
Apple has a reputation for selling premium (i.e., expensive) products, but the company upended that narrative this week with the launch of the $599 MacBook Neo. As expected, the wider PC industry has taken notice.
During an earnings call on March 10 (transcribed by Seeking Alpha and reported by TechRadar), Asus Chief Financial Officer Nick Wu admitted that the arrival of a sub-$600 MacBook has sent a "shock" through the entire market. For years, Windows OEMs and Chromebook manufacturers have dominated the entry-level space. Now that the Neo is here, PC vendors are reportedly scrambling to figure out how to compete.