Copilot+ PCs falter: Snapdragon X laptops six months without updates, users plagued by persistent issues

The Crumbling Promise of Copilot+ PCs: Snapdragon X Laptops Stagnate, Users Face Unrelenting Issues

The highly anticipated Copilot+ PCs, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips, are proving to be more of a paper tiger than a revolution in portable computing. What was touted as a leap forward in performance and battery life is rapidly devolving into a digital quagmire for early adopters. A stark testament to this disillusionment comes from an Asus Vivobook S 15 owner, who shared their harrowing experience on Reddit, painting a grim picture of lost time and mounting frustration.

The user, identified as Fresh_Ingenuity_4520, embarked on their college journey with high hopes for their new machine, envisioning seamless productivity. Instead, they found themselves entangled in a relentless cycle of technical troubleshooting. "I needed this laptop for school and engineering work," they lamented. "One of the major issues is SQL Server support. How is this supposed to help me with my school projects if I can't even use it for them?" This fundamental incompatibility with essential software underscores a critical flaw in the ARM-based architecture's current ecosystem maturity.

A Cascade of Performance Glitches and Driver Nightmares

The Vivobook S 15, despite its premium branding, has become a source of constant irritation. The owner reports crippling performance problems, including the laptop freezing on the desktop simply while navigating, erratic screen flickering, and unstable browser behavior. Compounding these frustrations are what are described as "buggy" drivers and abysmal support from both Microsoft's Windows operating system and Asus itself. The inability to run essential software, a core promise of any modern laptop, has been a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

"The software support is atrocious, it mirrors the overall usability," the user stated. "There were specific driver conflicts with Qualcomm in the Windows version, even after officially downloading them from the website. Asus hasn't released any updates since June 2025." This lack of timely patches and manufacturer neglect has left users stranded, desperately scouring online forums for solutions that often prove elusive. The irony is not lost on the user that individuals using standard x86 PCs are sailing through their tasks without a hitch.

Wasted Hours and a Dire Warning to Potential Buyers

The hours spent troubleshooting have been a significant drain on the student's limited time and energy. "Driver updates, rolling back Windows updates, etc. I've scoured 32 forums for solutions to these problems, but it still yielded nothing. I remember I just reformatted it a few months ago because of a DaVinci install issue and thought that was it." The sheer inefficiency of trying to fix a machine that should be working seamlessly is a heavy burden. "Time is of the essence. Spending 5 hours troubleshooting an unknown issue, given limited time, renders me bankrupt. I could at least use this thing for my own needs, but I'm struggling with the basics."

Unsurprisingly, the student is now a vocal critic, strongly advising against purchasing laptops based on Snapdragon processors. They urge potential buyers to meticulously assess their computing needs and ensure the chosen hardware can meet them without turning the user into an impromptu IT technician.

"Don't buy ARM, no matter how appealing the battery life and lightness seem. Think about what you want to do with the laptop. Don't suddenly become a technician trying to fix the most complex issues."

As the next wave of laptops featuring Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme chips approaches next year, one can only hope that software developers and manufacturers have learned from this early generation's stumbles. The current reality for many Copilot+ PC owners is a stark reminder that groundbreaking technology requires robust support and a mature ecosystem to truly deliver on its promises.