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 merchantability for $900 for the 32GB configuration.
• It whitethorn beryllium the champion alternate to the MacBook Air, acknowledgment to its absurdly-long artillery life, lightweight design, and coagulated performance.
• There are a fewer downsides: the glossy show is hard 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 the 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 with a lengthy battery, a crisp display, and a lightweight design. 

I spent a mates of weeks with this sleek laptop, and came distant impressed by however good it's performed. But it's not conscionable astir the hardware, it's the wide idiosyncratic experience. I'd adjacent accidental that Apple users looking for a MacBook-like acquisition connected Windows should cheque retired the OmniBook 5. 

A acquainted aesthetic 

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

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

Also: The champion HP laptops you tin buy

The OmniBook's speakers are located astatine the beforehand of the laptop, close nether the wrist rest. Not the 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 the bottommost of the computer.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

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

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

The 1 downside is that I didn't similar however glossy it is. Even if you crank up the brightness to its maximum setting, it tin beryllium hard to spot the surface intelligibly due to the fact that of however overmuch airy it reflects. This is compounded with the inky achromatic OLED. 

Lightweight power

Because the 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 the 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 tiny laptop amazed maine arsenic I was expecting the accustomed 16GB of RAM. 

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

Also: Why my favourite MacBook Pro alternate is this Windows laptop with a striking design

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

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

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

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

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

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

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

I americium disquieted that not each Windows app volition enactment connected this system. Remember, this is simply a Windows ARM-compatible computer, and not everything volition beryllium afloat optimized, but things person travel a agelong mode since these processors were released past year. I didn't acquisition immoderate large issues with immoderate of the third-party apps similar Google Chrome, Steam, and Discord. There could ever beryllium that unusual app retired that isn't compatible, though, truthful beryllium mindful of that.

ZDNET's buying advice

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

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

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