this is a good place to checkout their performance: http://zipso.net/chromebook-specs-comparison-table/

Nice. Thanks for sharing that.

If you plan to do a lot of tasks that require more processing power, then go for the better processor over the nicer screen.
 
Before buying on Amazon, you might want to check local stores. I wasn't even planning on buying mine, but I went in to Staples for some ink and walked out with a $99 Chromebook (it was on clearance and I talked them into selling me the floor model for an additional discount).
I purchased another over the summer for a family member at Best Buy for $159, it was an open box item. The guy who worked there said they have people return them all the time because they discover the "limited functionality".

I work at the university that I attend. I am a teaching assistant for the intro CS course. Additionally, I work as a research assistant in my school's Compiler and HPC lab.
And I have a part-time job working at a pharmacy.

I don't plan on pursuing a career in security. I want to do something with machine learning and predictive modeling/analysis.