Does Apple agree that Microsoft's apps are more popular than its own? I spotted the MacBook Neo's cute nod to Office and Slack

At this point, it's hard to have missed Apple’s reveal of the $599 MacBook Neo, which definitely targets laptop buyers on a budget.

With a price tag like that, it should be an appealing package to macOS users (and those who never tried it). That, and it might put real pressure on the Windows laptop market, lighting "monstrous fire" for competition, as our Senior Editor Zac Bowden predicts.

Then again, maybe Microsoft needn't worry too much, because even Apple couldn't resist a shout-out for iconic Office apps in Microsoft 365 during a video demo of the MacBook Neo.

In a brief look at the laptop's recently used apps in macOS, Microsoft Word appears before being on the Start menu equivalent's dock, where it stays. Apple’s own equivalent, Pages, is notably absent. Score.

Did Apple say the quiet part out loud?

Hello, MacBook Neo - YouTube

Watch On

Now I have to make a small, possibly terrifying self-admission. I generally prefer Apple's hardware, especially compared to many Windows laptops. However, for software, I still use Windows 11 as my main operating system. Yes, I understand the hypocrisy, considering I'm part of Windows Central — I get it.

That being said, seeing Microsoft’s apps in the spotlight during Apple’s MacBook Neo demo was certainly something to behold, and it isn't the first time Apple has highlighted Office either. If you didn't know, Apple has its own "iWork" suite, which includes Pages (like Word), Keynote (PowerPoint), and Numbers (Excel).

Adding a fun touch of irony to the situation, three of the most-used apps shown on the MacBook Neo were Microsoft's, including the very same trio of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Can it be implied that Apple acknowledges how more people use Microsoft Office's suite of apps over their own iWork? Maybe.

I mean, Apple even shows Microsoft Word being dragged onto the dock, where it will presumably live permanently, quietly taunting Pages over what will likely never be.

So, despite Apple offering direct competitors, many still rely on Microsoft’s long-established Office apps. Universities and broader education also play a role here, as many provide students with free access to Office, which is the exact audience Apple is targeting with the MacBook Neo.

In the interest of fairness, Apple shifts things slightly in its shorter 35-second TV spot. In that version, the MacBook’s dock shows Apple’s full iWork suite instead, with no Office apps in sight. Microsoft gets the feature-length slot.

🗨️ A quiet admission or just standard marketing?

Did Apple really show how dominant Microsoft Office apps are, or was the MacBook Neo simply showing that it can run the apps students are familiar with? Does it put the Windows laptop market in any danger for the same reason?

Let me know in the comments!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.