I need more information of what you are going to do with the chromebook to recommend you, but I can answer your second question- If money was not an issue, I would buy the Acer because I am a professional gamer. Acers provide really fast wifi and internet speed, great graphic cards also! I like both brands Samsung and HP, but in my opinion it is a little bit of a trouble to get used to those programs because they give you unusual ways to use the program.
I would stay with a windows laptop myself, I looked at chromebooks when they first came out. Essentially its just a browser based system and can only run apps from the chrome store. So if you use the likes of photoshop you won't be able to on a chromebook.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.