Microsoft Fires Back with Student Discounts and Freebies to Rival MacBook Neo

Microsoft Launches Student Deals in Response to Apple’s MacBook Neo

In a move that has disrupted the PC ecosystem, Apple recently introduced the $599 MacBook Neo ($499 for students). In response, Microsoft is now rolling out a new promotion targeting students in the US. The “Microsoft College Offer” debuts today, offering a bundle of 12 months of free Microsoft 365 Premium and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with select discounted Windows 11 PCs.

Participating Brands and Deals

Leading brands such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo are all part of the Microsoft College Offer. Microsoft is also reducing prices on some Surface devices, including the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models. Best Buy is currently selling the 15.3-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for $499.99, featuring 16GB of RAM, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processor, and 256GB of storage. Walmart is offering HP’s 16-inch OmniBook 3 for $429 with a similar configuration. Similar deals can be found on Amazon, Dell, HP, and Microsoft’s online store.

Additional Benefits for Students

Students taking advantage of the Microsoft College Offer will also receive a free Xbox controller through Xbox Design Lab. However, the bundle of 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is exclusively available to new subscribers. Previous subscribers will need to use a different Microsoft account. The offer is available from today until June 30th, or while supplies last.

Early Back-to-School Discounts

Microsoft typically offers back-to-school discounts on laptops during the summer, but the current promotion is unusually early. This timing appears to be a prompt response to Apple’s MacBook Neo and its $100 student discount in the US. The impact of the MacBook Neo is evident, as Microsoft swiftly unveiled significant changes to Windows 11 shortly after the MacBook Neo’s announcement.