HP OmniBook 300
| Company type | Product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Hewlett-Packard |
| Defunct | 2002 (original series) |
| Fate | Discontinued in 2002; revived in 2024 by HP Inc. |
| Successor | HP Omni series (2024) |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Owner | Hewlett-Packard (original), HP Inc. (current) |
OmniBook represents a line of laptop computers initially developed by Hewlett-Packard and presently offered by its successor, HP Inc.. Launched in 1993 as a series tailored for business users, production of the OmniBook continued until 2002.
In 2024, HP Inc. revived the OmniBook brand within its newly introduced Omni series, which consolidates and replaces former consumer ranges such as Spectre, Envy, Pavilion, and Essential. The modernized OmniBook emphasizes consumer laptops equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities, reflecting HP’s vision for the next wave of AI-enhanced personal computers.
History
OmniBook was introduced in 1993 to take over from the HP Vectra LS lineup as Hewlett-Packard’s dedicated business laptop series. The brand was phased out in 2002 shortly after HP acquired Compaq, which led to a strategic shift focusing on Compaq Presario, HP Compaq, and Pavilion product lines.
In 2024, HP Inc. announced a reorganization of its consumer PC portfolio under the unified Omni brand umbrella: OmniBook for laptops, OmniDesk for desktop systems, and OmniStudio for all-in-one devices. This restructuring discontinued legacy brands like Pavilion and placed a strong emphasis on integrating AI technologies into both hardware and software, aiming to meet the demands of the evolving personal computing market.
The comeback of the OmniBook name signifies a deliberate revival of a legacy brand, now repositioned to deliver AI-driven laptops to consumers after more than two decades.
Models
The original OmniBook series (1993–2002) offered a variety of business notebooks and laptops available in multiple form factors and specifications. It supported a wide array of Intel processors as well as some AMD CPUs, ranging from the early Pentium processors up to Pentium 4, including select models powered by 386, i486, and Celeron chips. Some early-to-mid 1990s models featured an innovative pop-up mouse located on the right side.
The current iteration of OmniBook since 2024 is categorized into five tiers: 3, 5, 7, X, and Ultra—with Ultra representing the premium segment and 3 serving as the entry-level option. This grading system is consistent across other HP Omni devices such as OmniStudio and OmniDesk. By mid-2025, the X model utilizes Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (Snapdragon X), while the 5, 7, and Ultra models are powered by either AMD Ryzen or Intel Core Ultra CPUs; the 3 model exclusively incorporates AMD Ryzen processors. Every model integrates AI capabilities through dedicated neural processing units (NPUs) designed to accelerate AI-related tasks and comes preloaded with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot software on Windows.
List of models
NOTE: This compilation includes business-focused models from 1993–2002 alongside current consumer editions featuring AI technologies released from 2024 onward.
| Model | LCD size & resolution | LCD technology | Processor | Clock speed (MHz) | Graphics | RAM | Max memory | Storage | Audio | Operating system | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 9 in, VGA | Monochrome STN (reflective) | AMD 386SX-LV | 20 | 2 MB | 10 MB | 40 MB HDD, 10 MB Flash | Windows 3.1 with MS-DOS 5.0 | 1993-06 | ||
| 425 | 9 in, VGA | Monochrome STN (reflective) | TI 486SLC/e | 25 | 2 MB | 10 MB | 40 MB HDD | Windows 3.1 with MS-DOS 6.2 | 1993-11 | ||
| 430 | 9 in, VGA | Monochrome STN (reflective) | TI 486SLC/e | 25 | 4 MB (105 MB HDD) | Windows 3.1 with MS-DOS 6.2 | 1994-02 | ||||
| 530 | 9 in, VGA | Monochrome STN (reflective) | Intel 486SX | 33 | 4 MB | 12 MB | 130 MB HDD | Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with MS-DOS 6.2 | 1994-06 | ||
| 600C | 8.5 in, VGA | Color STN | Intel i486DX4 | 75 | 16 MB | Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with MS-DOS | 1994-11 | ||||
| 4000 | 10.3–10.4 in, VGA | Color STN or TFT | Intel i486DX2 | 50 | 32 MB | ||||||
| 600CT | 9.5 in, VGA | Color TFT | Intel i486DX4 | 75 | 16 MB | Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with MS-DOS | 1995-07 | ||||
| 5500CT | 12.1 in, SVGA | Color STN | Intel Pentium | 100 or120 | Local bus video w/1MB VRAM | 64 MB | 1.35 GB HDD | Windows for Workgroups/Windows95 | 1996-05 | ||
| 5500CS | 10.4 or12.1 in, SVGA | Color TFT | Intel Pentium | 120 or133 | 64 MB | Windows for Workgroups/Windows95 | |||||
| 800CT | 10.4 in, SVGA | Color TFT | Intel Pentium | 133 | 48 MB | 1.44 GB HDD | Windows for Workgroups/Windows95 | 1996-09 | |||
| 800CS | 10.4 in, SVGA | Color TFT | Intel Pentium | 100 | 48 MB | 2 GB IDE HDD + external floppy drive | Windows for Workgroups/Windows95 | ||||
| 5000CT | 12.1 in, SVGA | Color TFT | Intel Pentium | 133 | 48 MB | Windows for Workgroups/Windows95 | |||||
