Asus chief says the MacBook Neo shock will push PC brands to level up their game

Apple’s most affordable MacBook yet has the entire PC industry scrambling and taking notes.

By Rachit Agarwal Published March 11, 2026

MacBook Neo — MacBook Neo Apple

Apple has never been known for making affordable products. So when the company launched the MacBook Neo at $599, it caught everyone off guard, including its biggest rivals. With the education pricing of $499, the MacBook Neo is an even more enticing product for students.

As reported by PCMag, Asus co-CEO S.Y. Hsu didn’t mince words on a recent earnings call, calling it a “shock to the entire industry.” He believes that the entire Windows PC ecosystem, including Microsoft, Intel, and AMD, is actively discussing how to respond. That’s quite the statement.

The PC industry is already feeling the heat

Hsu did try to downplay the threat a little. He described the MacBook Neo as a “content consumption” device, comparing it more to an iPad than a traditional laptop. His argument is that it can’t handle more demanding, compute-intensive tasks, and the 8GB of memory can’t be upgraded.

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He might be right about the specs on paper, but the reality is different. Most reviewers are posting glowing reviews of the MacBook Neo, noting that while 8GB of RAM is somewhat disappointing, it doesn’t impact performance in day-to-day usage.

I concur with this opinion. I daily drove the 8GB variant of the M1 MacBook Air for three years and never faced any issues. I only upgraded to the Apple Silicon Pro chips with higher RAM when I got serious about video editing.

For its target consumer base of students and elders, the MacBook Neo brings more than enough power and performance.

Timing could not be worse for Windows PC makers

Here’s the part that is worrying for PC makers. The industry is already struggling with a memory shortage driven by AI demand, and memory prices have jumped over 100% quarter over quarter. Asus itself has warned that once its current memory supplies run out, laptop prices will likely go up.

So, while Apple has launched a $599 laptop, Windows PC makers are bracing for price increases. The memory crunch is expected to last until late 2027, when new memory factories finally come online.

The MacBook Neo may not be for everyone, but it has arrived at exactly the wrong time for the competition.

Rachit is a seasoned tech journalist with over ten years of experience covering the consumer technology landscape.

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