young people will flock to this, and it will sell like hotcakes, not giving Windows laptops even a second thought. As those young people get older, they will only want to use Mac laptops as they become adults, and Windows will slowly but surely lose all relevance except for certain use cases such as games and business.
Do you think the Windows laptop market should be worried about the $599 MacBook?
Of course, not everyone will agree with my analysis. I’m sure some of you are thinking that a $599 MacBook isn’t going to make a dent in the mid-range Windows laptop market. If that’s what you think, be sure to let me know why in the comments.
As things stand now, I can’t help but think that this is nothing but bad news for the Windows ecosystem and Microsoft. I would honestly be shocked if this $599 MacBook doesn’t make a dent in the Windows laptop market.
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