Microsoft is concerned enough about the MacBook Neo that it has commissioned a white paper to put Windows 11 PCs in a better light. While the study does raise some valid points, there are also concerns about its methods — and what it says about Microsoft’s fears about Apple.

The report from Signal65’s Ryan Shrout (formerly of Intel and PC Perspective) asserts that four Windows 11 laptops from HP (the OmniBook 5 and OmniBook X Flip) and Lenovo (the IdeaPad Slim 3x and Yoga 7i) are between 27 percent to 92 percent faster in benchmarks and real-world tests, including Cinebench and Photoshop. It also maintains that battery life is between 12 and 56 percent longer in UL’s productivity-oriented Procyon Office tests, and that people who bought Windows PCs in 2020 can expect up to 3.1 times the multithreaded processor performance.

Signal65 also maintains that these Windows systems are better deals with more RAM, storage, screen area, and ports. An ongoing Microsoft College Offer, which bundles a custom Xbox controller with year-long subscriptions to Game Pass Ultimate and Microsoft 365, also “decisively” tips the total value in Windows’ favor, according to the analyst group.

Windows 11 PCs vs. the MacBook Neo: Where Microsoft wins

Two of these laptops can be better bargains

The Microsoft-backed study has some conclusions that hold up well. Among comparably-priced PCs, the $599 OmniBook 5 looks to be the better deal with faster overall performance. a larger 16-inch screen, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and robust expansion that includes HDMI and two legacy USB-A ports. The Snapdragon X-powered $449 IdeaPad Slim 3x, meanwhile, isn’t as fast but still includes a 15-inch display, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB drive, and more ports at its lower price.

As the 13-inch MacBook Neo is based on an iPhone chip, it faces a few inherent limits. It’s stuck with the 8GB of RAM built into the A18 Pro, and can only provide full data speeds through one of its two USB-C ports. It’s limited to driving one external display, doesn’t support touch, and its base storage is both smaller (256GB) and slower.

Even if you don’t qualify for the college bundle, then, these systems could make more sense if you need more performance in certain conditions, or just want a larger laptop that serves as a desktop replacement. App compatibility matters, too, as they’re more likely to run favorite games and specialized productivity tools.

What Microsoft isn’t telling you about the MacBook Neo

Design, price, and app choices matter

As with many commissioned studies like this, the findings don’t paint the complete picture. Two of the Windows 11 PCs, the $949 OmniBook X Flip and $1,099 Yoga 7i, sit in an entirely different price class that pits them against the MacBook Air M5, not the Neo. Microsoft also sidesteps the Neo’s $499 education pricing, and downplays that College Offer customers will be paying for both Game Pass Ultimate ($23 per month) and Microsoft 365 Premium ($20 per month) after the first year.

More importantly, the white paper doesn’t touch on the main reason you’d consider a MacBook Neo: the design. It’s more likely to be better-built, with a sturdier all-aluminum chassis (the comparable HP and Lenovo models are partly plastic), a higher-resolution screen, and a click-anywhere trackpad. The comparable Windows machines are more likely to flex under strain, limited and have fussier “diving board” trackpads. You might enjoy using the Neo more, even if it’s not as powerful in some cases.

The study is also selective about apps and benchmarks. It doesn’t include single-core tests that are likely to favor the Neo in certain tasks (such as web browsing and general OS use), and is heavily focused on Microsoft Office apps like Excel and Word. If you use Google Workspace or otherwise aren’t fully invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, neither the tests nor the subscriptions will matter.

Operating System

Windows 11 Home

RAM

16GB

The Windows 11 study says more about Microsoft than Apple

You don’t respond if you aren’t worried

The very existence of the Signal65 report is also a commentary on Microsoft’s reaction to the MacBook Neo. Companies frequently commission white papers like this only when they see major competitive risks — they wouldn’t need to prove anything if their value proposition was obvious. In other words, Microsoft sees the Neo as a threat.

The conclusion also comes weeks after the PC vendors themselves started worrying. ASUS leadership said the Neo represented a “shock” for the PC industry, and believed that Microsoft was among those talking about how to answer Apple’s first foray into budget laptops. Microsoft’s commissioned paper reinforces ASUS’ case and suggests that Apple struck a nerve, even if the Neo has some clear shortcomings.