Apple’s new MacBook Neo could help the company grow notebook shipments by nearly 8% this year, even as the broader laptop market faces a hefty downturn, according to a new report from TrendForce. The research firm estimates global notebook shipments will fall 9.2% year-over-year in 2026, with the potential for steeper declines if demand stays weak. Rising memory and CPU costs are said to have pushed most PC makers to pare back their product lines and play it safe with inventory. Meanwhile, Apple is going in the other direction. Announced on Wednesday with a starting price of $599, the MacBook Neo is targeting the $500-$800 mainstream segment, which is typically dominated by Windows laptops and Chromebooks aimed at education and general productivity users. With an education discount, the Neo’s starting price drops to $499 – well below the $1,000 floor that has defined the MacBook lineup for years. TrendForce projects Apple’s notebook shipments will grow 7.7% in 2026, lifting macOS market share to 13.2%. The MacBook Neo alone could account for 4 to 5 million …