All posts tagged: neo

MacBook Neo Outsold Every Other Mac in Its Debut Quarter

MacBook Neo Outsold Every Other Mac in Its Debut Quarter

Published by skeptic

Apple shipped 1.1 million MacBook Neo units in the first quarter of the year, according to IDC, making it one of the strongest Mac debut performances in recent memory (via TechCrunch). The figure is particularly striking given that the laptop was only available for roughly three weeks of the period, having gone on sale in mid-March. Shipments began spiking from early April, suggesting the March tally understates underlying demand. By comparison, the M5 MacBook Air shipped over 900,000 units in its debut quarter, while the M5 MacBook Pro shipped 550,000. Apple introduced the ‌MacBook Neo‌ in early March with a starting price of $599, which is roughly 45% below the entry-level ‌MacBook Air‌. The laptop features an aluminum chassis and a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, but uses an A18 Pro chip rather than an M-series processor, along with 8GB of RAM, to reach the lower price point. Of the units shipped globally during the quarter, 44% went to the U.S., while India accounted for approximately 18,000 shipments despite the short availability window, with retailers reportedly …

Dell’s new XPS 13 is a MacBook Neo rival that costs 9 and retains premium features

Dell’s new XPS 13 is a MacBook Neo rival that costs $599 and retains premium features

Published by skeptic

Dell Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Dell’s new XPS 13 costs $599 for students and $699 for everyone else.  It’s an open challenge to the MacBook Neo with a bigger display, lighter body, and better I/O.  It features Intel’s new “Wildcat Lake” Series 3 CPU, designed for budget PCs.  When Dell’s COO Jeff Clarke announced the new XPS 13 ahead of Computex 2026, he made no attempt to avoid its inevitable comparison to the MacBook Neo. Oh no, he addressed it straight on. “We didn’t change a single feature when the Neo was launched. We stayed true to the XPS’ identity … And I think we’ve achieved it with the $599 price point.” Also: MacBook Neo vs. Surface: Why spiraling RAM prices are bruising Microsoft’s PC business but not Apple’s It’s a bold claim — refreshingly so — and the first time a PC maker has so openly positioned a flagship product in opposition to Apple’s wildly successful budget laptop that’s disrupted the PC market. The XPS 13 will cost …

Everyone Has Their Targets Set on the MacBook Neo

Everyone Has Their Targets Set on the MacBook Neo

Published by skeptic

Yet it’s only $699 (or $599 for students). The XPS 13 makes similar trade-offs as the MacBook Neo. First, it starts with only 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. It also starts with a slower Intel Core 5 processor (note: not Intel Core Ultra). I’ll be interested to find how the performance and battery life stack up against the MacBook Neo, but Dell is clearly taking notes from Apple, which used a slower iPhone chip in the Neo instead of an M-series laptop-grade processor. What’s nice about the Dell XPS 13, though, is that you can scale it up appropriately. The MacBook Neo is capped in both storage and memory, but the XPS 13 can be configured up to 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. I’ve been testing a lot of $500 to $600 laptops recently from companies like Acer, Lenovo, and HP, many of which take a more conventional Windows approach to rivaling the MacBook Neo by offering better specs at lower prices. They all have 16 GB …

Dell’s new budget XPS 13 puts the MacBook Neo on notice

Dell’s new budget XPS 13 puts the MacBook Neo on notice

Published by skeptic

Dell finally announced its new XPS 13 laptop at Computex 2026 in Taiwan on Monday, almost five months after teasing it at CES. With a premium CNC aluminum build and a launch price of just $599 for students, the device is poised to aggressively compete with Apple’s budget bombshell, the MacBook Neo. On that battlefront, Dell is coming out swinging. “I’ll give [Apple] credit, it’s a good product…The difference is, we built something better,” Dell COO Jeff Clarke told reporters during a briefing ahead of Computex. Dell XPS 13 specs The XPS 13 will come in sky and storm finishes (left and right, respectively). Credit: Dell The XPS 13 will be the thinnest and lightest XPS laptop Dell has ever made. It’s just as slim as the Neo but half a pound lighter, weighing in at just 2.2 pounds. It will come equipped with a 2.5K touchscreen, keyboard backlighting, and WiFi 7, three features the Neo lacks. The XPS 13’s display will offer up to 500 nits of brightness and full DCI-P3 color coverage, so …

Dell XPS 13 (2026) vs. MacBook Neo: I compared both budget laptops, here’s which one I’d buy

Dell XPS 13 (2026) vs. MacBook Neo: I compared both budget laptops, here’s which one I’d buy

Published by skeptic

Manufacturer or Full Name/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. The MacBook Neo was a total disruption to the consumer PC landscape, bringing premium-tier features to a competitive $599 price point. But its reign as king of the hill is being challenged. PC makers are responding with laptops that overtly compete with the Neo by one-upping its weak points.   Case in point: the new Dell XPS 13 — starting at $599 for students and $699 for general consumers — is the thinnest and lightest XPS yet, lighter than the Neo, with a bigger display, and better connectivity (and a backlit keyboard, to boot).  Also: Watch out, Neo: Dell’s new XPS 13 costs $599 and retains premium features How does it achieve this? A combination of lightweight hardware (8GB up to 32GB of RAM) and Intel’s new “Wildcat Lake” Core Series 3 chips, battery-efficient processors designed for budget PCs that trade in raw power for a more accessible price point.  Let’s break down the differences between the MacBook Neo and Dell’s new XPS 13, …

