I have a Surface and I think it would work the way you want. It can work as a tablet or as a laptop and has a touch screen. I attach a keyboard to it and am able to create, store and print Word documents on it. I also use it for internet research. It probably has way more bells and whistles than I need.

A Chromebook would probably work for you, too. Our local school district uses Chromebooks and I’ve also been looking at them recently because my mother needs a new laptop. It is very basic and would do Word documents and internet surfing but isn’t super fast or have a lot of power for much more than that....or so I’m reading.

Thanks, Bluebell. I love the look of Surface, but can't spend that much money. I wonder if the Chromebook screen would be easier on my eyes than my computer monitors. I suppose I could go stare at the one at Sam's Club for awhile, but fluorescent lighting is an even bigger problem, so that wouldn't work. I feel like I'm falling apart! But as I write that I remember the first time I said it . . . I was only 43. LOL

Could you get any recomendations from your opthamologist? Or, is there some kind of filter for the screen. My daughter got special lenses in her glasses because she works on a computer all day.

I think a chromebook would be a great idea. They have some that are foldable. So used as tablet or as laptop with keyboard that might work for you. You can get apps that are filters for your monitor. Blue light filters are used often. I have one on my tablet. Definitely check your display settings. I love my chromebook and won't have any more Microsoft laptops or computers. I can easily do everything I need with the chromebook and my tablets. They are so easy to use and learn. I transitioned all of my friends who lost their computers in the flood to chromebooks. They are very happy with them and easily hooked up the new wireless air printers to them. The new chromebook is able to use pretty much all the apps in the Google app store. Anything you want to save you can easily stick a flash drive or portable hard drive in the USB port and save it. If you have ever used chrome browser you will be very familiar with it since it is based on the Chrome browser. Good sales now. Definitely suggest looking at the flip versions.

Example

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-plus-2-in-1-12-2-touch-screen-chromebook-intel-celeron-4gb-memory-32gb-emmc-flash-memory-stealth-silver/6239914.p?skuId=6239914

One thing to decide on is the size you want. They come in a couple different sizes. Like an 11 - 12 inch or around a 14 - 15 inch. Much like laptops.

Example

This is a 2 in 1 flip in the larger 15 inch size.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-spin-15-2-in-1-15-6-touch-screen-chromebook-intel-pentium-4gb-memory-64gb-solid-state-drive-sparkly-silver/6221784.p?skuId=6221784

If you want a regular laptop type non flip you can get down in price to under $200. I have an HP that was about $200. Several of my friends got an Acer for around $179.

The first thing that comes to my mind is one of those devices like the Kindle Paperwhite. My mom has issues looking at screens but that one doesn't seem to bother her.

I don't know if there is another device like that out there with the same kind of screen or if the Kindle could be configured to work with a keyboard but I would look for that type of screen.

I have only used app filters but there are some you apply to the screen.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Healingshield-Screen-Protector-Oleophobic-AFP-Clear-Film-for-Hp-Laptop-Chromebook-11/653784288

App filter example

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/blue-light-filter-guard/kkkdnikbcmebldaglhjpdkanfnmpjhak

If I remember correctly, you sometimes have issues with your wrists/hands (forgive me please if I'm attributing this to you when it was someone else). If that's the case, I wouldn't recommend a normal laptop to you as they're very heavy and could cause strain when you pick it up.

My understanding of a Chromebook is that, altho they're lightweight, they don't have a hard drive. So everything you're doing is stored in (on ?) the Cloud. Personally I wouldn't want any of my personal activities stored out there, but that's just my own little phobia.

There are, however, very lightweight laptops that might work for you. I use an Acer Switch which is similar in function to a Surface, yet considerably less expensive, and weighs under 3 lbs so I can pick it up one-handed. I also have a docking station so it plugs in to my large monitor. If you have a true computer store available, I would go there and talk to them about your needs. I had to drive 3-1/2 hours to get to a MicroCenter when I got mine, but it was so worth it as the selection was so much better than at a Best Buy.

The chromebook does actually have a solid state hard drive. They are smaller which is why most people choose to use a flash drive or a small backup hard drive along with the built in hard drive. It's also possible to use the cloud storage should you want to, it comes with a generous storage space in the Google drive cloud storage.

Unless you're really interested in spending money on a new piece of equipment, Susan...Maifleur [above post] is correct. You can adjust your current computer system to suit your visual needs. I have AMD along with inoperable cataracts which are a continual visual challenge...and I work on my computer daily...as you do. I change my backgrounds [to reduce glare and viewing stress] and font sizes [to increase for better readability] often. Some days there is no need. On other days...it's a must. These changes can be made permanent or on an "as needed" basis. I work with Win 7 so I'm of no help in assisting you with adjusting the Win 10 settings but I suspect that there are many here that could help you with this issue and it won't cost you a new system and/or a new learning curve. IMO...it's worth consideration.

I don't know how it is done, but having the screen adjusted as some have mentioned, has made a world of difference.

You can also get a screen filter that mounts on the computer monitor.

