– Dell XPS 13 matches MacBook Neo at $699 with superior hardware (chassis, display).
– Entry-level XPS 13 with 8GB RAM underperforms on Windows 11, unlike macOS on MacBook Neo.
– Microsoft officially recommends 16GB RAM for smooth Windows 11, unfeasible at this price point.
– RAM supply crunch prevents OEMs from offering 16GB in $699 laptops.
– Microsoft must optimize Windows 11 for Windows laptops to truly compete with MacBook Neo.
MacBook Neo Success Forces Dell to Finally Compete
It appears that the success of MacBook Neo is finally haveing the effect that many wished it would on Windows laptops. Dell has announced a new XPS 13 that directly competes with the MacBook Neo at $699 ($599 for students).
Hardware Perspective and Core Specs
From a purely hardware perspective, Hardware Canucks asserts that this XPS 13 is a “better MacBook Neo”. This assessment looks accurate, as the XPS 13 boasts a high-quality chassis, a display that punches way above its price tag, and much more.
RAM Concerns for Entry-Level Models
However, Hardware Canucks is concerned that the entry-level versions of the Dell XPS 13 that will compete with the MacBook Neo might not hold up well with only 8 GB of RAM. Windows 11 is notoriously resource-hungry, a problem that Microsoft is working on fixing. macOS on the Apple MacBook Neo, on the other hand, is shown to run smoothly on just 8 GB of RAM.
Many users on Reddit have also expressed similar concerns. For instance, one user sarcastically remarked on r/Technology that “Windows 11 on 8 GB of memory sounds like a fun experience”. Another exclaimed that “For a Windows PC to even remotely be taken seriously as a competitor to a Mac, it needs at least 16 gigs of ram, which no PC at this price point will ever have”.
Microsoft Recommends 16GB and Market Reality
Microsoft officially recommends 16 GB of RAM for Windows 11 for smooth operation. In the current market conditions, it is not reasonable to expect a $699 laptop to have 16 GB of RAM. As shown by the recent enormous Steam Deck price increase, OEMs both big and small have been affected by the RAM supply crunch.
Conclusion and OS Handicap
So, Windows laptop OEMs do not just have to worry about the price-to-performance of the hardware of their laptops, but also hope that Windows plays nicely. Microsoft needs to resolve this handicap if Windows laptops are to have a real chance at competing favorably with the MacBook Neo.




