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HP's Laptop Subscription: Why You Should Never Rent a Computer

February 14, 2026 · 5 min read

HP now offers a gaming laptop subscription service where you pay $55-150/month for an OMEN gaming rig. The catch? You never own it. When you stop paying, you send it back. No buyout option. No equity. Just rent.

This went viral on Reddit this week, and the reaction was unanimous: “This is just a rental with extra steps.”

But HP isn't alone. Hardware subscriptions are spreading across every industry — from software you used to buy once to car features already installed in your vehicle. Here's the full breakdown of how companies are turning ownership into eternal rent.

The Math: HP Subscription vs Buying

Let's say you pick HP's mid-tier gaming laptop subscription at $100/month. An equivalent OMEN laptop costs about $1,500 to buy.

• After 12 months: You've paid $1,200 — and own nothing
• After 15 months: You've paid $1,500 — the full price of the laptop — and still own nothing
• After 24 months: You've paid $2,400 — 60% more than buying — and you ship it back

The only scenario where this makes sense: you need a gaming laptop for less than 6 months and don't want to deal with reselling. For everyone else, it's a terrible deal.

The Hardware Subscription Hall of Shame

HP's laptop subscription joins a growing list of companies trying to make you rent things you should own:

Why Companies Love Subscriptions (And You Shouldn't)

For companies, subscriptions are a dream:

• Predictable revenue — Wall Street loves recurring revenue, so every company is chasing it
• Higher lifetime value — you pay more over time than you would upfront
• Cancellation friction — once you're subscribed, inertia keeps you paying
• No resale market — you can't sell something you don't own

The average American now spends $219/month on subscriptions — often without realizing it. That's $2,628/year, much of it on things that used to be one-time purchases.

How to Fight Back

1. Audit your subscriptions — Upload your bank statement to JustCancel and see everything you're paying for
2. Buy, don't rent — if a product exists as a one-time purchase, choose that
3. Set calendar reminders — for any subscription, set a reminder 3 days before renewal to evaluate if you still need it
4. Use our cancel guides — we have step-by-step instructions for 200+ services
5. Check the subscription calculator — see how much your subscriptions really cost per year

The Bottom Line

HP's laptop subscription is just the latest example of companies trying to turn everything into rent. Don't fall for it. Buy what you can, cancel what you don't use, and never pay more than something is worth just because the monthly number looks small.

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