Googlebook OS vs Windows 11: which should you choose for your next laptop?

Since 5 October 2026, a new system has appeared on the laptop shelves at Fnac and Darty: Googlebook OS. Facing it is Windows 11, installed on the vast majority of computers sold in France. On paper the question looks simple. In practice, many readers ask us: should you take a chance on Google’s system, or stick with Windows?

We are not repeating the specifications here; they are covered in our articles on Googlebook OS and Windows 11 26H2. This comparison looks at what matters once the laptop is on your desk: what a day with one or the other is like, what gets annoying, what makes life easier. We rely on the first hands-on reports published by the press and on feedback from early buyers, since these laptops are only a few days old.

First startup: two opposite philosophies

Turning on a Googlebook for the first time feels like setting up an Android phone. If you have a smartphone running Android 17, just bring it close: Wi-Fi networks, passwords and messages come across on their own. A few minutes later you are looking at a clean desktop, with no trial software or third-party antivirus. Early testers, such as Journal du Geek, describe a setup with no surprises for anyone who knows Chrome.

On a Windows 11 PC, setup is longer and chattier. Microsoft offers OneDrive, a Microsoft 365 trial and Game Pass, then the manufacturer sometimes adds its own utilities. Nothing insurmountable, but it takes a good half hour of tidying to get a clean machine. That is the price of freedom: each manufacturer does more or less what it wants.

A working day: office tasks, email, video calls

For use built around Gmail, Google Docs, video meetings and the browser, the two systems are on a par. Googlebook OS even has the edge in consistency: everything happens in Chrome, web apps install like apps and Gemini is one mouse gesture away. Magic Pointer is the feature that comes up most in early feedback: turning a date received by email into an appointment, or translating a paragraph without leaving the page, quickly becomes a habit.

The picture changes as soon as a desktop tool is involved. Excel with macros, accounting software, a management tool provided by your employer, a slightly old printer driver: on Windows, all of it works. On a Googlebook, you need a web, Android or Linux version, otherwise you are stuck. No .exe file opens and Google has announced no compatibility layer.

Our advice is simple: before buying a Googlebook, list the five programs you cannot do without and check each one. If even one only exists on Windows, the question is settled.

Phone apps on the laptop

This is where Googlebook OS has no competitor. Android apps from the Play Store run natively, and some of them have been adapted for keyboard, mouse and landscape screens. With Cast My Apps, an app installed on your phone appears in a window on the laptop, without installation.

Windows 11 went the other way: Microsoft removed the Android subsystem in March 2025. The Phone Link app remains, handy for texts, calls and photos, but it does not run your apps on the computer.

Gaming: no hesitation possible

If you play games on a computer, the answer is Windows 11. Steam, Game Pass, competitive games with anti-cheat, dedicated graphics cards: the whole PC gaming ecosystem lives on Windows.

A Googlebook runs Android games from the Play Store, with keyboard keys mapped to touch controls, and Google promotes GeForce NOW cloud gaming. At the time of writing, NVIDIA still describes support as “coming”. For a casual mobile gamer, that is enough. For a PC gamer, it is not.

Artificial intelligence: two different approaches

Gemini is everywhere in Googlebook OS, and it is pleasant: you no longer think about opening an assistant, it appears where the cursor is. The trade-off is dependence on the network. Almost everything goes through Google’s servers, and the Google AI Pro subscription, free for a year, then costs €21.99 a month (about 14,400 FCFA).

Copilot on Windows 11 is more discreet and largely optional. On Copilot+ PCs, Recall and Click to Do run on the machine, without sending your data. On an older PC, Windows’ AI is limited to an online assistant. People wary of AI will prefer Windows, which is easier to keep minimal.

The link with your phone

With a recent Android smartphone, Googlebook OS offers the smoothest experience: phone files visible in the file manager, phone apps on the laptop screen, setup transferred in seconds. Fnac’s L’Éclaireur compared this continuity to Apple’s, on the Android side.

Windows 11 works with every phone, Android and iPhone alike, but with less depth. If you have an iPhone, a Googlebook loses most of its appeal, and Windows remains the most neutral choice.

Budget: a gap that matters

A Googlebook costs at least €1,099.99 (about 721,500 FCFA) for the HP Googlebook 14. For the same money, the Windows range is huge: Snapdragon X PCs, Intel ultraportables, laptops with a graphics card for gaming. And under €800 there is no Googlebook at all, while decent Windows PCs are plentiful.

On the other hand, Google promises up to 10 years of updates depending on the model, whereas a Windows PC depends on Microsoft’s schedule and on whether its processor stays compatible with future versions. Over time, the gap narrows a little.

Our verdict by profile

Student

If your courses happen in the browser and on Google Workspace, a Googlebook is pleasant and light. If you study a technical subject (engineering, architecture, accounting) with required software, take Windows.

Remote work and office tasks

Windows 11 is safer as soon as a company tool is involved. A Googlebook suits jobs that live in the cloud, provided your IT department approves.

Gamer

Windows 11, no contest.

Android user who wants a simple laptop

Googlebook OS. This is exactly the target audience, and the phone integration makes a difference every day.

Tight budget

Windows 11. No Googlebook goes below €1,000.

Developer

Both work for web development thanks to Linux, but Windows keeps the edge with WSL, native tools and compatibility with every environment.

Pros and cons

Googlebook OS

• Pros: instant familiarity, Android apps adapted to PCs, Gemini available everywhere, deep integration with Android 17, up to 10 years of updates.
• Cons: no Windows software, no PC games, AI dependent on the cloud and on a subscription after a year, only four models, all above €1,000.

Windows 11

• Pros: total software compatibility, the largest game catalogue, a huge choice of PCs at every price, on-device AI on Copilot+ PCs.
• Cons: longer setup, promotional prompts, strict hardware requirements, no more Android apps.

Where to buy a Googlebook

The four Googlebooks sold in France are available at Fnac and Darty. Amazon does not sell them yet.

To go further, also compare Googlebook OS and macOS 27, and read our full articles on Googlebook OS and Windows 11 26H2.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Googlebook replace a Windows PC?

Yes if all your software exists in a web, Android or Linux version, and you don’t play PC games. Otherwise, no.

Can you install Windows on a Googlebook?

Neither Google nor the manufacturers plan for it. Googlebooks are sold with Googlebook OS only.

Do Android apps still work on Windows 11?

No. Microsoft ended the Android subsystem in March 2025.

Which one is more secure?

Both are well protected. Googlebook OS relies on the Titan C chip and a more locked-down system, which limits the risks from downloaded software. Windows 11 is more exposed because it runs everything, but Microsoft Defender and TPM 2.0 provide good protection.

Prices checked at Fnac on 10 October 2026. They may change: check the price shown by the retailer before you buy.