Apple eyes cheap MacBook to win Windows users

Apple may be aiming a $699 MacBook at Windows holdouts. If rumors prove true, the plan would be to field a colorful, low-cost, non-Air, non-Pro notebook powered by one of Apple’s mobile processors, cutting through the price barrier that keeps many PC buyers on Windows.

The chatter centers on a entry-level machine that would sit below today’s $999 MacBook Air. Reports suggest Apple could test the waters with a cheaper design—perhaps a refreshed chassis that borrows from older MacBook aesthetics but sticks with Apple’s current chip strategy. The idea isn’t to recreate a midrange MacBook Pro; it’s to get a genuinely affordable Apple laptop into the hands of users who otherwise pick Windows for price alone.

A cheap MacBook would hinge on more than a low sticker price. Apple’s current lineup has been shaped by a six-year-old M1 chip in the Air’s most affordable variant, and the company has spent years chasing thinner, USB-C-dominated designs with keyboards that some users found fragile. The source notes that Apple may need to move beyond the M1’s era and deliver a “true low-cost” MacBook that still feels like a Mac rather than a budget PC in disguise. In other words, affordability can’t come at the expense of the kind of reliability and user experience the brand has spent years selling.

From a broader market perspective, the move would be a direct attempt to court Windows users who have resisted Apple’s ecosystem lock-in. The old “Get A Mac” campaign is in the rearview, but the strategy remains: widen the addressable audience by lowering the entry price and letting software, services, and devices—like iPhones and iPads—win over reluctant buyers one inexpensive laptop at a time. If you’re Microsoft, this is a reminder that AI-driven Windows churn and enterprise-dominant hardware cycles aren’t the only threats; a budget MacBook could redraw the incentives for a new class of shoppers who want a premium brand at a bargain price.

Several industry dynamics matter here. For one, margins on a sub-$700 MacBook would depend on how aggressively Apple can reuse components, packaging, and supply chains while maintaining battery life and performance that meet user expectations for a “Mac.” The company would also need to ensure software compatibility and a smooth first-run experience without the friction of a heavy account-holding app setup that can frustrate new users. And while the hardware price is the headline, the real test will be whether such a machine can meaningfully push Windows switchers toward Apple services—iCloud, iMessage integration, and the broader Apple ecosystem—without forcing a sprawling, unsustainable price war with Windows PC makers.

What to watch next is straightforward. Watch for official confirmation or a formal tease in the coming weeks, then the details: exact price, processor generation, and whether color choices will be a selling point as much as price. Analysts will tune into battery life expectations and performance benchmarks to see if a sub-$700 MacBook can deliver real value or merely a glossy lure. If Apple pulls it off, the playbook for mainstream PC pricing could shift, nudging rivals to rethink what “affordable” means in a premium-branded laptop era.

In the meantime, gamers and real-world shoppers should weigh the tradeoffs: a cheaper MacBook could be a compelling doorway into Apple’s ecosystem, but it may come with compromises on performance or longevity that a more expensive Mac can avoid.

Sources

A cheap MacBook is the perfect way for Apple to win over Windows users