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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The MacBook Neo raised the bar for the price range PC market.
- Current price range PCs are inferior to the Neo.
- Google could also be higher positioned to compete with the Neo than Home windows is.
Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo was a shock to the Home windows PC market — and that is factor. Essentially the most inexpensive MacBook ever brings a brand new expertise to price range laptops, forcing Microsoft and its companions to reply with higher-tier merchandise that may truly compete.
Let’s face it, the low-end of the PC market is slightly dismal: uninspired shows, clunky type elements, and lackluster efficiency. Certain, you get what you pay for, however the Neo is so standard as a result of it punches above its value level. In truth, since its March 2026 launch, it has been flying off cabinets, exceeding Apple’s projected numbers and leading to a backlog on Apple’s official website.
You possibly can guess that Microsoft is engaged on a follow-up. It is solely been a couple of months, however we’re beginning to see the primary PCs at related costs with related options, together with some rumored developments. We have already recognized a handful of Home windows PCs (and Chromebooks) that would rival the MacBook Neo, however how do they really maintain up?
The side-by-side
PC makers have grown accustomed to releasing merchandise of a sure caliber on this value vary. Meaning lower-resolution shows, cheaper construct supplies reminiscent of plastic fairly than aluminum, and modest processor know-how. While you put these laptops subsequent to the Neo, the variations are evident.
For instance, check out this laptop computer that looks as if a strong competitor on the floor: LG’s Gram Guide 15-inch for, you guessed it: $599. It is a slick-looking laptop computer with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage — the identical because the Neo.
The processors are additionally comparable. The Gram Guide homes an Intel Core Extremely 5 115U in Intel’s Meteor Lake sequence from 2024, and the Neo’s A18 Professional chip can also be from that yr. Moreover, the Gram Guide has far more ports than the Neo: two USB-Cs, two USB-As, an HDMI, a headphone jack, and a lock slot.
However the Neo pulls forward whenever you take a look at the main points. Its show is smaller, nevertheless it has a 2408 x 1506 decision in comparison with the 1920 x 1080 FHD on the Gram Guide, that means it’s going to look far sharper. The Gram Guide’s matte show is bordered by plastic bezels, whereas the Neo’s all-glass panel feels far more premium. The Neo’s aluminum construct additionally beats out the Gram Guide’s principally plastic chassis.
And that is not even mentioning the Apple integrations the Neo has for iPhone customers: Messages, FaceTime, Telephone Mirroring, and quality-of-life options like AirDrop. Home windows’ smartphone app would not examine.
Google rising?
The Neo definitely transformed some Home windows customers, nevertheless it’s not the one different to Microsoft’s ubiquitous working system. Google’s ChromeOS gives a light-weight, streamlined platform with some very inexpensive gadgets.
I made the case that the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is the closest Chromebook competitor to the Neo, even doing a couple of issues higher. It has a surprising OLED show, a light-weight construct, and implausible keyboard and audio system. Plus, the MediaTek Kompanio ARM-based processor is quick and battery-efficient. Nevertheless it’s costlier. The Neo nonetheless wins on worth.
ChromeOS is restricted in performance compared to the a long time of maturation that MacOS has beneath its belt. However Google additionally most definitely has plans to compete. Rumors of a ChromeOS redesign have been circulating for months, and Google has a giant alternative right here to go head-to-head with Apple in its smartphone integrations.
If Google can carry extra Android options to ChromeOS, it’s going to be part of Apple with native options that unify the laptop computer and smartphone expertise — one thing Home windows would not have. That might be big.
One factor is definite: The MacBook Neo has pushed PC and Chromebook producers to set a brand new commonplace for price range gadgets, and that is nice information for customers. We’ll see if Microsoft can pull off gadgets in 2026 that may actually rival the king of price range computing.
