The chromebooks have a very nice look to them. I would recommend you using chrome as chrome OS on a windows 8 machine before you make the shift. Just try to get a hang of what you will have and what you won't. For general use, I only use chrome. Only when I need to code or game that I need Windows or Ubuntu if I'm only coding. But for everything else I use Chrome. The browser I mean. So for you to know if you will be satisfied with the OS, just run chrome as Chrome OS on a windows 8 machine. Stupid Geek Tricks: How to Turn a Windows 8 PC Into a Chromebook