There was a time when a budget laptop meant cheap but with the release of the MacBook Neo, those days are thankfully over. Here at Computex 2026, I’ve been able to see firsthand how PC makers are responding and so far, Dell’s new XPS 13 is the most impressive MacBook Neo alternative yet.
After briefly discontinuing its iconic XPS brand, Dell brought it back at the beginning of this year. Now, alongside the new XPS 13, the company is also releasing a more powerful XPS 14 alongside its new XPS 16. While I also got to go hands-on with both of those more powerful and premium laptops, just like with the Neo, the XPS 13 feels like a breath of fresh air when it comes to the best laptops for students.
