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Best note-taking setup with tablet and keyboard?

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dr_andus:
Check the specs: The HP Chromebook 14 weighs over 4 lbs, nearly twice the weight of the Asus T100, which is a full Windows 8.1 device and includes a full version of MS Office 2013 in the $349 price of the 32GB version.  The HP has a bigger screen, but the same measly 1366x768 resolution, meaning that it is considerably less sharp visually. By comparison, the Nexus 7 has 1980x1200, the Nexus 10 has 2560x1600 resolution. The T100 also has better battery life (over 11 hours, supposedly).
-xtabber (January 08, 2014, 09:58 PM)
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I hear ya. What I'm realising though that these kind of decisions are becoming increasingly difficult because a) people have very different note-taking needs, b) are locked into different OS eco-systems, and c) have a range of legacy devices.

In my case I primarily want to be able to type my own notes as quickly and conveniently as possible and be able to sync them across my devices. So in theory, the most basic machine that can turn on instantly, has a great keyboard, and has a decent plain text editor that has good syncing with Dropbox would do.

As I already have a Win7, 64-bit desktop PC, a Win XP Asus eee netbook, and an iPad 1 and an iPod Touch, I just don't feel the need for another full-on system. All my devices work fine, but they are not the best for taking written notes (e.g. writing a journal entry at the end of the day in my bed or while lounging on the sofa) because they're too small, or too big, or too slow or not instantly on.

This is why I'm feeling that it's crazy to spend GBP400+ for me on another device just so I can take plain text notes more conveniently. And this is why the HP Chromebook 14 feels right: it's the cheapest solution so far (by GBP100 from Asus T100), and covers the basics, plus the free internet access is a nice touch for syncing those text files when away from wifi.

Here's an interesting argument for the Chromebook:

The true value in ChromeOS is what it DOESN'T have. Critics say "a Macbook or Windows laptop will give you the same Chrome browser, plus a lot more as well!", but that misses the point entirely. Those laptops don't come with the killer feature of ChromeOS: the LACK of a traditional OS.

The lack of a traditional OS means you do not have to deal with the myriad frustrations of Windows, Mac or even Linux. You get instant on, constant updates, no registry corruption, no accumulated accretions and eventual slowdowns, no viruses and conflicts.  In theory, as long as the hardware holds up, a ChromeOS device will be as slick and responsive in five years as it is out of the box.
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But actually it's possible to install Linux on the Chromebook, so that opens up a few more possibilities.

P.S. But the main thing that launched me on this quest was how quickly my iPad 1 became obsolete, and how much money it would cost to replace it, when I mostly just use it for basic tasks. I want out of the tablet obsolescence game, and Chromebooks are so cheap relatively speaking, that I won't feel bad replacing them in a couple of years time when a more powerful version comes out.

wraith808:
I don't know if you've looked into rolling your investment into your new platform, but that's what I've done and its kept the cost of the iPad manageable.  My first one, I purchased new- a 16GB for $500.  My second one, I skipped the iPad 2 and have the 3 right now, I purchased at best buy (64GB) as a return.  That one was a little over $400, but I sold my iPad at the same time to someone at work for $150.

I'm thinking about shortening the time-table of the buy sell, because they maintain their value pretty well as long as you don't sell to a store.

dr_andus:
I don't know if you've looked into rolling your investment into your new platform, but that's what I've done and its kept the cost of the iPad manageable.
-wraith808 (January 09, 2014, 08:19 AM)
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Thanks. That's a good point and an interesting strategy. It looks like on eBay UK my version goes for about GBP100, which could knock off a quarter of the cost of buying a new one with double the memory. Though I' still need to spend on the keyboard.

Or, I could keep my iPad 1 for the things it can still do, and for fast note-taking go for the Chromebook, which would still be cheaper than the above option, and with some added benefits.

In the meantime I looked into writing apps, Markdown apps, and text editors on Chrome, and there are actually several interesting ones (some of them with Dropbox sync and offline versions as well):

WordFlow by GRAVVITY - a kind of a WriteMonkey for Chrome

StackEdit - for Markdown

Caret -text editor

Dormouse:
For this purpose, I'd discount Windows unless you specifically require access to Windows programs. Too expensive, too heavy, unnecessary.

If you want an attached keyboard, I'd go with Chrome - though it seems that there will be a lot more options and possibly lower prices later this year.

Otherwise (and especially if you might use stylus inpurt for drawing or writing), I'd go with a tablet & keyboard. Lighter & can be cheaper, & the keyboard could also be used with your phone. I don't see any real advantage with an iPad, so would go Android because you would have more options and, as Superboyac pointed out, you have far more control; and cheaper. And, personally, I'd go 7" rather than 10". I find the advantages of lightness and portability outweigh the advantage of screensize in nearly all circumstances - though my eyesight is good; in the UK I'd probably choose between Nexus and Hudl, but there are lots of low cost options. Keyboard, I'd go for quality and choose the size that suited you best; one advantage of this approach is that you don't have to be stuck with a keyboard the size of the screen.

wraith808:
For this purpose, I'd discount Windows unless you specifically require access to Windows programs. Too expensive, too heavy, unnecessary.
-Dormouse (January 12, 2014, 07:07 PM)
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Actually, the tablets are not the same as what you might be accustomed to.

I purchased a Dell Venue Pro 8, and it was $329 for a 64GB tablet with full windows 8.1 and office, is comparable in weight to the iPad Mini, and if I wasn't already tied into the iOS infrastructure, I'd be really happy with it.

So, that's going to be more of a judgement call rather than the absolute that it may have been even a year ago.

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