A pricey Chromebook misses the point
A thousand pounds? For a Chromebook? Google’s simplified web-based operating system, Chrome OS, is supposed to make laptops cheaper than those with Windows 10, not more expensive. To be fair, Dell’s Chromebook 13 range starts at a much lower price than the top model we tested: shop around and you can find the basic version for as little as £412. But that’s still a lot more than the £200-£250 you’d pay for the average Chromebook.
So the Chromebook 13 needed to convince us it was more than average. Google’s slightly smaller Chromebook Pixel did that with superb engineering and an ultra-sharp screen. Dell’s machine doesn’t make quite such a striking first impression. The carbon fibre lid is hard to tell at a glance from fake textured equivalents. The lower chassis is carved from magnesium alloy, similar to aluminium, but lacks the minimalist styling that marks out the likes of the Pixel. That’s partly because Dell has included full-size USB ports, an HDMI monitor output and a microSD card slot, rather than just a USB Type-C socket that needs adapters for everything.
In use, the tile-style backlit keyboard works well and the glossy touchpad responds flawlessly to scrolling and swiping. The Intel i5 processor and 8GB of memory in this model were overkill for Chrome OS, and everything ran very smoothly. Even the Celeron chip in the cheapest configuration would match something like Acer’s Chromebook R11. With a battery that easily lasts a full day (we got 10.5 hours of video playback), the Chromebook 13 is a pleasure to work on. As with any Chromebook, you’ll only be able to use it properly when you’re connected to the internet over Wi-Fi, but you can store Chrome-compatible apps and files on the built-in 32GB SSD.
The screen may lack the Pixel’s ‘high DPI’ resolution, but with Full HD resolution packed into 13.3 inches it still looks crisp. The widescreen format isn’t quite as conducive to work as the Pixel’s squarer iPad-style shape. Ours was a touchscreen, but you can shave a few pounds off the price by sacrificing this feature. We were satisfied with the vivid colour reproduction, covering 90 per cent of the sRGB range, but thanks to limited brightness and contrast it didn’t look so great under bright light.
It’s not a bad Chromebook, but we can’t recommend it at this price. Only consider buying it if it becomes much cheaper.
VERDICT
This is an expensive version of a laptop that has many limitations. It’s not worth four figures.
SPECIFICATIONS
2.3GHz Intel Core i5-5300U dual-core processor • 8GB memory • 32GB flash storage • 13.3in 1920x1080-pixel screen • Webcam • microSD card slot • 2x USB 2.0 ports • 802.11ac Wi-Fi • Chrome OS • 18.4x323x226mm (HxWxD) • 1.62kg • One-year warranty