Budget MacBook Sparks PC Price Pressure

Apple’s announced low-cost MacBook Neo reframes the laptop market by bringing an Apple-branded, cheap, sealed‑memory (non‑upgradeable) device into competition with mainstream Windows notebooks. PC makers publicly acknowledge the upset and say they will respond, even as industry observers warn that AI-driven memory shortages could raise component costs and limit how price cuts play out. — If sustained, Apple undercutting traditional PC pricing while maintaining its integrated hardware/software model could force a market realignment on price, upgradeability, and supply‑chain allocation for memory.