Dell's Chromebook 13, with a price tag of between $400 and $900, bridges the gap between the lower-cost Chromebooks and the high-end Chromebook Pixel. The laptop, which is powered by Google's Chrome OS, features a 13-inch display with a touchscreen option, an aluminum and magnesium body, an Intel Core i3 or Intel Core i5 processor, and up to 8GB of RAM.
Reviews on the Dell Chromebook 13 have now arrived. Could the laptop attract more customers to Chromebooks? Will users be left with the $1,000-Chromebook Pixel as their only option for a notebook that runs Chrome OS?
Engadget: "Dell's Chromebook 13 costs a little more than the competition, but for that extra money, you get: hardware that feels like it's from a much more expensive machine, excellent performance, fantastic battery life and one of the best screens you'll find on any Chromebook... Dell's base 13-inch Chromebook is a solid performer that outdoes just about all its competition... Chrome OS will likely always lack some features or applications that Windows or Mac options offer -- but for a lot of people, living life in the browser is becoming more and more viable every day... Dell's Chromebook 13 raises the bar on how good a relatively inexpensive computer can be."
VentureBeat: "The Dell Chromebook 13 was obviously designed by someone who knows the pains of carrying their work machine around in the real world... The fuel tank claims about 13 hours when fully charged, but obviously if you tend to take mini-breaks every few hours, like I do, and don't run anything intensive outside of the Google suite, it's going to last longer than that... It's essentially a Google Drive machine, not a gaming or multimedia powerhouse, but that's OK. Within the scope of a Google Drive machine, the Dell Chromebook 13 is a great option... Anyone looking for a Google-based work machine isn't going to go wrong with a Dell Chromebook 13."
ArsTechnica: "Dell's Chromebook 13 wants to be the Chromebook for anyone and everyone... Its design is simple, yet thoughtful. Dell went with the notion that sometimes the best designed objects are the ones that you don't notice, and the Chromebook 13 fits the bill... Google continues to update Chrome OS regularly, but it's mostly the same browser-based operating system... The Chromebook 13's average time on our battery test was 14 hours and 34 minutes, which is long enough to last you through even an extra-long work day... If nothing else, the Dell Chromebook 13 proves you don't have to compromise to get Chrome OS... Thanks to its power, even one of the midrange Chromebook 13 models could make an excellent at-home computer for e-mailing, streaming music, watching YouTube, and even working from home semi-frequently. It's a decent compromise between price and quality that we often ask for in our Chromebook reviews."
Slash Gear: "This laptop has many bragging points, leaving most Chromebooks in the dust and doing so without an uncomfortable increase in price... I've reviewed many Chromebooks over the past couple years, and none of them have made as great of a first impression as the Dell Chromebook 13... Usage is smooth and without hiccup...something that isn't guaranteed when it comes to Chromebooks, making this another positive point for Dell... If Chrome OS is adequate enough for your needs, this particular model sits toward the top of Chromebooks you should consider."
ComputerWorld: "One thing's for sure: When it comes to materials and build quality, Dell's Chromebook 13 is definitely the nicest all-around Chromebook we've seen on this side of $1000... On the performance front, Dell's new Chromebook has yet to disappoint. Even with my bordering-on-psychotic style of work -- with as many as 15 to 20 tabs open simultaneously most of the time -- the system has remained swift and speedy, with not a single sign of lag during my inaugural hours of use."
Dell's Chromebook 13 might not be for everyone, especially since the Chrome OS is more valuable to business-related matters as opposed to personal consumers. That said, it seems that for users looking to get into using Chromebooks, Dell's Chromebook 13 is a winner.
