HP Omnibook 3 Review: Redefining the Budget Laptop

In the past, nothing was necessary for such a cheap laptop. The MacBook Neo changed the rules, proving that design matters, even at this price. To get to this price, however, HP and Apple made a very different deal. The OmniBook 3 takes the option of storing 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage on the market using a small plastic temple. For the right person, it is the right choice.

The thicker chassis also makes room for more ports. On the left, you’ll find HDMI, USB-A 2.0, and two USB-C 3.0 ports. The right side has an additional USB-A 2.0 port and a headphone jack. These USB-A ports are a little bit slower, with a capacity of 480 MB per second, making them very useful for connecting peripherals.

I criticized the MacBook Neo for using a USB-C 2.0 port at the time, so I’ll have to pick it up again. It’s not too confusing for users at this point since it’s USB-A, but I’d hate to see a new laptop using a 25-year-old standard for connectivity. Also, I would have liked to have an additional USB-C port on the right instead of USB-A, just in case I can charge both sides of the device.

Photo: Luke Larsen

HP has said that the touchpad has been improved in this year’s model, and it would be good, since I have not tried the 2025 version of the Omnibook 3. I tried the Omnibook 5, however, a laptop that I highly recommend, and the quality of the touchpad feels the same. It’s not the worst laptop I’ve ever used, but it’s one of the cheapest laptops out there. The click isn’t loud, though, which I appreciate.

The keyboard, on the other hand, feels accurate and stable. It comes with the numbers on the right, which means the touchpad cannot be placed on the palm rest. This is the same, and how I would prefer not to have a number, trying to enter on the touchpad like Acer Swift 16 AI somewhere worse.