CUPERTINO, CA — Major PC manufacturers are reportedly reeling from the unexpected launch of Apple’s new $600 MacBook Neo, a product they had, by their own admission, 'some knowledge' Apple was developing. Executives across the industry are struggling to comprehend how a company known for innovation and market disruption could possibly release a disruptive product.

“It was certainly a shock to the entire market,” stated Nick Wu, CFO of Asus, during a recent earnings call, referring to the Neo’s aggressive entry-level pricing. Wu’s comments came despite his subsequent disclosure that Asus had received prior intelligence regarding Apple’s plans. “We had, you know, a few whispers. A couple of highly detailed CAD drawings. Maybe a prototype or two accidentally left in a bar. But we never thought they’d actually *do* it.”

Analysts are struggling to reconcile the industry’s purported surprise with the widely available information. “It’s like someone saying they were shocked when the sun rose, even though they saw it peeking over the horizon for hours,” noted Dr. Evelyn Reed, a market strategy expert at the Institute for Obvious Conclusions. “The only thing surprising here is the level of surprise.”

Sources close to several PC manufacturers suggest internal meetings have devolved into a frantic search for who to blame for the 'unforeseen' market shift. Leading theories include rogue interns, a particularly convincing phishing email, or perhaps a collective hallucination induced by too many energy drinks.