PCWorld explores how a long-time Chromebook enthusiast successfully convinced his Windows-loyal brother to switch by debunking common misconceptions about ChromeOS devices. Modern Chromebooks have evolved beyond outdated limitations, now supporting Android and Linux apps, offering offline functionality, and providing robust security features suitable for all users. The key to Chromebook satisfaction involves investing around $500 for quality hardware rather than choosing budget models that create poor user experiences. I've been a Chromebook fan and advocate for many years now. I bought my first one back in 2013, just a couple years after they debuted, and I've since purchased several more. If you ask me why, it's because I love their affordability, versatility, and simplicity. This trio of pros led me to switch from Windows laptops to Chromebooks and I haven't looked back. But not everyone is as gung-ho about Google's laptops as me, and that includes my older brother--we'll call him "Jack"--who, for every bit of praise I lavish on Chromebooks, always has an objection. Jack was recently in the market for a new laptop, so I made it my mission to convince him to buy a Chromebook.

These laptops feature deep Android phone integration, allowing app casting and cross-device functionality, while supporting Android games through Google Play Store. Despite Google partnering with major manufacturers like HP and Dell, success remains uncertain given past mixed results with similar initiatives. We've been hearing about Google's push to unite Android and ChromeOS into a new laptop operating system rumored to be called "Aluminum" for a while now. A week before this year's Google I/O conference, the company is ready to talk about it. And to the surprise of absolutely friggin' no one, these seem more interested in Gemini "AI" than the actual product.

Plus: Vivaldi browser shuns AI, Samsung has a new sustainable display, and Frankfurt Airport tests Auracast for gate announcements. Samsung's first-ever Galaxy Z TriFold went on sale this past Friday, but it sold out in minutes . This folding phone differs from the 7th-generation Galaxy Z Fold7 in that its screen can expand to a whopping 10 inches, turning it into a proper tablet . That also means it commands an incredibly high price of $2,899. It's the first device of its kind here in the West, though Huawei has its own version in China.

If you have a Chromebook, here's an interesting development for you: Google is now making it possible to control ChromeOS using just your face, The Verge reports. Imagine being able to use head movements to move your mouse cursor around, then using facial expressions to click -- or perform other frequent tasks, like toggling dictation so you can speak to write. The feature, which was originally announced in December as Face Control, is aimed specifically at people with motor impairments who'd otherwise have trouble controlling a mouse cursor on screen. But it's also meant for students and educators, who have so far benefited from the many other Chromebook accessibility features already available. Face Control is currently rolling out to compatible Chromebooks.

Qualcomm's 2024 debut of new Arm processors for Windows laptops was arguably the most important PC hardware announcement since the introduction of Intel's 486 processors in 1989. Just as that CPU line heralded an age of Intel-driven x86 dominance, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips have now taken us into a new era of competition. But 2024 was only the preview. Qualcomm's Snapdragon debut was limited, targeting a specific subset of premium, thin-and-light Windows laptops that don't require discrete graphics. I spoke with two expert analysts in the hardware space for insights on how Arm PCs will continue to grow going forward.

It's been a few years since Samsung took a crack at making a premium Chromebook. In 2020, the company released the first Galaxy Chromebook, a 999 laptop with a gorgeous 4K OLED screen that barely lasted five hours away from a charger. The company fixed some issues with its 2021 model, which had a more pedestrian screen and a thicker design while costing 300 less -- a fair compromise given that battery life was significantly better. Since then, Google has also launched the Chromebook Plus initiative, which aims to standardize Chromebook specs to give people a more consistent experience. And now, Samsung has released its first entry to that lineup: the Galaxy Chromebook Plus. It reminds me a little bit of the 15-inch MacBook Air, though its appearance is unmistakably Samsung.

Qualcomm's 2024 debut of new Arm processors for Windows laptops was arguably the most important PC hardware announcement since the introduction of Intel's 486 processors in 1989. Just as that CPU line heralded an age of Intel-driven x86 dominance, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips have now taken us into a new era of competition. But 2024 was only the preview. Qualcomm's Snapdragon debut was limited, targeting a specific subset of premium, thin-and-light Windows laptops that don't require discrete graphics. I spoke with two expert analysts in the hardware space for insights on how Arm PCs will continue to grow going forward.

Chromebooks and Google's ChromeOS that runs them are getting a long-overdue PC-like feature: Snap groups, which allow you to "snap" app windows to various sides of your screen. The new feature is part of ChromeOS M128, the stable version of the operating system. It should automatically roll out to all Chromebooks soon, including yours, if it hasn't already. In ChromeOS, Snap groups allow you to "snap" ChromeOS apps to various parts of your screen -- but you can also save the configurations, much like the virtual workspaces that Microsoft includes in Windows. For me, Snap groups aren't enough to overcome the productivity advantages of connecting a Chromebook or PC to multiple displays.

Google's Chrome operating system is officially on the AI bandwagon, and Chromebook manufacturers marked the occasion with a new batch of laptops. One of the latest is the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, which aims for a premium laptop experience without a premium (by laptop standards) price. But at 699, it's still well above the budget niche that Chromebooks have traditionally occupied. The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is an update to Acer's previous non-Plus Spin 714 (which is still available) and inherits a lot from its predecessor. The overall look and feel of the laptop are the same, which is a good thing.

If you're sick of AI being shoved into in more and more consumer electronics, then you're in good company: I'm sick of writing about it. But Google most decidedly is not sick of it. In fact, Google is trying to inject its own AI into every one of its products. That includes both Android and ChromeOS, which are getting a little closer to each other to achieve this end goal. According to the latest Chromium blog post, the Google-developed laptop and desktop system will be "embracing portions of the Android stack, like the Android Linux kernel and Android frameworks, as part of the foundation of ChromeOS."