The MacBook Neo it was like throwing a giant rock into a calm, peaceful pond – and we still feel the ripple effects. Thanks to its spectacular price of $599, it took Apple into a whole new laptop demographics. The response from Windows has been mild, so far.
Cheaper laptops with just 8GB of RAM are coming, including the new Dell XPS 13 and Microsoft Surface 8 Laptop. Do the same with the MacBook NeoDell is making its brand more accessible than ever, using many of the same tricks as Apple. Microsoft? Not so much.
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Photography: Luke Larsen
The MacBook Neo was rightly criticized for having only 8GB of RAM in the base model, as that limits what this otherwise great laptop could do. Then again, this is a $599 laptop. It’s not meant for demanding workloads, and while I think 16GB should be the new established benchmark, I don’t want laptops to be more expensive than they already are. THE lack of memory that has swept the industry’s entire supply chain is taking effect – and even Apple hasn’t been able to move forward without making the necessary changes.
Regardless, there should be room in the market for a device aimed at people who don’t have heavy computing needs but want something that has a premium look and feel. This is the MacBook Neo to a T. The new Dell XPS 13 takes a nearly identical approach. It is made entirely of aluminum; it’s half an inch thick and just as premium as XPS laptops have always been. It even uses a high-end IPS display with higher resolution (2560 x 1600) and refresh rate (120Hz). Dell even says the brightness can reach 500 nits. It’s deliberate. It matches the Neo’s peak sharpness and brightness exactly, and has a faster refresh rate to boot.
The new Dell XPS 13.
Courtesy of Dell
Still, it’s only $699 (or $599 for students). The XPS 13 makes similar compromises as the MacBook Neo. First, it starts with just 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It also starts with a slower Intel Core 5 processor (note: not Intel Core Ultra). I’ll be interested to know how the performance and battery life compare to the MacBook Neo, but Dell is clearly taking notes from Apple, which used a slower iPhone chip in the Neo instead of a laptop-grade M-series processor.
The nice thing about the Dell XPS 13 is that you can upgrade it appropriately. The MacBook Neo is limited in both storage and memory, but the XPS 13 can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
I tested a lot of $500-$600 Laptops recently from companies like Acer, Lenovo and HP, many of which are taking a more conventional Windows approach to compete with the MacBook Neo by offering better specs at lower prices. They all have 16GB of RAM and also use more powerful chips. But none rival the MacBook Neo in terms of display quality and chassis materials. This is not to say that there is no place for something like HP OmniBook 3but it is not aimed at the same audience as the Dell XPS 13 and the MacBook Neo.
The wrong direction
Inevitably, there will be a company that thinks it can cash in on the MacBook Neo’s success without understanding what’s driving it. Last week, Microsoft announced two versions of its Surface Laptop for business PCs: a high-end 13.8-inch model and a cheaper 13-inch device. The 13.8-inch model is a more standard update, implementing the new Core Ultra X7 368H Panther Lake chip– and above all, it always starts with 16 GB of RAM.
It’s in the smaller 13-inch model that things get problematic. Despite its starting price of $1,200, this configuration only comes with 8GB of RAM. Don’t get too caught up in the price, as business PCs always charge extra. Starting RAM is the eyebrow-raising spec. Unlike the new Dell
And to be fair, that “optional” 8GB model is coming later this year, separate from the 16GB and 24GB versions. But it’s hard to imagine Microsoft willing to sell an 8GB laptop in 2026 if Apple hadn’t led the way. While there is no Surface Laptop 13 for Business 2025 for direct comparison, the consumer version of the Surface Laptop 13 started with 16GB of RAM. This seems like a real generational downgrade.
Microsoft Surface Laptop for Business, 13-inch.
We’ll know for sure once Microsoft announces its new consumer Surface Laptop 8th Edition, perhaps in June, around its Build developer conference. If the company announces a Surface 13 Laptop with only 8 GB of RAM, this will be the final proof that Microsoft is wrong about Apple. Even if Microsoft drops the price to $600 to match Apple, it will happily take the bait by jumping to 8GB without realizing what makes the MacBook Neo tick.
You can still buy the Surface Laptop 2024 7th Edition with 16GB RAM for under $800and it remains a very good deal. I really like this laptop and always recommend it. Unfortunately, Microsoft certainly won’t be selling its next-gen refresh at such low prices. We’ve already seen many Snapdragon Asus ZenBook A16.
All these companies will have to face the lack of memory and the challenge of Apple’s attack in their own way. Some companies will be forced to pivot and follow Apple’s lead, like the Dell XPS 13, while others may lower prices and stick to their positions. Regardless, diversity is one of the Windows ecosystem’s greatest strengths, and the range of responses will give laptop buyers many more options at this price point. And this is just the beginning. On Thursday, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Can even cheaper chip designed for Windows laptops starting at $300. Strap in, because the competition is really about to heat up.
