After months of buildup, hype, and speculation, Apple unveiled its new 7.9-inch iPad Mini at a media event yesterday. While the device's debut was met with an enthusiastic response, the $329 starting price for the tablet left many cold. Will let down consumers forsake brand identity and choose the $249 Google, Samsung Chromebook instead?

Considering the value packed into that $249 price - noted in reviews by tech sites like Slash Gear and Information Week -- you could easily make that argument.

Some Books & Review commenters definitely thought so. "After finding out the horrible $329 price tag for an iPad Mini, the chromebook looks even better now. $329...god I hope people don't buy this...coming from a HARDCORE Apple fanboy nerd..." said one commenter.

The third generation laptop is clearly already a hit for the company, scoring the No. 1 spot on Amazon's bestseller list, and is now the best notebook seller of all time on Amazon, according to PC-Tablet.com

"It's not perfect, but it's very good, even excellent compared to what else you can get for $249," said Information Week in its review.

"It would make a fine additional computer, if you need a second or third, or if you need a device for traveling abroad but don't want to risk the loss or theft of the data on your laptop. It's also well-suited for teens and tweens, or anyone disinclined to enjoy computer maintenance and security-related twiddling. It's a viable alternative to a tablet, particularly if you do a lot of typing. It's not a replacement for high-end laptops. But Chrome OS keeps getting better, and Chromebook hardware is headed in the same direction."

iPad Mini Specs

You'll be able to get an iPad Mini Wi-Fi model in three memory configurations starting on November 2: $329 for 16GB, $429 for 32GB, and $529 for 64GB. Two weeks later on November 16, we'll see Wi-Fi + 4G models hit the shelves at $459 for 16GB, $559 for 32GB, and $659 for 64GB.

The 1,024x768-pixel resolution matches that of the iPad 2, but on a 7.9-inch display. "This definitely isn't Retina Display, but it's better-than-iPad-2 display. Videos look excellent, and the IPS screen has great wide-viewing angles," said CNET.

Includes a front-facing 720p-capable FaceTime camera, and a 5-megapixel back camera, and also supports 4G LTE, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi at 5.2Ghz, Bluetooth 4.0, and will use Apple's Lightning connector, first seen on the iPhone 5.

Apple claims that the Mini has a 10-hour battery life. Preorders for the iPad Mini in all its forms start on Friday.

The case for the Google, Samsung Chromebook

Instead of using locally stored programs, Google and Samsung's Chromebook relies on Web-based apps like Gmail, Google Docs and Google Drive to extend its storage capacity. Unlike the previous Chromebook released in 2011, apparently you can now do quite a bit offline, but the Web is definitely the platform's main focus.

Google and Samsung are marketing the laptops as one of the most user-friendly computing devices available. Google emphasizes that Chromebooks automatically install security updates and require minimal maintenance from users. Google claims the new model boots up in less than 10 seconds, and offers 1080p video. While the device includes 16GB of local SSD storage, buyers also get 100GB of cloud-based Google Drive storage for two years.

"For folks living entirely in the cloud, the Chromebook is now a primary computer", said Pichai, implying that most users were not yet ready for the new machines. "Many people use the Chromebook today as the perfect additional computer for their home," he said.

Chromebook runs on Chrome OS, which, for those unaware, puts a version of Google's Chrome browser on top of a Linux foundation, where Linux PCs run Linux apps, though, Chrome OS devices run browser apps. But you can't run several popular programs -- iTunes, Skype, Portal 2, Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Spotify, or Netflix.

Despite a few shortcomings such as poor display quality at certain viewing angles, and the Chromebook's flimsy plastic casing, reviews for the laptop are overwhelmingly positive, stressing that there is plenty of value packed into that $249 price tag.

Alternatives to the Chromebook, like the MacBook Air ($999), cost several hundreds more.  

"Ultimately, this is a phenomenal device for the price. If you're used to working in the cloud, you're basically getting 80 percent of the entry-level MacBook Air experience for a quarter of the price," said Slash Gear.

Google, Samsung Chromebook Specs

Display Size
11.6-inches

Display
1366x768 resolution; 200nit brightness

Weight
2.43 lbs (1.1.kg)

Thickness
Less than 0.8 inches thick (17.5 mm)

Battery Life
Over 6.5 hours

Processor
Samsung Exynos 5250

Memory
2GB

Storage
16GB SSD (Google is including 100GB free online storage)

Webcam

Ports
1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, combo headphone/mic jack, secure digital memory slot, HDMI Port

Extra
Bluetooth 3.0^TM Compatible

Speaker
1.5W speaker X 2

Keyboard
Full-size Chrome keyboard

Wireless
802.11 abg/n 2x2

MSRP
$249 USD / 229 GBP