CUPERTINO, CA – Leading PC manufacturers have expressed profound surprise this week following Apple’s release of the MacBook Neo, a new entry-level laptop. Executives, who reportedly believed Apple had long since exited the personal computing market, described the revelation as “a genuine curveball.”

“We were under the impression Apple was solely focused on selling $1,000 stands for monitors or developing new emojis,” stated Bartholomew 'Barty' Finch, CFO of a prominent, unnamed PC conglomerate, in a hastily arranged press conference. “To discover they’re still in the business of making actual, functional computers, and at a competitive price point, is… well, it’s certainly something we’ll have to discuss at next quarter’s 'What Even Is Apple Doing Anymore?' strategy meeting.”

The industry’s collective bewilderment was reportedly compounded by the Neo’s aggressive $600 price tag, which analysts suggest undercuts the perceived market value of a device that doesn't require a dongle for every basic function. “Frankly, we thought their business model was to sell you a device, then sell you six more things just to make the first device work,” added Finch, adjusting his tie. “This ‘all-in-one’ approach is frankly quite disruptive to our accessory division.”

Sources close to the matter indicate that several major PC brands have now initiated emergency task forces to investigate whether Apple has also secretly been developing a new line of printers or, more alarmingly, desktop towers. The news has sent ripples through the tech world, with many wondering if this means Apple will also eventually release a phone that doesn't require a new charging cable every three years.

Industry experts are now bracing for the possibility that Apple might, at some point, also decide to make its software compatible with other hardware, plunging the entire tech ecosystem into an unprecedented era of consumer choice.