Facing competition from Apple's lower-cost MacBook Neo, Microsoft has launched a new promotion aimed at convincing students to purchase Windows 11 PCs.
With the "ultimate college bundle," Microsoft is promising a few freebies for eligible US students who buy a qualifying Windows 11 PC: A year of Microsoft 365 Premium, a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a free design-your-own Xbox Wireless Controller, Windows Central reports.
It's safe to say that the MacBook Neo upended the budget laptop market. In a year when memory shortages have driven up prices across the board, the Neo swooped in with top-notch performance and great battery life, starting at just $599. Microsoft doesn't have its own direct alternatives (its own Surface lineup just got a price hike), but some third-party manufacturers do, so it's leveraging its subscription offerings to attract new buyers.
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On its promo page, Microsoft cites a few models that students should consider. The most affordable is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3X, which is currently $499.99 at Best Buy. It's larger than the Neo, with more memory and comparable performance, though its display is lower resolution and not as bright.
An annual Game Pass Ultimate subscription is worth $360. (Credit: Microsoft)
The free year of Microsoft 365 is useful, though students can already get it at discounted rates, and there are plenty of open-source, free alternatives. A year of Game Pass is notable, especially since it's the Ultimate tier, which typically costs $30 a month. Students get access to over 500 games across all their devices, including the new laptop, and receive new games on day one. For students on a budget, this could help them stay up to date with friends who have more capable gaming hardware and expansive gaming budgets.
The free Xbox controller is nothing to sniff at, either. That's at least $50 in value at discounted rates, and since it's the design-your-own version, students can color-match it to their liking.
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All of that makes Windows laptops more attractive. Especially since it extends beyond just affordable models. Microsoft also cites more powerful laptops with their own ongoing discounts, like the HP OmniBook X Flip, which is down $200 to $750 at the time of writing, and the HP Victus, which is $950, down from $1,400.
This isn't going to help much if you really want to use Final Cut Pro and have a tight $600 budget, but if you're software-agnostic and want affordable game streaming, Microsoft's new deal might be worth a look.
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Jon Martindale is a tech journalist from the UK, with 20 years of experience covering all manner of PC components and associated gadgets. He's written for a range of publications, including ExtremeTech, Digital Trends, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and Lifewire, among others. When not writing, he's a big board gamer and reader, with a particular habit of speed-reading through long manga sagas.
Jon covers the latest PC components, as well as how-to guides on everything from how to take a screenshot to how to set up your cryptocurrency wallet. He particularly enjoys the battles between the top tech giants in CPUs and GPUs, and tries his best not to take sides.
Jon's gaming PC is built around the iconic 7950X3D CPU, with a 7900XTX backing it up. That's all the power he needs to play lightweight indie and casual games, as well as more demanding sim titles like Kerbal Space Program. He uses a pair of Jabra Active 8 earbuds and a SteelSeries Arctis Pro wireless headset, and types all day on a Logitech G915 mechanical keyboard.
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