JANUARY 2022 PCWorld 87judge due to the slim selection of apps. The
apps currently available are not demanding.
With that said, I noticed that My Talking Tom
placed a surprisingly heavy load on the
processor, providing reason to be pessimistic
about more-demanding 3D apps.
Winner: Tie
ANDROID APPS ARE
BETTER ON CHROME
OS THAN ON
WINDOWS 11, BUT
THAT DOESN’T MAKE
IT A WINNER
Android app support in Chrome OS easily
beats the state of Android apps on Windows
- Microsoft’s efforts are little more than an
interesting novelty. It’s possible that Microsoft
will close the gap, of course, but the company
has a lot of work to do.
But this doesn’t mean Android apps are
enjoyable in Chrome OS. Though they’re in
much better shape on that platform than in
Windows 11, Android apps in Chrome OS have
interface, stability, and performance issues. Not
all Android apps will work, some don’t work
well, and few are truly enjoyable to use.
Indeed, I’d argue that web apps are
generally superior to Android apps on
Chrome OS. Those looking to edit a photo
are likely better off using Fotor or PicMonkey
than Photoshop Express for Android. Want to
play a game? Try GeForce Now or Stadia
instead of the Google Play store.
Android app support feels like a cynical
attempt to expand the apps ChromeOS and
Windows 11 can claim to support, not a
genuine effort to enhance the user
experience. Google wins this battle, yes—but
laptop shoppers lose.Android
games
can be
surprisingly
taxing on
Windows 11.