ASUS CEO Responds to MacBook Neo A $599 Shock to the Global Laptop Market.
ASUS CEO Admits Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo is a "Shock to the Market" During the Q4 2025 earnings call, S.Y. Hsu , Co-CEO of ASUS , addressed the growing concerns regarding Apple’s newly released MacBook Neo . Hsu described the entry-level device as a "shock to the entire market," noting that while ASUS had anticipated a move from Apple since late 2025, the aggressive $599 price point was significantly lower than industry expectations. Positioning: Tablet Rivalry vs. Productivity Hsu highlighted a key limitation of the MacBook Neo: its non-upgradeable 8GB of RAM , which he argued could hinder performance for professional applications. However, he observed that Apple is strategically positioning the Neo as a device primarily for "content consumption" rather than heavy-duty productivity. According to Hsu, the MacBook Neo functions more like a high-end tablet with a keyboard than a traditional mainstream laptop, carving out a new niche in the sub-$600 segmen...