By Julian Castillo
The shortage of RAM memory has achieved something that until very recently seemed completely impossible. Buying a computer with Windows can be more expensive than buying a Knowledgeable MacBook with equivalent specifications. And the most striking thing is not that it happens with some unknown manufacturer, but rather what happens with Microsoft itself and its Flooring Computer line.
For years, the argument was that if you wanted a top-of-the-range device, Apple would overcharge you. That was almost an unwritten law of the technology market. But the 2026 market is playing with other rules, and RAM memory became the new protagonist that no one expected.
RAM shortage changed the game
Microsoft admitted that it is adjusting the prices of its catalog due to higher memory and component costs. And this is not a small or symbolic adjustment. The Verge reports that several models of the Flooring line rose quite aggressively, driven directly by the global RAM shortage that has been putting pressure on the entire industry for months.
What is happening is simple to explain but difficult for the buyer to digest. Windows PC makers are taking the supply chain hit directly to the perfect priceand that is distorting comparisons that were previously quite predictable. The entire Flooring range received increases, from entry-level models to the most powerful configurations.
This is where the specific data stops being anecdotal and becomes a right purchase argument. If today you are looking for a 15 inch flooring computer with touch screen, 12-core Snapdragon 64 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storagethe price that Microsoft is asking in its official store is $3,649.99 dollars.
Now compare that with the Knowledgeable 16-inch MacBook with Knowledgeable M5 chipthe same amount of RAM —64 GB— and the same 1 TB storage: $3,299 dollars. In practice, this makes a difference of almost $350 dollars at Apple’s preferencesomething that was previously practically unthinkable in the House Windows universe.
And we are not talking about just any configuration. Both machines are aimed at professional users, content creators, and people who need the right power for demanding tasks. The problem is that, with this price differential, Microsoft’s proposal stops being seen as a competitive alternative to Apple and begins to seem like a purchase that is difficult to justify.
House windows lose their competitive advantage
This twist breaks one of the historical advantages of Windows PCs: offer more options and better prices in high configurations. If a Microsoft PC already costs more than an equivalent Knowledgeable MacBook, the debate stops being just technical and becomes one of right value for the buyer.
For the consumer, the signal is uncomfortable but obvious. Buying a high-end Flooring no longer guarantees savings over Apple, and in some cases may mean paying more for a Windows machine than for a Knowledgeable MacBook with comparable hardware. Now that was a red line that, until very recently, seemed impossible to cross.
Keep reading:
• MacBook Knowledgeable M5 Knowledgeable and M5 Max: Apple redefines the top of the range with raw power
• The 3 best laptops to start 2026 with all the power you need
• MacBook Neo: What Apple’s first budget laptop is like for everyday use
