The problem with this logic is that you assume the Neo is the best at everything at $600, which it clearly isn't. The moment I point at competent Windows laptops is when the discussion needs to be limited to make the Neo a good choice. You can play games on $600 laptops with an Intel 256V. You'd say, oh but the Neo isn't for gaming. You can do competent video editing on an Intel 256V laptop, but you'd say the Neo wasn't meant for video editing. Most Windows laptops at $600 have twice the ram and storage with competent I/O, but you'd say the Neo doesn't need those things because it's Apple. Can't argue against the Neo when there's limitations to the discussion. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
In the end, the Neo's selling points are screen quality, speaker quality, and questionable build quality, and you get this in exchange of losing so much of what you can do on a laptop. If all you wanna do is browse the web and watch videos on the Neo, then this makes sense.
The thing your not getting. Is finding that ONE good $600 laptop in the sea of complete and utter SHIT $600 windows laptops is a chore and a half.
Lets say we put 100 Neos in one room, and 100 $600 windows laptops in another. Representing the market. Meaning in the 100 windows laptop room. 10 are objectively better then the neo 20 or so are aprox = and 70 are objectively WORSE. Now you take 200 people and you say... pick a room and we'll pass you the next box up. The smart people are going to go and grab an Apple and know that ok 5% of these 200 people may get lucky and snagged a "better" windows machine choosing the win room. BUT 35% of all 200 grabbed a complete piece of shit. Everyone that choose the Apple room got a machine better then 70% of the windows options.
You keep claiming people want to game on $600 laptops. I just don't think that is the big selling point you believe it to be. EVERY $600 laptop has limitations that is a no kidding statement. A Intel 256V is great and all but a crap screen is still a crap screen. A iffy chassis is still a iffy chassis. At the price point and market point we are talking about no one really gives a shit anymore about what chip is in the thing. They care that its going to run all day, they care that they are looking at a decent screen, typing on a decent keyboard, and not feeling like they are using a fisher price laptop. I mean keep in mind how badly the windows OEM pool has poisoned the well also. Many people have bought cheap windows laptops before... and generally had horrible experiences. Apple solves the things people actually care about in this price point. The windows spec sheet of features is less important in 2026.