An okay laptop with 16GB of RAM is better than a nice laptop with 8GB, and this $520 HP OmniBook proves it
The OmniBook 3 isn't a sweet treat, but it gets things done on the cheap. | Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeLaptop prices are out of whack. $500 used to get you a tolerable laptop, and $900 got you a really good one. They often had similar CPU, RAM, and storage options because that stuff was comparatively cheap; the difference was often in build quality and screen rather than power. But RAMageddon has thrown everything off. Even laptops like the $950 Surface Laptop now start with 8GB of RAM, which isn't enough. And on the lower end, where manufacturers are struggling to compete with the $700 MacBook Neo, they're cutting corners on storage, CPU, and build quality too.
However, one low-cost laptop has bucked this and genuinely surprised me. HP's 16 ...