PC Copilot Plus vs. Chromebooks: Which Should You Choose?

Before summer began, it was a little easier to shop for a basic productivity laptop. You could choose from a single version of Windows (x86), an Apple macOS device, or a Chromebook. Sure, there were still plenty of options from various laptop manufacturers, but if you knew what brand or operating system you wanted — especially if you were on a budget — it probably wouldn’t have taken you too long to narrow down your choices, especially if you had specific preferences. (I do.)

But then along came the Copilot Plus PCs. There was now a new kind of less-expensive productivity machine taking up a spot on shelves between low-end Windows laptops and Chromebooks. If you thought you’d already narrowed down your choices, you just got more information. Depending on what else you need a laptop to do (and how much you’re willing to spend), there are a few more things you should consider now.

However, Copilot Plus PCs and Chromebooks are still aimed at different types of users. So choosing one or the other isn't really more complicated, just more nuanced. Let's take a look at both systems and narrow down the list of options.

Copilot Plus PCs are Windows systems, but with a difference. Copilot Plus PCs run Windows on Arm (Arm64) using Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon chips, while Intel- and AMD-configured laptops run x86 Windows. This isn’t the first time a laptop has run the Arm version, but it is the first time they’ve been worth buying. They’re just as powerful as other Windows laptops and come with the same features, but they have longer battery life and are more energy efficient, and they’re generally a bit cheaper. But their operating system is less versatile.

While Windows on Arm has native support for almost all of the core programs that the x86 version of Windows has, it’s still missing some crucial ones, such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Google Drive for Desktop. Those applications also can’t be emulated with Microsoft’s new Prism emulator (which is much better than its previous versions). Many other applications without native Arm64 support can, but they might run noticeably slower.

If you are thinking about purchasing a Copilot Plus PC but are unsure about the compatibility of your favorite app, there is a website that can help you checkPlease note that this is not an exhaustive list of everything that is or is not supported and the website itself does not guarantee 100% accuracy. It is always best to check compatibility yourself.

Chromebooks run ChromeOS and typically have slower, older Intel or AMD processors. Their operating system is primarily designed to run cloud apps, so it's stripped down to handle just the basics. (In some ways, it feels more like browsing on a smartphone than a real computer.) What you can handle on the device is save and edit Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files offline, save and retrieve files from local storage, and play mobile games, among other lightweight apps. The simplicity and ease of use of Chromebooks in the classroom have made them a popular choice for middle and elementary school students, especially during the pandemic.

Google has recently added some quality-of-life features to ChromeOS, such as customizing keyboard and mouse shortcuts, which have long been available on Windows.

There are a number of ways in which Copilot Plus PCs and Chromebooks are similar. Not only are they productivity laptops, but they also share some of the same features: Both come in traditional and 2-in-1 form factors (though the only Snapdragon-powered convertible laptop so far is the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x), and both have models with touchscreens and a host of port options, including USB-A, USB-C, and sometimes even HDMI or a microSD slot.

Both have their own ai ecosystem. Copilot Plus PCs are licensed by Microsoft Cocreator, Live Captions and Recall (which is not yet widely available, but is accessible on Microsoft Latest Windows 11 Build). Newer Chromebooks have Google Gemini and come with a free 12-month subscription to Google One ai Premium that includes access to Gemini Advanced and a few other features.

Currently, both operating systems can run Android apps. On ChromeOS, you can download them directly from the Google Play Store, which comes pre-installed on the device. For PCs with Copilot Plus, you'll first need to download the Windows Subsystem for Android app from the amazon Appstore.

(Microsoft will stop using this feature in March 2025, so if you want to “run” Android apps on Windows, you'll need to use Telephone link to reflect them from next year.)

However, that’s where the similarities end. In addition to much more powerful processors and a versatile operating system, Copilot Plus PCs are generally more attractive and come with brighter, more color-accurate OLED displays compared to the IPS displays on Chromebooks. They also typically have faster and larger storage drives, more memory, and a few more hours of battery life. A Wi-Fi 7 adapter is also a common feature, while Chromebooks have slower Wi-Fi 6E or older adapters. iPhone users can also now link their phone to the Windows operating system, but ChromeOS is currently only supported on Android.

However, ChromeOS is more pleasant to use on a touchscreen device compared to Windows. The user interface is also simpler and easier to navigate; I've had better experiences using 2-in-1 Chromebooks this way compared to Windows laptops in the same form factor.

Finally, there’s a price difference. Copilot Plus PCs are more expensive than Chromebooks because they can do so much more and handle more than Chromebooks. The cheapest available is Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 7, which starts at $1,000 for a base model, while an option like the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 with the same amount of memory and storage capacity and a similar display costs $850 or less and is one of the most expensive Chromebooks around.

If you need to use your laptop for both work and personal tasks but are looking to save some money, Copilot Plus PCs are the best alternative to Chromebooks, as long as they can handle all the apps you need. They're cheaper than other Windows laptops, have longer battery life, and can run most power-hungry apps. But if you don't need to manage data-heavy spreadsheets or edit videos for a film class, a Chromebook will handle basic functions just as well for much less.