Advice on lightweight browser / Excel tool?

[Ductape]

Hello, all. I'm tired of dragging around a ten pound high performance laptop when all we really need on the road is Chrome and Excel.

So what works for you? I'm torn between a lightweight notebook, something like a Surface, or just a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard.

I am a touch typist so I like a real keyboard with tactile feedback. Working right now on my Kindle and the on-screen keyboards are terribly slow...

Must work offline, so I think Chromebooks are out?

Thanks for your advice!

[coolmom42]

wildtoad wrote:
You will absolutely hate Excel on a IPad. You will find having to move back and forth from keyboard to touch screen, especially for editing formulas, a real pain. Considering your objectives I'd get a surface pro IV, keyboard which has a trackpad, install Chrome and have at it. I'm no big fan of windows after using it since 1.0 ( and using an iPhone, iPad ) but for MS products can't be beat.

I agree (although I am generally happy with Win10.)

A Surface Book would also be a good option.

[Chris_Bryant]

I do think the Surface is the best thing for you, particularly given the Excel requirement.

[ThomBoles]

Ductape wrote:
I don't do those kind of demanding applications away from home any more, so the beast can stay at home.

Not that this helps with Excel but I use TeamViewer to connect to my laptop from my iPad when I absolutely have to on the road. It's not extremely clean and easy but if you only occasionally connect to the workhorse machine it may be an option.

I have all my computers set up to "auto-login" to my account when they are powered up so I can just choose the computer to connect to, take control, do what I need to do and then log out.

[Ductape]

Gordon, they do actually still make heavy machines for those who need them, I bought this one just a couple of years ago or so. 17" screen, high powered graphics, I7 with 16 gigs of ram... but not light. I don't do those kind of demanding applications away from home any more, so the beast can stay at home.

I do require Excel to operate pretty much exactly like the desktop version, so the Surface sounds like a good suggestion, thanks for that Tom. I've used Excel alternatives on phones and tablets and I don't like what a lot of them make you go through to edit.

[Campfire_Time]

GordonThree wrote:
Anything new you buy won't be happy offline, Windows, Android, even Mac. They all want some of that Internet and will pester incessantly if you don't give it to them.

No, that's not true. I run all my devices offline. Some software on mobile devices can't be used offline, but otherwise no pestering that I've ever had.

[GordonThree]

The spreadsheet app from LibreOffice is pretty much just like Excel, but it doesn't have the constant urge to phone home... run it on Linux, Windows or Mac. Not sure about ipad-OS or Android.

[wildtoad]

You will absolutely hate Excel on a IPad. You will find having to move back and forth from keyboard to touch screen, especially for editing formulas, a real pain. Considering your objectives I'd get a surface pro IV, keyboard which has a trackpad, install Chrome and have at it. I'm no big fan of windows after using it since 1.0 ( and using an iPhone, iPad ) but for MS products can't be beat.

[DutchmenSport]

Get an IPad with an external keyboard. We have both PC laptops and the Ipad. My wife bought me the Ipad and I ended up not liking it. She claimed it back and absolutely loves it. We use it mostly for traveling, journal for the camper, and photos. We figured out how to transfer photos off it to our laptops, so all are photos can be finally back-up on an external hard drive for safe keeping. The Ipad is internet accessible, works with our SmartPhone hotspots, is light weight, and stores away with very little space.

(I still like my new "10 pound" Dell touchscreen flip back thousand dollar laptop better, though. Actually, it's very light, and did cost $1000. I wanted all the bells and whistles and it's a full size keyboard.)

[Chris_Bryant]

I just bought a Chromebook flip- very light weight, though the keyboard is smaller than normal, which might be an issue. It will work fine offline, uses micro sd cards for more storage- I bought the 4gb memory, 16gb storage model.
My sister uses a surface pro, and loves it.

[Irover]

I have a 10.1" tablet W/10 with a quad core processor and 32 GB Solid state drive!Itis limited for todays new applications, but should run Chrome and 1 app.. Also have a 13" Macbook Air, an older model that I like.

[GordonThree]

WOW 10 lbs!!! It must be quite old, maybe time for an upgrade to an ultrabook. Anything new you buy won't be happy offline, Windows, Android, even Mac. They all want some of that Internet and will pester incessantly if you don't give it to them.

Dell Latitude and HP Probook support Linux, which will not pester about being offline, of course you'll need to be online to install it.