| 5700 | 12.1 in, SVGA | Color TFT | Intel Pentium MMX | 150 or166 | 160 MB | Windows for Workgroups/Windows95 | |||||
| 2000CT/CS | 12.1 in, SVGA/STN color | (TFT/STN) | Intel Pentium MMX | (133–150) | 64 MB | Windows for Workgroups/Windows95 | |||||
| 3000 | 13.3 in, XGA | Color TFT | Intel Pentium MMX | (233 or266) | 144 MB | Windows95 | |||||
| 2100/3100/4100/7100 series | (12.1–14.1 in), SVGA/XGA | (STN/TFT) | Intel Mobile Pentium II | (233–266) | 160–288 MB | Windows95/NT/98 | |||||
| Sojourn (badge-engineered Mitsubishi Pedion) | 12.1 in, SVGA | Color TFT | Intel Mobile Pentium II | (233) | 64 MB RAM + storage:1 GB HDD | Windows95 | |||||
| 7150/4150 series | (13.3–14.1 in), XGA/SXGA | (TFT) | 300 MHz Mobile Pentium II | 256–320 MB | Windows95/NT/98 | ||||||
| 900/900B series | (12.1–13.3 in), SVGA/XGA | (TFT) | Mobile Pentium II or III | (300–500) | 160–192 MB | Windows95/NT/98 | |||||
| XE/XE2 series | (12.1–13.3 in), SVGA/XGA | (STN/TFT) | Mobile Pentium II or Celeron | (266–333) | 256 MB | Windows98 | |||||
| 6000 series | (14.1–15 in), XGA/SXGA | (TFT) | Mobile Pentium III or Celeron | (700/550) | ATI Mobility M/M1 w/2X AGP | 128 MB | Windows95/98/2000 | ||||
| XE3 | (14.1–15 in), XGA/SXGA | (TFT) | Mobile Pentium III or Celeron | (933–1133) | S3 Savage IX | 1 GB | Windows98/2000/XP | ||||
| 500 | (12.1 in), XGA | (TFT) | Mobile Pentium III or Celeron | (600–750) | 512 MB | Windows98/2000 | |||||
| 6100 | (14.1–15 in), XGA/SXGA | (TFT) | Mobile Pentium III | (1133) | 512 MB | Windows98/2000/XP | |||||
| XT6200/VT6200 | (14.1–15 in), XGA/SXGA | (TFT) | Intel Pentium 4 M (1700 MHz) | 1 GB | Windows2000/XP | ||||||
| X (2024) | 14 in, 2240×1400 OLED IPS touchscreen | OLED IPS touchscreen | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or X Plus CPUs (3400 MHz, 12 cores) | Adreno GPU | 16 or32 GB RAM | 512 GB to2 TB SSD | Windows11 | ||||
| Ultra (2024) | 14 in,2240×1400 OLED IPS touchscreen | OLED IPS touchscreen | AMD Ryzen AI300 or Intel Core Ultra (4500–5100 MHz) | — | — | Windows11 |
OmniBook 300
Introduced in June 1993, the HP OmniBook 300 (OB300) was an early subnotebook model within the OmniBook series. It weighed just 2.9 pounds and had dimensions of 1.4 × 6.4 × 11.1 inches. Equipped with an AMD 386SX-LV processor, it featured a full-sized keyboard, a pop-up mouse mechanism (which was later incorporated into the OmniBook 800CT), and a 9-inch VGA display. The device offered two PCMCIA slots to accommodate memory expansion, modem, or networking cards. Storage configurations included no mass storage (model F1030A priced at US$1515), a 10 MB flash memory drive (model F1031A at US$2375), or a 40 MB hard drive (model F1032A at US$1950). Notably, the flash memory variant provided benefits such as lighter weight and extended battery endurance compared to the hard drive option. A standout feature was its “Instant On” capability.
The OmniBook 300 came preloaded with streamlined editions of MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1. Due to limited onboard storage, both Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word were embedded in ROM, a rare implementation even by modern standards. The “International English” version utilized code page 850 rather than the conventional code page 437 hardware code page.
OmniBook X
Announced in May 2024, the HP OmniBook X (14-fe000) represents the newest iteration of the OmniBook lineup, featuring AI-driven capabilities. Weighing roughly 2.97 pounds, its dimensions measure 12.32 × 8.8 × 0.56 inches at the front and slightly thicker at 12.32 × 8.8 × 0.57 inches at the rear. This model is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor equipped with a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) for AI acceleration, complemented by a Qualcomm Adreno GPU. The laptop sports a 14" OLED IPS touchscreen displaying a resolution of 2240 × 1400 pixels and is available with either 16 GB or 32 GB of RAM alongside SSD storage options of 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB.
Connectivity features include an integrated 5MP webcam and Qualcomm wireless modules supporting either Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. Battery life is estimated at up to approximately 26 hours.
Pre-installed with Windows 11, the OmniBook X incorporates Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant, Windows Studio Effects for enhanced media experiences, and Poly Studio audio optimization. It is branded under Microsoft's Copilot+ PC platform and introduces a dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard that replaces the traditional menu key.
See also
External links
- Official HP pages
- Search results for OmniBook on HP's official website
- HP OmniBook support page, including a comprehensive list of models [1]
- HP OmniBook X official landing page
- HP OmniBook Ultra official landing page
- Additional resources
- Detailed HP OmniBook information by Kieran Garbutt
- Comprehensive HP OmniBook site maintained by Sean McCreary