The MacBook Neo showed up this spring and immediately became a hit. There simply wasn’t another laptop for $700 with a better mix of design, display quality and portability that had enough performance for basic, everyday use. Windows laptop makers have been playing catch-up ever since, scrambling to release similarly competent budget models. Dell was the first out the door with the XPS 13, which will soon be joined by HP’s OmniBook 5, Lenovo’s IdeaPad Vibe and others.
Dell originally priced the XPS 13 at $700 to match the Neo, offering an Intel Core 5 Processor 320, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Recently, Dell quietly raised that model’s price by $100 and introduced a new $700 entry-level model with a smaller 256GB SSD. Since Windows 11 consumes significant storage, a 256GB drive leaves very little room for files, meaning you now have to spend $100 more than the Neo to get adequate storage. However, a current discount drops the 512GB XPS 13 to $100 less than the Neo.
There are Prime Day deals at Amazon, and then there are Prime Day-inspired deals at other retailers. This Dell deal falls into the latter category. The XPS 13 is $200 off at Best Buy, making it a great deal at $600.
Dell XPS 13
$600 (Original price: $800)
The XPS 13 has a handful of advantages over the Neo. It has a slightly larger 13.4-inch screen, more speakers, better Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting, and it is lighter weight. I loved the trim, all-metal design and high-resolution display; I gave the XPS 13 an Editors’ Choice Award when I reviewed it about a month ago.
If you want more memory for media editing and better multitasking, the XPS 13 with 16GB of RAM is also $200 off at Best Buy, bringing its price to $800.
Matt Elliott
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