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VERIFIEDBy Xavier Rivera· ·1 min read

Microsoft bundles free 365, Game Pass with discounted student PCs

Microsoft launches the College Offer, bundling free Microsoft 365 Premium and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with discounted Windows 11 PCs from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo for US students. The move responds directly to Apple's $599 MacBook Neo and its student pricing, escalating competition in the budget laptop market.

Source:The Verge

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TL;DRAI · 60 sec read

Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo, priced at $499 for students, disrupts the PC market. Microsoft counters with the "Microsoft College Offer" launching today, bundling 12 months of free Microsoft 365 Premium and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with select discounted Windows 11 PCs aimed at US students.

Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo participate. Microsoft also discounts some Surface devices shortly after raising prices on Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models. Best Buy offers a 15.3-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for $499.99 with 16GB RAM, Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, and 256GB storage. Walmart sells HP’s 16-inch OmniBook 3 for $429 with a similar configuration. Deals appear on Amazon, Dell, HP, and Microsoft’s online stores.

Students receive a free Xbox controller through Xbox Design Lab. The bundle requires new subscribers; previous Xbox Game Pass or Microsoft 365 users need a different account. The offer runs until June 30 or while supplies last.

Microsoft typically launches back-to-school discounts in summer, but this early timing reacts to Apple’s MacBook Neo and its $100 student discount. The MacBook Neo prompts positive changes for Windows, including recent big updates to Windows 11.

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