Hey, I’m Kayla. I live in the browser. Most days, my “apps” are really web apps: Figma, Notion, Google Docs, Slack (yes, the web one), and Spotify in the background. I’ve tested them on ChromeOS, Windows 11, macOS Sonoma, and Linux on my own laptops. I’ve done real work on each—client decks, design tweaks, messy notes, the whole ride. If you want to see the raw benchmarks and nitty-gritty I logged during those tests, check out the extended version of this hands-on report.
You know what? The winner is clear. But it’s not as simple as a one-size thing. Let me explain.
What I’ll cover (quick plan)
- What I used, on which machines
- How each OS handles PWAs and tabs
- Offline use, battery, and weird snags
- My pick, and who should pick what
What I used, for real
- ChromeOS: Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (convertible). ChromeOS 127.
- Windows 11 Pro: ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10. Edge and Chrome.
- macOS Sonoma: MacBook Air M2, 16 GB RAM. Safari and Chrome.
- Linux: Framework 13 (AMD). Fedora 40 with GNOME, Chrome/Chromium.
Apps I used, mostly in web form:
- Figma, Notion, Google Docs/Sheets, Trello, Asana, Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams (web), Linear, Airtable, Canva, Spotify, YouTube Music, and a weird little PWA for Pomodoro timers.
If you’ve ever wanted to keep a lightweight messenger like Kik in its own tab or window without adding another full desktop client, check out the step-by-step Kik web setup guide—it walks you through quick installation, notification tweaks, and privacy tips so the chat tool slots seamlessly alongside the rest of your PWAs on any OS.
I also did calls while screen sharing Figma in the browser. That’s where weak spots show up fast.
ChromeOS: Web-first, and it shows
If your life is web apps, this OS just gets out of the way. I installed Notion, Figma, and Spotify as PWAs (for a quick refresher on what counts as a Progressive Web App, this explainer is handy). They showed up like real apps in the shelf, with their own windows and icons. The system treats them like first-class citizens. Offline Docs worked on a long flight from Denver to LAX. I edited a marketing brief, landed, and it synced without drama.
Speed? Cold boot to a working browser in about 8–10 seconds. Tabs sleep smart. Notifications from PWAs work like normal. The “Add to Shelf” flow is simple in Chrome.
A few nice bits:
- Touch and pen on the Spin 713 makes Canva and whiteboards feel natural.
- Auto updates happen in the background. Reboots are fast.
- If a web app doesn’t cut it, Android apps or a Linux container can fill the gap. I ran VS Code (Linux) while writing in Notion (web).
Trade-offs:
- Raw video editing in a browser? Still rough. I use Clipchamp web for light cuts, but I miss Final Cut sometimes.
- Printer setup can be… let’s say, moody. It usually works, but not always first try.
If your day is Docs, Notion, Miro, Figma, email, and calls, ChromeOS feels made for it. I didn’t wrestle the system. It just let the web shine. Even the random personal-life web apps—say you’re scouting an arrangement site—load fast, and the OS keeps them neatly sandboxed; if you’re around Wisconsin, the Sugar Daddy Waukesha primer breaks down the scene, safety steps, and first-date spots so you can focus on finding the right match without tech hassles.
Windows 11: The PWA-friendly workhorse
Windows surprised me. Edge has strong PWA support (Microsoft’s own rundown of the latest enhancements is worth a skim right here). I installed Notion, Trello, and YouTube Music as apps with their own taskbar icons. They launch fast and behave well. Edge also puts sleepy tabs on a diet; memory drops when you step away. That helped during a 20-tab Figma mess while on Teams.
On my ThinkPad, battery life was fine, not magic. Around 7–9 hours with mixed work. The big perk is hardware. Dual monitors, docks, and random webcams all play nice. I ran a three-hour workshop in Figma (web) while sharing my screen in Teams (web), and it didn’t crash. Fans did kick up a bit.
Annoyances:
- Notifications from PWAs sometimes get buried by Focus Assist. It’s better now, but I’ve missed pings.
- Edge and Chrome PWAs install great, but they don’t always feel as “native” as on ChromeOS—close, though.
If you need web apps plus a few Windows-only tools, Windows 11 hits a sweet spot.
macOS Sonoma: Silky smooth, but a bit picky
I love my M2 Air. It’s quiet, light, and the battery lasts. 12–14 hours on light web work felt normal. In Sonoma, Safari can turn any site into a Dock app. I used Notion and Linear like that. They hid Safari’s UI, had their own icons, and sent notifications. Clean look. Low battery drain.
Here’s the catch: some web features lag in Safari. A few advanced APIs (like WebUSB) aren’t there. Chrome on macOS supports more of that stuff, but then battery life drops a bit. Still good, just not “wow.”
Figma and Notion ran great in Safari and Chrome. Screen sharing in Meet worked fine. I had one odd glitch where a web pop-up didn’t render in a Safari web app window until I forced reload. It’s rare, but it happened during a client edit. Not fun.
If you want the most polished laptop experience with web apps that don’t need fancy hardware access, macOS is lovely. It feels calm. And fast. Just know the browser choice matters.
Linux (Fedora): Fast, lean, and a bit tinker-y
On the Framework 13 with Fedora 40, the web felt snappy. Chrome and Chromium ran PWAs without fuss. I added Notion, Trello, and Spotify as apps. Notifications worked. Battery life was okay, not stellar. 6–8 hours with many tabs.
Pros:
- Great for dev work. I ran local servers, tested service workers, and flipped Chrome flags to test PWA install prompts.
- System updates felt quick. The machine stayed responsive even with tons of tabs.
Cons:
- Some codec issues with media show up if you use open-source browsers only. Chrome fixes most of that.
- External device support can need a tweak or two. It’s better now, but I still fiddle with audio on new docks.
If you like control and spend time in the terminal, Linux is fun and very capable for web apps. If you hate tweaking, maybe not.
The little things that matter for web apps
- PWA install flow: ChromeOS and Edge on Windows make it very clear. Safari on macOS Sonoma also makes it nice now.
- Offline: Google Docs offline worked best on ChromeOS and Chrome on Windows/macOS. Notion offline is still limited.
- Notifications: ChromeOS and Windows are rock solid. macOS is good, but permissions can feel strict. Linux is fine once set.
- Screen share: Meet and Teams screen share ran smooth on all four, but Chrome was the most reliable when sharing a single app window.
- Memory life: Edge’s sleeping tabs help on Windows. ChromeOS handles many tabs well. macOS stays cool, but heavy Chrome use can hit battery.
For an even deeper dive into squeezing maximum performance out of browser-heavy setups, check out the practical guides over at Optimization-World. If you’re specifically hunting for front-end tweaks, their breakdown of real-world wins from a recent read — “JavaScript High Performance & Optimization Practices” — is packed with tips I’ve already folded into my Figma and Notion workflows.
So, which one wins for web apps?
Short answer: ChromeOS.
Long answer: it’s the most web-first system I’ve used. PWAs act like real apps. Boot is fast. Tabs sleep smart. Offline is simple. And updates don’t get in your face.
But here’s who should pick what:
- Choose ChromeOS if your work is mostly in the browser and you like simple, stable tools.
- Choose Windows 11 if you want strong PWA support plus desktop apps and broad hardware support.
- Choose macOS if you want top battery life and a calm feel, and your web apps don’t need special browser tech.
- Choose Linux if you like to tune your setup and want speed with control.
I use ChromeOS at coffee shops, macOS on flights, Windows when I need complex setups, and Linux when I’m building or testing web stuff. Sounds chaotic, but it fits