The 4 best cheap laptops of 2026: Apple MacBook Neo tops the list

The 4 best cheap laptops of 2026: Apple MacBook Neo tops the list

Published by skeptic

{ container.appendChild(contentItem); });”> The elegant and long-lasting Asus Zenbook A14 from 2025 is my favorite laptop for most people with a budget cap of $1,000. Its ultralight yet rigid build makes it especially great for frequent travelers and remote workers. I’ll also note that it’s the only laptop on this list with an OLED display, if that’s a spec high on your wishlist. Look for the ZenBook A14 on sale at Best Buy, where it’s dipped down to as low as $550 before (a steal). It starts with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. { container.appendChild(contentItem); });”> I’ve been hyping this 14-inch laptop since I first saw it at CES 2025. It’s an amazing Windows ultraportable and an awesome value. Performance: The Zenbook A14 is a solid performer for the money. The MacBook Neo still beats it in single-core workloads (by about 31 percent), but it’s 28 percent faster in multi-core scenarios. In fact, it doesn’t have any multi-core competition among other laptops under $1,000. Compared to the $699.99 Acer Aspire 16 AI (above), …

Best gaming monitor deal: Save 29% on the 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9

Best gaming monitor deal: Save 29% on the 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9

Published by skeptic

SAVE $600: The 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $1,499.99, down from the normal price of $2,099.99. That’s a 29% discount. $1,499.99 at Amazon $2,099.99 Save $600.00   The temperature is slowly creeping into uncomfortable territory. If you’re more of a spring and fall person, the upcoming summer might not be as welcomed as others feel it is. Instead of toughing it out, spend the summer indoors with a fancy new gaming monitor. There’s a massive model on sale today at Amazon that’s worth checking out. As of May 26, the 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $1,499.99, marked down from the list price of $2,099.99. That’s a 29% discount that takes $600 off the price. Samsung makes some of the best premium gaming monitors and if you have the space to go big, the 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 could be an awesome upgrade to your gaming setup. It has an immerse 1000R curve and great specs like a 240Hz …

New Study Highlights Advantages of 9 Windows Laptop Over MacBook Neo

New Study Highlights Advantages of $549 Windows Laptop Over MacBook Neo

Published by skeptic

Microsoft has responded to the MacBook Neo by commissioning a study that highlights advantages of some Windows laptops. Market research firm Signal65 evaluated four Windows laptops: Lenovo’s IdeaPad Slim 3x Lenovo’s Yoga 7i HP’s OmniBook 5 HP’s OmniBook X Flip With a starting price of $549.99 on Best Buy’s online store in the U.S. at the time of this writing, the IdeaPad Slim 3x is the only laptop in the study that currently rivals the MacBook Neo’s starting price of $499 (college students) to $599 (general public). The other three laptops currently start at $749 to $1,029 at Best Buy. Signal65 outlined some of the IdeaPad Slim 3x’s advantages over the MacBook Neo: Feature IdeaPad Slim 3x MacBook Neo Display Size 15.3-inch 13-inch CPU Snapdragon X1 with “90% faster” multi-core Cinebench 2026 score A18 Pro Base RAM 16GB 8GB Fingerprint Scanner Included Touch ID limited to $699 model Ports 1× USB-C, 2× USB-A, SD, and HDMI 2× USB-C only Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 6E Backlit Keyboard Yes No Touch Screen Yes No In addition, the …

MacBook Neo 2 Leaks: Why the A19 Pro & 12GB RAM

MacBook Neo 2 Leaks: Why the A19 Pro & 12GB RAM

Published by skeptic

  The MacBook Neo 2, the highly anticipated successor to the popular MacBook Neo, is making waves with rumors of significant internal upgrades. While its external design is expected to remain largely unchanged, the enhancements under the hood could make it a compelling option for users seeking a budget-friendly, portable laptop with improved performance. Here’s a detailed look at what the leaks suggest about this upcoming device in a new video from Matt Talks Tech. Why the Current MacBook Neo Stands Out The MacBook Neo has established itself as a go-to choice for budget-conscious users, offering a premium experience at an accessible price point. Starting at $599, or $499 with an educator discount, it combines affordability with features typically found in higher-end laptops. Key features of the current MacBook Neo include: Dual USB-C ports for versatile connectivity High-quality speakers delivering clear and balanced audio An A18 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, making sure smooth performance for everyday tasks A vibrant selection of colors, including citrus, blue, and blush, adds a touch …

Windows rivals to MacBook Neo are here – but I’m more excited for Google’s response

Windows rivals to MacBook Neo are here – but I’m more excited for Google’s response

Published by skeptic

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways The MacBook Neo raised the bar for the budget PC market.  Existing budget PCs are inferior to the Neo.  Google may be better positioned to compete with the Neo than Windows is. Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo was a shock to the Windows PC market — and that’s a good thing. The most affordable MacBook ever brings a new experience to budget laptops, forcing Microsoft and its partners to respond with higher-tier products that can actually compete.  Let’s face it, the low-end of the PC market is a little dismal: uninspired displays, clunky form factors, and lackluster performance. Sure, you get what you pay for, but the Neo is so popular because it punches above its price point. In fact, since its March 2026 release, it’s been flying off shelves, exceeding Apple’s projected numbers and resulting in a backlog on Apple’s official site.  Also: We compared the MacBook Neo to its closest Windows and Chromebook rivals: by the specs You can bet that …