Some responses to Neo are starting to appear.

[Non-Euclidean]

I don't think this link has been posted.

It seems fair to say that Apple’s MacBook Neo took the rest of the PC industry by surprise. Companies are used to competing on price and features with $1,000-and-up Apple laptops like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but their $600 and $700 models usually come with cut corners and compromises that are more noticeable than the Neo’s. The CEO of Asus admitted to being surprised by the laptop’s price (while simultaneously trying to downplay the Neo’s value); a Microsoft-backed study comparing PCs to the MacBook Neo included several laptops that can’t compete with the Neo’s price unless they’re deeply discounted.

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve started to see a more intentional and targeted response to the MacBook Neo from PC makers. These mostly seem to revolve around Intel’s low-end Core Series 3 processors, codenamed Wildcat Lake; while Intel’s last few generations of low-end chips have mostly been rebrands of older and less power-efficient parts, Wildcat Lake is a new purpose-built budget chip that benefits from Intel’s latest CPU and GPU architectures and its 18A manufacturing process. This should help these chips compete better with the Apple A18 Pro in the MacBook Neo.

article @

We're starting to see some PC makers respond to Apple's MacBook Neo

Sub-$600 laptops have existed for years, but consistently good ones remain rare.

arstechnica.com

 

[jaysabol]

One of the things those competing with the Neo don't have is the Neo captured people's imaginations. These other laptops can't do that.

 

[Apple_Robert]

We have seen this sentiment in other articles. I think the PC makers should be concerned because in addition to an excellent build, the Neo offers a well integrated ecosystem which the PC can't offer.

 

[Dhonk]

Also, people that are first time Mac buyers are realizing the superiority of build quality and the trackpad. Multi-touch is phenomenal. Heck a 2015 rMB has a better trackpad than any new PC

 

[ElPaso]

Also, people that are first time Mac buyers are realizing the superiority of build quality and the trackpad. Multi-touch is phenomenal. Heck a 2015 rMB has a better trackpad than any new PC

Exactly. I replaced an HP Windows PC with a less expensive Neo and the increase in build quality, speed and practicality is astonishing.

 

[whitby]

This is to be expected, but what Windows laptops cannot compete with, whatever the price and build quality, is the integrated Apple ecosystem system and support which makes the whole experience much easier to deal with.

I run Apple and Windows machines, and Windows is a nightmare when trying to get things to work or you need support, if things go wrong. And I have been running MSDOS/Windows machine since they were first introduced (yes I am that old) and have built around 30 or 40 machines as well as owning a lot of Windows laptops.

So the Neo, at last, gives an affordable entry point into the Apple ecosystem which I think is very important for people who do not want to spend their time dealing with Windows and getting things to work.

 

[ElPaso]

This is to be expected, but what Windows laptops cannot compete with, whatever the price and build quality, is the integrated Apple ecosystem system and support which makes the whole experience much easier to deal with.

I run Apple and Windows machines, and Windows is a nightmare when trying to get things to work or you need support, if things go wrong. And I have been running MSDOS/Windows machine since they were first introduced (yes I am that old) and have built around 30 or 40 machines as well as owning a lot of Windows laptops.

So the Neo, at last, gives an affordable entry point into the Apple ecosystem which I think is very important for people who do not want to spend their time dealing with Windows and getting things to work.

Excellent points

 

[4sallypat]

Compared to my non Macs I use at work:

• $1800 Asus 15" Chromebook touch screen / tablet
• $1200 Lenovo 14" PC Windows

Neo is still superior in both form, function, and design.

 

[Moonjumper]

I am glad to see a response by competitors. It means Apple cannot rest on their laurels, and will need to keep up with regular updates. Competition improves the breed.

 

[EllZ89]

i think a massive part of the appeal is that a mac laptop has never been available at this price point before.

underpowered underwhelming cheap windows laptops are nothing new and nothing to get excited about. not that the neo is underpowered or underwhelming, its the opposite.but that seems to be the results you get at that price point with windows machines.

 

[boswald]

i think a massive part of the appeal is that a mac laptop has never been available at this price point before.

underpowered underwhelming cheap windows laptops are nothing new and nothing to get excited about. not that the neo is underpowered or underwhelming, its the opposite.but that seems to be the results you get at that price point with windows machines.

I think it's also the fact that macOS is "new" in the sense that it's generally been inaccessible to everyone but the "rich." Now everyday people are getting to experience something new and it's surprisingly refreshing coming from the mess that is Wintel.

 

[EllZ89]

I think it's also the fact that macOS is "new" in the sense that it's generally been inaccessible to everyone but the "rich." Now everyday people are getting to experience something new and it's surprisingly refreshing coming from the mess that is Wintel.

💯

ive only used macs for about 4 years now and love it. Hey the OS isnt perfect, things rarely are, but the hardware feels rock solid and regardless of the quirks of MacOS, still prefer it hugely over windows.

 

[Alameda]

i think a massive part of the appeal is that a mac laptop has never been available at this price point before.

underpowered underwhelming cheap windows laptops are nothing new and nothing to get excited about. not that the neo is underpowered or underwhelming, its the opposite.but that seems to be the results you get at that price point with windows machines.

Disagree.
I bought my son a $500 Samsung laptop. Broke in 18 months. Bought him a $500 Dell. Broke in 8 months.

Bought him a MacBook Air. Has not broken in three years.

Cheap Windows laptops are poorly built. Macs are not.

 

[EllZ89]

Disagree.
I bought my son a $500 Samsung laptop. Broke in 18 months. Bought him a $500 Dell. Broke in 8 months.

Bought him a MacBook Air. Has not broken in three years.

Cheap Windows laptops are poorly built. Macs are not.

🤔

Is that not reaffirming the exact point I was trying to make?

 

[Alameda]

🤔

Is that not reaffirming the exact point I was trying to make?

Sorry, my bad.