Both laptops are thin, made of metal and start at about $700 with 8 GB of memory and a 256 GB SSD. The HP OmniBook 5 14 runs Windows 11 on Intel’s Core 5 320. The MacBook Neo runs macOS on Apple’s A18 Pro.
Key differences
- Price. The Neo is $699 and the OmniBook $699.99. HP sells a 16 GB version, which Notebookcheck tested at $800. The Neo has no 16 GB option.
- Performance. The Neo is faster in multi-core work: 9,140 against 7,802 in Geekbench 6, and 416 against 389 in Cinebench 2024 (Notebookcheck). Everyday tasks feel similar on both.
- Battery. The OmniBook’s 60 Wh battery lasted 24 hours of Wi-Fi browsing at 150 nits. The Neo’s 36.5 Wh battery lasted 12 hours 51 minutes in the same test.
- Display. The OmniBook has a 14-inch OLED touchscreen with full P3 colour, at about 282 nits. The Neo has a smaller IPS screen that covers sRGB and reaches about 520 nits, so it is easier to read in bright rooms.
- Ports. The OmniBook has HDMI 2.1 and two 10 Gb/s USB-C ports. The Neo has one USB 3 port and one USB 2 port and supports one external display.
- Keyboard. The OmniBook’s keyboard is backlit. The Neo’s is not.
- Weight. 1.18 kg for the OmniBook and 1.23 kg for the Neo.
- Upgrades. The OmniBook’s SSD can be replaced. Nothing in the Neo can be changed. Memory is soldered in both.
Which one should you buy?
For a student who writes, browses and streams, both do the job. The OmniBook wins on battery life, screen size, ports and typing in the dark, and its 16 GB option makes it the safer long-term buy on the Windows side.
The Neo is the better pick if you already use an iPhone, want the brighter screen for working near windows or outdoors, or need the extra processor speed. If you can spend more, the MacBook Air 13 (M5) beats both in speed and adds a backlit keyboard and 16 GB of memory.