Everyone has their own goals set on the MacBook Neo

However it’s only $699 (or $599 for students). The XPS 13 makes similar trade-offs as the MacBook Neo. First, it starts with just 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It also starts with the slower Intel Core 5 processor (note: not Intel Core Ultra). I’ll be interested to see how 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 an M-series laptop-class processor.

But the nice thing about the Dell XPS 13 is that you can scale it appropriately. The MacBook Neo has limited storage and memory, but the XPS 13 can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

I’ve been testing a lot of $500-$600 laptops lately from companies like Acer, Lenovo, and HP, many of which take a more traditional Windows approach to competing with the MacBook Neo by offering better specs at lower prices. They all have 16GB of RAM and use more powerful chipsets as well. But no one rivals the MacBook Neo in display quality and body materials. That’s not to say there isn’t a place for something like the HP OmniBook 3, but it doesn’t fit the same audience as the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Neo.

Wrong direction

Inevitably there will be a company that thinks it can piggyback on the success of the MacBook Neo without understanding what makes it special. 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 upgrade, using Intel’s new Core Ultra X7 368H Panther Lake chip – and, importantly, it still starts with 16GB of RAM.

The smaller 13-inch model is where things get problematic. Despite its starting price of $1,200, this configuration only comes with 8GB of RAM. Don’t get too hung up on the price, as business computers always come at a higher cost. RAM to start is the spec that raises eyebrows. Unlike Dell’s new XPS 13, Microsoft isn’t cheating on this with a thinner chassis and an upgraded display — it’s just giving you less computing power and calling it good.

To be fair, this “optional” 8GB model will be coming later this year, separately from the 16GB and 24GB versions. But it’s hard to imagine Microsoft being ready to sell an 8GB laptop in 2026 if Apple doesn’t pave the way. While there’s no 2025 Surface Laptop 13 business device for direct comparison, the consumer version of the Surface Laptop 13 starts with 16GB of RAM. This seems like a direct generational downgrade.

Microsoft Surface Business Laptop, 13 inch.