Nvidia N1X/N1 laptops vs MacBook Neo: "New AI PC era" could flop due to high prices and Windows, says insider

Following Nvidia's "New era of PC" announcement, and the detailed leak of the N1X and N1 chips, a new supply chain report by top analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that shipments for laptops utilizing Nvidia’s anticipated N1X and N1 processors are projected to reach approximately 10 million units over the next two years.

Currently, these devices are viewed as a niche offering specifically for "AI power users" who require on-device compute capabilities. According to Kuo, the potential for upward revisions in these shipment forecasts will depend on several factors:

• Pricing: The competitive positioning of N1X/N1-based hardware.
• Operating system support: The ability of Windows to provide software and workflows that effectively utilize on-device AI compute.

New era of PC: Nvidia’s N1X expected to ship 10 million units by 2028, but it might not trigger the upgrade cycle Windows needs, says report 

Kuo notes that for power users running Large Language Models (LLMs) locally, the N1 series of chips offers a viable alternative to the Mac, particularly regarding memory and on-device processing capabilities. However, he emphasizes that hardware specs alone may not be enough to drive a broader PC upgrade cycle, suggesting Windows might act as the bottleneck.

The report highlights that the primary way consumers interact with AI on both Windows and Mac platforms remains through cloud-based services. Whether users are accessing LLMs via web browsers or calling them through APIs, the core compute burden is currently handled by cloud providers, not the local hardware.

Kuo points out that the current "AI PC" narrative has seen little impact on actual market sales or consumer interest. Instead, the most significant market activity in 2026 has been driven by non-AI-specific factors.

The analyst highlights the strong performance of Apple’s MacBook Neo (which has been selling like hotcakes), noting that 2026 shipment forecasts for the model were revised up by roughly 100%, climbing from 5 million to 10 million units, a consumer interest driven primarily by:

• The low price ($599) and premium design: The hardware's physical appeal and affordability.
• Apple’s ecosystem: The integration and utility, which attracts iPhone/iPad/AirPods users to the MacBook 

Ultimately, Kuo argues that the true "upgrade cycle" for on-device AI requires more than hardware. While the N1X/N1 might provide a new balance of power, memory, and portability, the primary reason for mass adoption might still be the operating system.

Currently, AI integration in PC operating systems is largely limited to specific features in first-party applications or limited workflow connections. To move beyond the current status quo, the analyst suggests that OS-level support is necessary to deeply integrate user data and workflows across applications while maintaining privacy, which remains the primary challenge for the broader AI PC segment.