MacBook Neo proves that Microsoft had the right idea, but the wrong execution

The Microsoft Surface RT from 2012. Bloomberg / Getty Images

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ZDNET's key takeaways

The MacBook Neo isn't the first "cheap premium" laptop.

Microsoft's Surface RT was a similar product that launched in 2012, but it failed.

Despite being years late, the MacBook Neo nails the execution.

The $599 MacBook Neo's disruption of the consumer laptop industry has been successful not just in its product design, but also in its execution. The branding is effective, the timing is good, and Apple is speaking to a demographic that actually exists.

But the Neo is not the first device of its kind. Microsoft tried the same thing more than a decade ago with the Surface RT, a $599 ultraportable hybrid tablet/laptop with a premium (for the time) build, good battery, and hardware designed for everyday tasks. But it never caught on.

Also: After using MacBook Neo, it's clear Windows needs to rethink its PC strategy (and fast)

In a recent post on X, Microsoft's former head of Windows and architect behind the Surface RT, Steven Sinofsky shared some praise of the MacBook Neo, while drawing some "melancholy" conclusions about his -- and Microsoft's -- failure to succeed with a product that is fairly considered a predecessor of the Neo -- nearly 15 years ago.

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