My .02 on the expensive toys: I think the Surface would be really cool, but I love having a keyboard. No idea what the durability of that would be though.

 

An update...

So, I noticed the weirdest thing a couple weeks ago: my iPad started working fine again. Literally, I have had no issue for a month or so. I could replace it, but I have a hard time justifying spending $400 on a new tablet, when this one is working fine again. Knowing my luck, as soon as my money's gone, it'll act up again, but I am experiencing no issue as of now...

 

I'm with Ruby and no help to you at all. Except to note that when these things crash you wonder why in heck you ever got into one based on the amount of stuff that disappears and is never seen again. For the Key Board I was using a borrowed tablet or note pad, not sure what it was, and it did not work well either (another story) BUT I could plug my Key Board into it. And it could be used that way.

 

The Surface is a computer windows based item. A tablet is android or ios based. When it comes to tablets I also went with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition. You can add a wireless keyboard for $35 bucks via ebay. You can add up to 64gb of memory via a microSD card. It has mini a USB slot so you can down load pictures from your camera's SDcard via a $3.00 card reader. Same slot lets you download info that you may have stored on a flash drive via $3.00 flash drive reader. I can text via my wifi only gNote because VERIZON has an app for that ..... that's free and free to use linked from your VERIZON cell phone account. The gNote 2014 edition will also multi-task like your computer. Meaning you can have 3-4 programs, or websites open on the screen at a time. So I can reply to a text while typing this, and reading another forum, while placing a bid on ebay if I want. Or any other combination of things I may want to to do while typing this message.

99.9% of what I know about tablets I got from Rj. He and Jeni got their tablets via points we earn at work. I got mine at no cost the same way. He wanted a "GOOD" tablet in hopes of getting rid of computers set around the house. I told him when you find something that'll do that let me know. He started with an APPLE iPad4 and he was not happy with it. He had an android based 10inch RCA, and took it back. Then he had a HP Slate, and a Nextbook, and then a 8inch Samsung tab3 maybe not in that order. Point is he took them all back, because they were all so limited in what they will or will not do. That comes to me. I finally saved the points to get a 10inch tablet. The 10inch tablets offered on the awards site from work were two iPads and and three Samsungs. I saved enough points to get one of three of them. One Samsung I needed just a few more points to get, that would have taken another 4 months so I got the Samsumg Galaxy Note 10.1inch 2014 edition. One word says it all.....WOW!

No more malware for me, no more spyware for me, no more viruses for me, no more Windows7-Windows8 for me. No more computer bull**** for me. I added everything that I used on my computer onto my gNote. I took thousands of photo's I had on my computer and put them on my gNote plus all the family video's. In the time I've had my gNote I have not run across a time I needed to use a computer because my NOTE wouldn't do something...WHY!...because there's an app for that. When it comes to apps ie software 99.99% of the time the apps are free. Apple apps (software) are not free. Computer software is not free.

Speaking of keyboards, I got a wireless one from ebay. Cost $24.and change including shipping, works outstanding, but most of the time I don't use/need/want it.

Nope I don't see me ever buying another Windows based operating system any damn thing ever again.

Need/Want a personal tablet/note? In my book, these are the only two to spend your hard earned money on.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10." 2014 edition
Samsung Galaxy TabS 10.5"

PS: No matter what device you use. It is a MUST to back up your system. Any and all tablets, computers, memory saving devices no matter who they are made by can crash. If you DO NOT back up your wanted saved items pictures, taxes, or what ever you are a DAMN FOOL.

 

The TabS was on my short list, but I didn't want the 10.5", but preferring the smaller, 8.9" instead. I also did some playing around with the Tab4, which I found pleasing... I'm at a weird place where a 7" is too small and a 10+" feels too big... Hence my iPad MINI...