I Found The Ultimate Macbook Air Alternative For Windows Users - And It's Priced Well

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The HP OmniBook 5 is connected waste for $900 for nan 32GB configuration.
• It whitethorn beryllium nan champion replacement to nan MacBook Air, acknowledgment to its absurdly-long artillery life, lightweight design, and coagulated performance.
• There are a fewer downsides: nan glossy show is difficult to spot nether agleam conditions, and it has a constricted array of ports.

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HP's caller OmniBook 5 has been 1 of nan astir compelling lightweight laptops I've tested successful 2025. Marketed arsenic a dependable companion for engaged students and professionals alike, this instrumentality backs up those promises pinch a lengthy battery, a crisp display, and a lightweight design. 

I spent a mates of weeks pinch this sleek laptop, and came distant impressed by really good it's performed. But it's not conscionable astir nan hardware, it's nan wide personification experience. I'd moreover opportunity that Apple users looking for a MacBook-like acquisition connected Windows should cheque retired nan OmniBook 5. 

A acquainted aesthetic 

First off, astatine a glance, nan OmniBook 5 looks very overmuch for illustration a MacBook itself. From nan agleam metallic colorway to nan contrasting grey chiclet-style keys, to nan vibrant, 2K display, location is decidedly immoderate resemblance here. What amazed me, though, was conscionable really lightweight it was. At 2.84 pounds, lifting nan OmniBook feels for illustration lifting a insubstantial notebook.

Like nan MacBook Air, it has only a fewer ports. On 1 side, you'll find a brace of 10Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports, and connected nan other, a USB-A adjacent to a headphone jack. If you want more, you'll person to supplement nan instrumentality pinch a laptop docking station.

Also: The champion HP laptops you tin buy

The OmniBook's speakers are located astatine nan beforehand of nan laptop, correct nether nan wrist rest. Not nan astir perfect location, but astatine slightest they're powerful. Thanks to HP Audio Boost, audio output is rich, and songs enveloped maine successful a bubble of sound. Woofers wrong HP's laptop supply a nice, punchy bass that tin beryllium felt astatine nan bottommost of nan computer.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Typing connected nan keyboard felt rather nice. Each cardinal has a bully magnitude of responsiveness, and acknowledgment to nan rubbery caps, they're quiet, too. I'm besides pleased to denote that nan OmniBook 5 passes nan one-finger test. It stays firmly planted while you raise nan lid.

My reappraisal unit's surface was a 2K (1,900 x 1,200 pixels) OLED pinch a maximum brightness of 300 nits and support for 95% of nan DCI-P3 colour gamut. A show for illustration this delivers a vibrant ocular output that is simply afloat of life. 

The 1 downside is that I didn't for illustration really glossy it is. Even if you crank up nan brightness to its maximum setting, it tin beryllium difficult to spot nan surface intelligibly because of really overmuch ray it reflects. This is compounded pinch nan inky achromatic OLED. 

Lightweight power

Because nan HP OmniBook 5 is simply a ARM-compatible laptop, benchmarking tin beryllium a small tricky arsenic immoderate of my accustomed tests didn't work. Under nan hood is simply a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chipset, 32GB of RAM, and a Qualcomm Adreno X1-45 graphics card. Seeing 32GB of representation successful this mini laptop amazed maine arsenic I was expecting nan accustomed 16GB of RAM. 

You tin get it successful a 16GB configuration, by nan way, and it's rather a spot cheaper. That type of nan HP OmniBook 5 is disposable astatine Best Buy for $549. 

Also: Why my favourite MacBook Pro replacement is this Windows laptop pinch a striking design

The 32GB version, however, is simply a spot much powerful, and will beryllium capable to grip ever-increasing package demands. Having that magnitude allows nan OmniBook to execute rather decently. Below is simply a floor plan comparing HP's instrumentality to nan M4 MacBook Air and nan Asus Zenbook A14, a laptop that is akin successful shape and function.

You'll announcement that it outperformed nan Zenbook successful Geekbench, suggesting above-average processing power, though it falls down Apple's latest MacBook Air pinch nan M4 chip. The OmniBook sits location successful betwixt nan two. However, nan numbers show it falling down successful Cinebench 24, which suggests it'll person immoderate trouble tackling dense workloads for illustration rendering high-resolution videos aliases 3D models.

During my testing, I didn't brushwood immoderate awesome issues pinch nan OmniBook 5. It performed rather good arsenic a activity machine. For example, I edited immoderate high-resolution photographs while moving respective 1440p YouTube livestreams, 10 looping GIFs, and aggregate Amazon listings connected Chrome. It each performed amicably. 

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

During mundane use, location weren't immoderate slowdowns, and I was capable to complete my photograph editing conscionable fine. For nan 2nd test, I turned up nan dial by moving 50 Chrome tabs, 1 of which streamed "Breaking Bad" connected Netflix. 

I besides interacted pinch HP's AI Companion assistant, and not erstwhile were my conversations pinch nan AI adjunct interrupted. I was capable to freely inquire it for proposal connected really to amended my cardio workouts, and which moving shoes to bargain without skipping a beat. There was immoderate slowdown pinch Chrome, but that was much of an rumor of nan browser having a difficult clip moving 50+ tabs.

Also: I ever instal these 5 free apps connected each Windows PC - here's why they're essential

I americium worried that not each Windows app will activity connected this system. Remember, this is simply a Windows ARM-compatible computer, and not everything will beryllium afloat optimized, but things person travel a agelong measurement since these processors were released past year. I didn't acquisition immoderate awesome issues pinch immoderate of nan third-party apps for illustration Google Chrome, Steam, and Discord. There could ever beryllium that overseas app retired that isn't compatible, though, truthful beryllium mindful of that.

ZDNET's buying advice

HP has galore different configurations of nan OmniBook 5. Currently, nan 32GB configuration of nan HP OmniBook 5 pinch nan 2K OLED touchscreen is disposable connected HP's website for $899. 

If you don't request specified a powerful instrumentality and are looking for thing a spot much affordable, Best Buy has nan 16GB configuration for $549. A very competitory value for an OLED and 512GB SSD. 

Unsurprisingly, Apple's M4 MacBook Air is simply a coagulated replacement to nan OmniBook 5 and is presently $100 cheaper. If you for illustration to enactment connected Windows 11, different PC I'd urge is nan Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, which is connected waste astatine Best Buy for 42% off.