High-end Chomebook Vs. iPad with Keyboard (laptop, desktop, hard drive, games)

[ChiBlackhawks]

My trusty Dell laptop that I had for six years died. I would buy another, but I hate Windows 8 more than the devil himself. I can't really afford the $900 for an apple laptop. So, I was considering getting a higher-end chromebook (32 GB hard drive) or an iPad and buying an add-on keyboard.

I do most of my computing from my desktop at home, so I'll only be using the laptop/tablet for reading PDFs and grading student essays. Sometimes (like once a month) I like to get some writing done from a coffee shop.

I don't play video games or stream movies.

Thanks!

[adyn]

As with most tech decisions, the answer is "it depends"

Are you more heavily involved in one ecosystem (google's universe or apple's?)? If you are, that's a pretty large factor for most.

If you were strictly only doing what you say, either one will be just fine. Chromebook has the keyboard attached so you can't lose it or forget to bring it, but iPad has a built in one so you don't technically NEED it even if you do forget it.

Battery life, camera (front and back vs only one), app selection are all better on the iPad. Chromebook costs less, has a bigger screen, doesn't require you to buy a peripheral (keyboard).

If you want a shot in the dark answer, I think you'd be happier with the iPad, simply because it does more and while you may think you don't need the features it has, down the road you may.

[archineer]

Get a refurbed macbook air? http://store.apple.com/us/browse/hom...macbook_air/11

[Pruzhany]

FWIW

If you dislike Win8, you can download the following program and it will act nearly like a Win7 machine:
Classic Shell - Start menu and other Windows enhancements

Thus still going with a traditional laptop.

[Bo]

I have tablets in all 3 major platforms. But if I had to write a paper, I'd definitely prefer to use my Chromebook. Screen size matters. Some Chromebooks are lighter than a MB Air.