When a major company releases something cheap yet good, competitors usually pretend nothing terrible has happened. But sometimes even giants lose their nerve. That’s exactly what happened after the launch of MacBook Neo at $599 — the co-founder of ASUS publicly called this product “a shock to the entire PC industry.” And he said this not somewhere behind closed doors, but right during a quarterly earnings call with investors. Just imagine what kind of computers other companies are making if they were driven to hysteria by a MacBook with so many drawbacks.
The design is a success. Even despite the bright colors, the MacBook is easily recognizable from a distance. Image: engadget.com
How the $599 MacBook Neo Shook Up the PC Market
During an investor call on March 10, 2026, ASUS co-founder and co-CEO S.Y. Hsu didn’t mince words. In his opinion, Apple’s entry into the budget segment is “a shock to the entire industry.” He added that there are already active discussions across the entire PC ecosystem about how to compete with this product.
Just look at these computers. For some reason, all Windows laptops at the same price look terrible. Image: zdnet.com
The thing is, the segment of Windows laptops under $600 had long remained, to put it mildly, not the most attractive. Windows Central journalist Zac Bowden went so far as to call it “a junkyard of electronic waste.” And now the largest PC manufacturers are publicly admitting: Apple could take over this entire price segment. Moreover, this could happen even in Russia, even if you buy the MacBook Neo at official prices. Even those turned out to be surprisingly pleasant.
Hsu confirmed that Microsoft, Intel, and AMD are already in discussions about how to respond, and that “the entire PC ecosystem will release corresponding products to compete with Apple.” Such a statement from a company of ASUS’s scale is essentially an admission that the entire Windows world has shifted into reaction mode.
MacBook Neo: Specs of Apple’s Cheapest Laptop
The MacBook Neo runs on the Apple A18 Pro chip and starts at $599. It has a thin and light body, up to 16 hours of battery life already confirmed by tests, and bright body colors. Essentially, this is the most affordable Apple laptop ever released.
Of course, there are limitations: 8 GB of RAM, a maximum of 512 GB storage, USB 3 and USB 2 ports without MagSafe, and no support for high-resolution displays. The ASUS co-CEO tried to use this as an argument, calling the Neo a “content consumption device,” more like an iPad than a full-fledged laptop.
But here’s the nuance. If limited memory and a modest storage drive make a laptop a “content consumption device,” then ASUS and other manufacturers ship tons of the same kind of devices for the same $600. Except Neo’s benchmarks already show it’s quite capable of packing a punch in terms of performance. So the “just content consumption” argument sounds increasingly unconvincing.
Why Windows Laptops May Get More Expensive After the MacBook Neo Launch
As if the mere fact of a cheap MacBook appearing weren’t enough, the timing turned out to be maximally inconvenient for competitors. PC manufacturers were already preparing for price increases due to memory shortages caused by the AI technology boom. DRAM costs have risen by more than 100% per quarter, and the situation won’t improve until at least the end of 2027, when new factories come online.
Simply put, Windows laptops will become more expensive, while Apple simultaneously rolled out a machine for $599. For comparison: competitors in this price range offer devices that don’t come close to the macOS ecosystem and Neo’s battery life.
And Apple didn’t just release a budget laptop. The company built a “Switch to Mac” page right into the Neo’s product listing. This isn’t stealth marketing — it’s an overt poaching maneuver aimed at Windows users.
How the $599 MacBook Neo Could Lure Windows Users Away
Zac Bowden from Windows Central warned about exactly this scenario. In his opinion, the MacBook Neo isn’t just a cheap laptop. It’s a “recruitment device” whose purpose is to attract students and first-time laptop buyers. These are the people who form platform loyalty for years to come.
The gadget looks gorgeous in any of the available colors. Image: letemsvetemapplem.eu
Hsu from ASUS himself acknowledged the uncertainty of the situation, stating: “The final outcome of market competition is hard to predict. We simply need more time.” But time is precisely what the Windows camp may not have.
The clock is ticking. And now competitors themselves admit they can hear that sound. If a student’s first laptop runs macOS, getting them back into the Windows world will be very difficult. The budget laptop market was never truly interesting — until now. The $599 MacBook Neo has turned it into the main battleground between Apple and the entire Windows ecosystem. And while competitors are still discussing countermeasures, Apple is already selling.
