Most Chromebooks come with a caveat. Toshiba's Chromebook 2 has a gorgeous display, but its processor is slow. Acer's updated C720 is a powerhouse with a Core i5 CPU, but it has a muddy display and a cramped design. The Chromebook Pixel combines a fantastic best display with a fast processor, but it's exorbitantly expensive. Buying a Chromebook meant that you had to compromise on some features—until now. Dell's Chromebook 13 wants to be the Chromebook for anyone and everyone. To that end, it has a wide range of options and prices, including Core i3 and i5 models, touch and non-touch display options, up to 8GB of RAM, and support from Dell and Google to keep your information easily accessible and safe.

Those options range from $399 to $899, and, both in specs and price, it sits between budget Chromebooks and the premium Chromebook Pixel. While the Dell Chromebook 13 proves that Chrome OS notebooks are not just toy laptops anymore, what it really needs to prove is that a midrange Chromebook is worth investing in over a traditional Windows PC or Mac.

Design

Specs at a glance: Dell Chromebook 13 Worst Best As reviewed SCREEN FHD IPS non-touch LCD at 13.3" FHD IPS touch LCD at 13.3" FHD IPS non-touch LCD at 13.3" OS Chrome OS CPU Intel Celeron 3205U Intel Core i5-5300U Intel Celeron 3205U RAM 2GB 8GB 4GB GPU Intel HD Graphics (Celeron), Intel HD 5500 (Core) HDD 16GB SSD 32GB SSD 16GB SSD NETWORKING Dual-band wireless-AC 7260 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 PORTS One USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, one HDMI 1.4, MicroSD, noble lock slot, headphone/microphone combo jack SIZE 0.72 × 12.93 × 9.03" WEIGHT 3.23 lbs 3.23 lbs 3.23 lbs BATTERY 67Whr 6 cell battery WARRANTY 1 year PRICE $399 $899 $429 OTHER PERKS Precision touchpad, backlit keyboard

Despite being "business class," the Chromebook 13 doesn't feel like a typical business notebook. Its carbon fiber and magnesium alloy chassis is smooth to the touch, and the notebook feels quite light at 3.23 pounds. On the lid is a faint matte checkered pattern with alternating slate and light gray colors, interrupted only by the glossy Dell logo in the middle and the Chrome logo at the top left corner.

The keyboard deck is the same slate color, although with a satin finish. Overall it felt comparable to my MacBook Air's keyboard, although slightly less roomy. It's comfortable to use and I never felt hindered while typing this review on the Chromebook 13 or while composing e-mails or messages in GChat or Slack. I appreciated the backlight under the keyboard, which made typing on a dreary, dark, and rainy day much easier. The precision touchpad is accurate as well, and even at about 65 percent of maximum speed, it responded quickly to my scrolls and taps.

Dell didn't compromise on the display either. Each model of the Chromebook 13 has a matte 1920×1080-resolution IPS display, the same quality as the lovely screen on the Toshiba Chromebook 2. Most Chromebooks suffer from lackluster displays, so it's a relief to see new models coming with standard 1080p IPS screens. The Chromebook 13's display was really pleasant to use all day and I didn’t get the usual eye fatigue that can occur after staring at a laptop screen for several hours. It also has good viewing angles; I had to turn the entire notebook 90 degrees before it began showing signs of glare. Considering the fact that Toshiba's model with the FHD IPS display costs $80 more than the 1366×768-resolution model, it's enough to bump the price of the Chromebook 13 up from the start.

The USB 2.0 port is on the right side of the notebook, while the charging port, an HDMI port, one USB 3.0 port, a microSD card slot, and a combo headphone/mic jack are on the left side of the notebook. I would have liked to have seen at least another USB 3.0 port on the Chromebook 13, or even a USB Type-C port like the new Chromebook Pixel has, since it is meant to be a workhorse.

The Chromebook has a simple, yet thoughtful design. 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. It's not a MacBook clone like the Toshiba Chromebook 2, nor is it as flashy as the Asus Chromebook Flip. But for a notebook that will be primarily used for work, it doesn't matter.

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Valentina Palladino

Chrome OS and features

Google continues to update Chrome OS regularly, but it's mostly the same browser-based operating system. Nearly every program you can run is in a Chrome tab, but you can install apps that have decent offline modes and change settings on others, like Google Docs, to enable offline editing. One of the features Dell and Google collaborated on is the use of Citrix Receiver virtualization on Chrome OS, which allows companies to give employees access to remote Windows desktops through Chrome.

The Citrix Chrome OS app is different from its HTML program, which is clientless and browser-based. With the dedicated app, companies can monitor this activity and provide employees with a secure login. Also, the app makes functions like keyboard shortcuts and copy/paste commands in a remote session easier, as they don't require any extra steps like they do in the HTML version.

You could have done this using Chrome Remote Desktop on any Chromebook already, but the perks of the Chromebook 13 are security and speed. Companies can take advantage of Dell's security offerings like SonicWall VPN, Wyse, and KACE to allow employees to securely access servers and mirror desktops with the Chromebook 13 while IT specialists can assist with any network issues that arise. The Chromebook 13's improved specs mean a better Chrome OS experience all-around, letting you have a plethora of tabs open—as well as apps like Citrix Receiver—at the same time without many hiccups.

While those are important features for businesses, you'll only be able to take advantage of them if your job does. It's another example of how Chromebooks tend to be more useful to schools and businesses rather than average consumers; those who want virtualization without being tied to a business will still have to use Chrome Remote Desktop on their own.

Other than those added bonus features from Dell, this Chromebook feels just like any other when you're using it. One of the more recent, bigger updates to Chrome OS saw the launcher redesigned to incorporate Google Now. Rather than the original, Start-like app drawer, now the launcher features a Google search bar as well as a list of your most recently used apps. Scrolling down on the launcher brings up some Google Now info cards, which are useful if you're curious about the weather and traffic conditions near you.

Also, with "Ok Google" enabled, you can ask Google Now a question when the launcher is open or when a blank Chrome tab is open. Just like Google Now on Android phones, it recognizes your voice and finds the answer to your query using Google search and other apps like Maps. Chrome OS is definitely getting smarter and more useful, and hopefully with the introduction of forthcoming features like Android notifications on your Chrome OS desktop, things will only continue to look up.