Chromebook, or tablet with nice keyboard case?

[fofjjsr]

Here is my dilemma, I am starting up schooling again, online which my job is paying for. I will probably being going to school for the next 2 to 3 years, so I need something that will meet basic needs. I don't need anything to fancy. Just something I can read my school books on (ebooks) and type papers. It would be nice to have some toys, but they are not necessary. So I was looking at a chromebook, which are nice, compack and light weight, plus they have the keyboard. I was also looking at the Note 10.1 2014 edition, but honestly I think it's to pricey for what I want it for, so I am looking cheaper. However, a tablet makes laying down or sitting at work a lot easier to read. My problem here is, I can't seem to find one that has a case with a keyboard option. What do you think is a better fit? And here are my questions below.

Which Chromebook is the best at the moment? (I was looking at the new HP one)
Can you install Office on a Chromebook? (Best buy shows it as a "related product" when I look at them)
Is there a good Android based tablet with a nice case with keyboard option?

Thanks in advance!

 

[SpookDroid]

The 'best' option, in my opinion, would be a tablet with a keyboard. Most tablets will let you use just about any bluetooth keyboard or an USB one, and there are tons of cases with the latter. Also, if you want the best tablet with included keyboard right now, I think that would be the Asus Transformer family. The Note is a GREAT tablet and would be useful for so much more than school, but if you're not sold on the S-Pen, you would do a lot better with the Nexus 10.

You CAN'T install Office on either Chromebook or Android (yet), but there are a lot of alternatives that will let you read and edit Office documents just the same (more options on Android than on ChromeOS). But if you want a tablet that's a replacement for your laptop and current software, then I'd suggest you look at the Surface (yes, I know, it's not Android...).

 

[Algus]

I used to do tablet + keyboard with my Nexus 7 but eventually purchased a chromebook. I feel like the 7'' form factor is just to small for prolonged work (the keyboard was cramped and the screen was to small). It's a good setup for notes but unacceptable for longer projects IMO. It can also be annoying to get a non-buggy Desktop User Agent on your tab without rooting (I use Dolphin right now but that has some security issues)

There are a lot of pretty good office suites available for Android (I use Office Pro 7 myself) which is more than I can say for Chrome OS (I HATE Google Docs) but the built-in keyboard, prolonged battery life, and desktop browsing experience are all ace in my book and I like that Chrome does the few things for me my Android doesn't (I don't have a traditional PC anymore because of this).

The Asus Transformer series might be good to look at and I'm anxiously awaiting more word on Lenovo's Android laptop but for now I favor my 7'' Nexus 7 for tablet stuff (reading, forums, etc) and my Samsung 3 Chromebook for general web surfing, office work (I tolerate Google Docs most of the time), and a couple other things. I do most of my streaming on my chromebook because I dock it to a 24'' LED.

I enjoy Chrome OS because the machines on the low-end are generally affordable, offer excellent battery life, and the OS is secure, fast, and responsive. It needs A LOT of work on the software end though. There simply aren't apps available for it, which is why a lot of people hack in a full-blown Linux distro. A new slate of machines just came out and I recommend the Acer C720 and the HP Chromebook 14 (the new one, NOT the Pavillion Chromebook). The C720 is the most affordable priced and has EXCELLENT tech specs even at its cheapest offering. The new Intel processors have crazy battery life too (to the tune of 9 hours a charge). The HP 14 is less portable (14.1'' screen vs. C720's 11.6'' screen) but may be more appealing if you prefer a larger computer. The HP 11 has some interesting features and attempts to position itself as a premium product (best build quality, a gorgeous screen, and uses microUSB for charging) but it's got old tech in it (essentially a repeat of last year's Samsung 3) which makes it harder for me to suggest over the devices that have newer parts.

 

[dkhmwilliams]

I would say go with a Chromebook. As someone who has used an iPad Air with a bluetooth keyboard, I will tell you that my experience with my Chromebook has been better for productivity. I use my Chromebook for everything that I would use my iPad for with the exception of playing games (which I wasn't doing a whole lot of in the first place). I have the Acer C720 and this device flies. I have only had it for a day, but I can tell you that it is one quality machine. For $200, you can't beat it.

 

[shanghaichica]

Both are useful. The chromebook is better for typing but a tablet is good for using on the go. For the price of the note 2014 you could probably get a chromebook and a nexus 7 2013. I'm training to be a nurse and use both a chromebook and an ipad mini.

Posted from my galaxy note 3

 

[dkhmwilliams]

Both are useful. The chromebook is better for typing but a tablet is good for using on the go. For the price of the note 2014 you could probably get a chromebook and a nexus 7 2013. I'm training to be a nurse and use both a chromebook and an ipad mini.

Posted from my galaxy note 3

After using the Chromebook for a while now, I would say that the Chromebook is better for just about everything with the exception of messaging (no notifications when device is in sleep mode) and playing games (even though you can play some games on the Chromebook).

 

[CHIP72]

If the OP hasn't made his purchase yet, I'd recommend going with a chromebook over a tablet with a keyboard dock (among other things you'll have a larger screen, a much better browser, and left over money in your pocket).

As for a specific chromebook to purchase, my personal recommendations are:

*If cost is the most important factor, and you don't need a mobile connection/LTE - buy the Acer Chromebook C720 ($200)
*If having 4G LTE connectivity is important (and you're on VZW) - buy the HP Chromebook 11 LTE
*If having a larger-screened device is important (and having a heavier but still relatively light weight device is acceptable) - buy the Toshiba Chromebook (13.3" screen, 3.3 pounds)

Incidentally, I saw the Toshiba Chromebook (and for that matter the HP Chromebook 11) for the first time the other day, and it looks sharp. I want my next chromebook to have a better display, sound, preferably more RAM, and LTE connectivity (I've owned the Samsung Chromebook Series 3 since January 2013 and still use and like it a lot), but if I was looking for a budget chromebook that had a decent-sized (i.e. bigger than 11.6") display, I'd jump all over the Toshiba Chromebook.