Thanks, Raven, on the Chromebook clarification. I never even considered one when I upgraded, based on what I'd been told about the lack of hard drive.

Chromebooks are good as an inexpensive tool for basic, simple "PC" use. There's a problem for many users in that very many programs and apps they may be accustomed to running aren't available in a Chromebook version. For web browsing, basic "office" operations, no problem. For many other common tasks, the programs and apps that so many people use simply can't run on a Chromebook.

alisande, I wonder why the display on a tablet would be easier for you to use than one on a PC?

I haven’t read the responses but just wanted to let you know that the case I use for my Ipad (a clam case) basically turns it into a mini laptop and I love it! I can’t imagine that there isn’t something similar for the android.

Here’s the one I’m using right now:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PYWIDM6/ref=twister_B00ROT77QA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Lukkiirish there are oddles of them for Android. Ebay and Amazon are great places to look. I had one but I never used it.

I suspected there was but didn’t want to risk being wrong. Murphy’s Law steps in every time. These cases aren’t the most durable and I’ve worn several out already but at 35.00 or less, they’re almost disposable.

Side issue but since the ipad case was mentioned above I will ask. My husband purchased a kindle case which looks like the one above for me and I set it aside because of various reasons but mostly because there was no instructions with it to connect the keyboard. I only use it as a case when traveling. How do you connect the two?

Probably bluetooth pairing between the two. Could be a USB cable connection. Super easy either way.

So many helpful, thoughtful responses--thank you all! I'll reply more fully tomorrow.

Yeah, you do it with bluetooth. That’s strange that you didn’t get directions with it. They may only be a single page in small type (courtesy of China) but there’s always something usually. All of the keyboards I’ve had so far have a bluetooth key that I press once I see that the two devices are communicating.

Got it. Turned out the Bluetooth in the Settings did not show the keyboard but if you swiped down the screen showed both Settings and Bluetooth connections. I was able to connect through the Bluetooth Connection.

I thought of the cable but when I took it in a computer place what would fit the kindle the other end would not fit the keyboard.

Several things I have purchased in the last several years you either have to know where to go on the item to find the information like where to connect the keyboard or on line and hope for a manual. Instructions are not sent with various things any more.

Well, at least you got it going!!! Now you can give it a try and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!

Lots of great prices on chromebooks for black Friday. I even saw one for $79. I have been helping a friend look for one. I would like to get myself one of the 2 in 1 flip chromebooks. But instead I need to get my husband a new tablet he lost his too and has been using just his kindle paperwhite for reading.

I was just reading some Chromebook reviews, and they were not encouraging. One reviewer said it was hard on the eyes! The model was an HP. I'm still interested though. A couple of the reviewers said HP makes crap--but my desktop computer is an HP Envy and I have no complaints. Where are you seeing the good prices, Raven?

My eye issue is actually issues (plural). One involves glare, and some of the suggestions here might very well help. Thanks to Lyme disease, I am wildly sensitive to light. A lot of the time I feel as though I live like a bat. This time of year when the sun hits the snow on the ground I prop foam board up against the windows. Sometimes I wear yellow (orange?) glasses at the computer, but I don't really like them. And of course they're not an option when I'm working on photographs. The other issue involves flicker. This is also from Lyme disease—it’s more of a brain issue than an eye issue.

I use two monitors, and I suspect I might do a little better with them if they weren’t so big (27”). I chose a model that was said to be flicker-free. But on bad days I get the same thoroughly unpleasant hard-to-describe feeling that fluorescent lighting produces in me. The monitors also have a blue light filter and are supposed to be designed to reduce eye strain. But I’m sure eye strain is something I have right now, and I blame myself for bad habits like staring for long periods with minimal blinking and without a break.

So to answer Elmer's question, I'm not certain but I've always felt I do okay with my tablets because there's no flicker. But I don't know if that's true or not.

Responding to some other comments: I'm running Win7 on my computer. I didn't like Win10, so we uninstalled it. I kept it on my upstairs computer, but I hardly ever use that one. We don't have an actual computer store around here, and I'm not a fan of BestBuy, so I usually purchase electronics online. I went through Control Panel to get to display but didn't see any settings related to light emission. Maybe I went about it the wrong way. So Winter, if you have some specifics for me I'd be happy to give it a shot.

My son suggested I need more ambient light in the vicinity of the computer. That makes sense, as I find it intolerable to use a tablet in a dimly-lit room. It's not a simple matter to add more lights in my computer area, but maybe I should give it some thought.

I have an eye appointment next week, and I'll talk to her about it. I had cataract surgery 7 years ago, and after that they put a laser hole in the lenses. That improved my vision a lot, and I wonder if it needs to be done again. I've read that a second hole is almost never necessary, but I'd be happy if that were the easy solution.

Whatever I get, all I really want to do is use it for writing--oh, and play Scrabble and Words With Friends on it. For some reason, the games are the hardest for me to look at, and I my Nexus 7 tablet will no longer load them. I don't know why.

Well, thank you all again. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!