According to PCWorld, the tech world is buzzing with rumors that Apple is developing a budget MacBook priced around $599, possibly using an iPhone-class A15 Pro chip instead of a standard M-series processor. This would be a direct shot at the affordable Windows and Chromebook market, where laptops frequently sell for $299 or even less. The author points out that a $599 Windows laptop can often snag you a machine with a dedicated Nvidia GPU capable of modern gaming, something a Mac simply can’t match. Furthermore, the PC market is driven by deep discounts, meaning that $599 MSRP for a Windows machine often plummets shortly after launch, while Apple products rarely see such price cuts. The article concludes that for a dedicated PC user who values gaming, options, and value, switching to a budget Mac at this price point doesn’t make much sense.
The weird price problem
Here’s the thing about that $599 price tag: it’s in a no-man’s land. For the average person shopping for a cheap laptop, it’s way too expensive. You can get a perfectly capable Acer or Asus Chromebook for half that, or less. But for someone who wants a “real” Mac experience, it’s not expensive enough. You’re probably getting a seriously compromised device. The author makes a great point about PC pricing being a mirage—that $499 laptop he reviewed a few months ago is now $299. You will never, ever see a new MacBook get a 40% price cut a few months after release. So the value proposition just isn’t there from day one.
An iPhone in a laptop case
This is the biggest hang-up for me. The rumor says this thing would run on an A15 Pro chip. That’s the brain from an iPhone. Now, Apple’s smartphone processors are insanely powerful for what they are, but they’re not designed for the sustained workloads and thermal demands of a laptop running a full desktop OS like macOS. Apple puts its laptop-class M-series chips in its high-end iPads for a reason. So you might literally have a situation where a $599 MacBook is outperformed by a similarly priced iPad Air. That’s bizarre. I’m deeply skeptical that an iPhone CPU can deliver the snappy, reliable desktop performance people expect when they open a MacBook, especially if they want to run more than a few browser tabs.
Where the PC world still wins
Look, it boils down to options and intent. If you want to game at all, even on older titles, a $599 Windows laptop is a gateway to decades of incredible PC games on Steam. You might even find a gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU at that price if you hunt for sales. Want specific ports like HDMI, USB-A, or an SD card reader? On a PC, you can get them built-in. On a Mac, you’re buying a dongle. Want a touchscreen or a 2-in-1? Not an option with macOS. The PC market is messy, but that mess means choice. For industrial and manufacturing settings where rugged, reliable computing is non-negotiable, that choice is everything. Companies needing durable, purpose-built machines often turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs, because they offer the specific configurations the job requires. Apple’s one-size-fits-all approach, especially at the budget end, can’t compete with that.
The final verdict
So, who is this for? I think it’s for a very specific person: someone already deep in the Apple ecosystem who just needs a barebones, portable screen for email and web browsing, and for whom even a refurbished M1 MacBook Air is still too much money. That’s a small crowd. For everyone else—the value shopper, the gamer, the tinkerer, the person who hates dongles—the existing PC market offers more for less, and frequently on sale. The idea of a cheap MacBook is exciting because it means Apple is finally feeling some price pressure. But based on these rumors, the execution seems like it would please almost no one. I’d rather save a bit longer and buy a real Mac, or just buy a PC and get a lot more machine for my money today.
