Anyone changed from a iPad/tablet/laptop to a Cromebook?

[Time Waster]

Aren't ipads a bit overpriced compared to the competition? Why not go android and spend the savings on better speakers?

PS for full openness I have to use an iPhone for work and find its OS terrible! It might be the model, 5c, but things like the mail app doesn't allow me to clear old emails. I've asked on forums and apple "experts" I know but nobody managed to help me find out how to do something that's so intuitive and easy on my android personal phone. I've also used ipads, 10 years ago on a new model back then, and compared to the android tablet I had then it wasn't anywhere near the level it's price should have put it. I had a nexus tablet back then with the vanilla android os. Cheap and very easy to get around and use. Even had the work based auditing apps started using back then.

 

[DCBassman]

Aren't ipads a bit overpriced compared to the competition? Why not go android and spend the savings on better speakers?

PS for full openness I have to use an iPhone for work and find its OS terrible! It might be the model, 5c, but things like the mail app doesn't allow me to clear old emails. I've asked on forums and apple "experts" I know but nobody managed to help me find out how to do something that's so intuitive and easy on my android personal phone. I've also used ipads, 10 years ago on a new model back then, and compared to the android tablet I had then it wasn't anywhere near the level it's price should have put it. I had a nexus tablet back then with the vanilla android os. Cheap and very easy to get around and use. Even had the work based auditing apps started using back then.

Couldn't agree more. I have an old iPad 3, and apart from the admittedly lovely display, it's nearly useless, whereas a similar age Android tablet is still pretty usable.

 

[DRM]

Aren't ipads a bit overpriced compared to the competition? Why not go android and spend the savings on better speakers?

PS for full openness I have to use an iPhone for work and find its OS terrible! It might be the model, 5c, but things like the mail app doesn't allow me to clear old emails. I've asked on forums and apple "experts" I know but nobody managed to help me find out how to do something that's so intuitive and easy on my android personal phone. I've also used ipads, 10 years ago on a new model back then, and compared to the android tablet I had then it wasn't anywhere near the level it's price should have put it. I had a nexus tablet back then with the vanilla android os. Cheap and very easy to get around and use. Even had the work based auditing apps started using back then.

An iphone 5 is beyond a museum piece, i'm surprised that work have anything to do with something so old due to the vulnerability of it, I have an iphone SE2, and a Samsung from work, I think Android is utterly woeful compared to iOS, the iPads are expensive, but they really are well built, and iOS is very easy to navigate

 

[chris667]

I spent years sorting computer issues for my lovely dad. Chromebooks have saved us a lot of arguments.

I think a cheapie is the way to go. We bought one decent one (a Pixel whatever) - the slightly improved experience doesn't justify the 400% price increase.

I really dislike Google, but if you're non-technical I think they're the best experience.

 

[Electric_Andy]

So it sounds like you just want a larger screen and better sound quality? But not a TV?

If it were me, I'd get a chromebook and make sure it runs all the apps you're going to use, then if you don't want headphones, a set of PC speakers. But it's all a bit of a faff, depending on when/where you want to watch your content. I'm guessing you waqnt to watch it in bed and don't want a TV in your bedroom, or perhaps on your sofa but don't want a TV in your lounge? Or maybe at a desk. Or is it that you just want one device to do all of your watching/emails/browsing all in one place?

If it were me, and TV was not an option, I would get a chromebook and speakers. If you don't want external speakers then you are a bit limited i.e. much like any TV, sound is alsways going to be rubbish in a small, thin, light device on a budget. If you already have an iPad then it's probably best to keep using that as the sound is good (hence the high price)

 

[Nibor]

Anyone done this and what are the pros and cons? Plus any recommendations for hardware?
Ill be using it mainly for web, watching films, YouTube and emails. Needs are a good screen and clear loud audio. My iPad is poor on the last one.
I’ll be buying here which means most of them won’t be the latest models, usually at least two years old.

Where is it you are buying from?

 

[Tenkaykev]

Very few laptops are. However I'm a recent Macbook convert and I'm blown away by the latest M1/M2 machines.
Disclaimer: this isn't me saying "get a mac" in response to OP's "looking for a chromebook". I appreciate there's a slight price differential!

That aside, the speakers on recent macbooks are phenomenal. I first had a Macbook Pro i7 16" from work, stunning machine but serious £££, but the speakers were incredible, I really don't know how they do it in a chassis a few mm thick, they sounded like separate hifi speakers but obviously not as loud. After that I bought myself a Macbook Air M1. By a country mile the best laptop I've ever used, and I've used a lot over the years. The speed is like little else in Windows world and the battery life of chromebook. It has no fan so it's utterly silent. Speakers on this are smaller than on the bigger Pro so not quite as good but still very good.

I purchased the base M1 Air when it first came out, as you say outstanding audio, great battery life and totally silent. I'm an inveterate tinkerer so within a week I'd taken the back off to take a look inside. I modded the heatsink on the processor which was quite straightforward and it then ran as fast as the top of the range model.
I had a Chromebook for a while, very good for the price, the model I had didn't really have enough RAM and the storage was just a glorified memory card instead of a true SSD.

 

[alicat]

Where is it you are buying from?

I think the OP lives in Ghana.

 

[Cycleops]

Yes, I'll be buying it from here @Nibor . So I'm reliant on what is available which is usually stuff from 2/3 years back unless I buy from the retailers here which is quite expensive but they do have nearer models.
I've found a new in box Google pixelbook Go for £400 which I'm considering and various HP machines at lower prices.