Chromebooks are steadily becoming part of the norm in the PC industry. These slick machines now pack more of a punch than they ever did before, boasting the functionality of the Linux subOS and offering the realm of Android applications to tinker around and enjoy on a relatively sizable screen. Spotify, Crunchyroll, Netflix, Google Maps – you name it. If it’s on the Google Play Store, it’s subsequently on Chrome OS as well.
There’s no further debate on what a Chromebook can or can’t do, as they’ve pretty much proved their worth after beating macOS for the second place in the overall annual market share results. Of course, all this substantial progress wasn’t made without the constant effort of top-tier manufacturers like Samsung, Acer, and ASUS. To talk about one more high-end US-based company, Dell, has been making rounds on the internet for its unrivaled efficacy and vast array of durable, high-quality laptops, including Chromebooks.
Since we’ve covered the top 5 Chromebooks of every major manufacturer, like HP and Lenovo, it would be flat-out injustice to leave the likes of Dell out of the bunch. In this article, therefore, we’ve rounded up the top 5 Dell Chromebooks for you to read about and possibly purchase if you’ve been on the hunt for a new device recently. So without any further ado then, let’s jump right into this listicle.
Top 5 Dell Chromebooks
1. Dell Latitude Chromebook 7410
Dell Latitude Chromebook 7410
Starting off this list is the gracefully well-equipped Dell Latitude Chromebook 7410 that lets everyone in the room acknowledge who’s the boss. Folks, this right here is a sub $1200 Chrome OS laptop that seemingly packs all the bells and whistles performance-wise, making itself the perfect pick for handsome-budgeted enterprises and large-scale businesses. It does have its fair share of downsides to its name, but that doesn’t take away the outright premium standard of the Inspiron Chromebook 7410.
To cast a lens on the build quality, we seldom see a device as firmly created and well-constructed as this machine. The Latitude Chromebook 7410 comprises a brushed aluminum chassis with a smooth and sleek finish that’ll have you sliding your fingers on it for days. It’s an incredibly attractive Chromebook whose design is no less than an absolute head-turning one, so whether you’re at home or working those hours away in an office, a subtle compliment or ten are sure to come your way design-wise with the device at hand.
The Dell Latitude Chromebook 7410 measures up to 12.7 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches dimensionally. This doesn’t make it an extremely slim beast, but don’t expect the device to be a fat slob either. The unit does weigh a bit over 3 pounds, so it’s pretty portable and can easily find comfort in your backpack. Now that you have a good understanding of what this device looks like let’s talk specs.
The Latitude Chromebook 7410 is packing a 10th Generation Intel Core i5 processor with 8 GBs of RAM and a 128 GB NVMe SSD that’s not only replaceable with other solid-state drives in case you ever want more storage but also responsible for faster read/write speeds during networking. As for the performance dished out by these components, this device is no less than a rocket. You can sail through a dozen Chrome tabs along with powerful Linux applications, but none of that will matter to the Latitude Chromebook 7410.
Before you proceed and get this Chromebook for yourself, consider reading our review article for an in-depth analysis of the device’s significant strengths and weaknesses.
2. Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14
Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14
The Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14 is a device that dangles on the more refined end of this manufacturer’s laptop spectrum. It has a lot of positives going for itself that compel us to recommend it effortlessly to anyone with a mid-range budget. High-quality design? Check. Top-of-the-line performance? Check. Terrific display? Check. For a machine that can easily have you paying more than $1000, the Inspiron 14 costs somewhere around $600, which is on par with the pricing of the Google Pixelbook Go. That is to say, both of these excellent devices compete fiercely with each other, with some people opting for the latter while others prefer the former.
The Inspiron Chromebook 14 is a durable unit that can take quite the beating. However, it weighs about 4 pounds and isn’t probably the most portable machine out in the market. If you’re OK with this minor trade-off, the Inspiron Chromebook 14 has a scant number of other weaknesses. For instance, the screen is what many people look at first when assessing a laptop for its capability. The Chromebook 14 lets no one down in this regard and continues to prove its worth through the quality of the display.
On paper, it dons a 14-inch Diagonal FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 screen with an IPS display. However, in our review, we’ve found out that the display boasts sharp, vibrant, and rich colors where the panel works well, and the 1080p resolution performs more than just adequately. Unfortunately, one recurring issue that we keep getting reminded of is the maximum limit of the screen’s brightness. It might shock you to know that even some mid-range devices suffer from a lack of sufficient brightness, such as the ASUS Chromebook Flip CM5, and this is no less than a disappointing state of affairs in 2021.
However, to talk about our well-endowed Inspiron 14, that’s thankfully not the case. The brightness of the screen goes as up as 300 nits which we’re quite happy with. Another welcome feature that’s not present in many other devices is the quality of the device’s downward-firing speakers that sound clear and exceedingly loud, so you’re not left wanting for more in any case. Furthermore, the 3-cell Li-ion battery of the Inspiron 14 makes sure that the runtime lasts for about 10 hours which is sufficient to get you through the day painlessly.
If you’d like to know more about the Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14 before purchasing, let our review article guide you in making the right decision.
3. Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 (3181)
Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11
The Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 is quite similar to the Dell Chromebook 3100, which is another entry coming up next in this list. However, this unit is unique in this respect that a 2-in-1 convertible design has been slapped on the Chromebook 11, which lets you use multiple viewing modes and harness a touch-enabled display painlessly. As for the specifications, the CPU is a 1.6GHz Intel Celeron N3060 which dishes out reliable, consistent performance levels for you to stream multimedia with ease and scour the internet with flexibility in mind. The 4 GB RAM and 64GB eMMC flash drive storage setup is also a sufficient affair that helps you have a remarkable Chrome OS experience on the Chromebook 11.
Other than that, you can quickly run Linux applications on this device, even though the first impressions genuinely don’t make the scenario look that way. Therefore, this little magician will surprise you with its performance and overall capability as a convertible Chromebook. Furthermore, since ruggedness, durability, and toughness are collectively some of the best selling points of the Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11, you can comfortably hand this unit to your kid and be worry-free with your decision.
It might surprise you to know that this device packs an HDMI 2.0 port along with sundry other ports. This can be a great plus point if you’re after this type of functionality where video conferencing with friends, family, or even your workplace can be streamlined through the convenience of this port. The rest of the I/O includes two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card reader slot. A USB-C port is absent, but you can opt for a high-quality USB-C hub in that case to increase your device’s port selection.
Last but not least, the most significant incentive that one would see first and foremost before buying anything is the price, unless you’re Jeff Bezos or anyone similar of that status. The Dell Inspiron Chromebook 11 is available for a mere $146 on Walmart at writing, but the listed configuration has 4 GBs of RAM and only 16GBs of hard drive storage. This is still a great deal nonetheless! The next Chromebook on the list is also Dell’s effort towards riling up the education center, but it doesn’t comprise a 2-in-1 convertible design.
4. Dell Chromebook 3100
Dell Chromebook 11 (3100)
The Dell Chromebook 3100 might not come off as the most specced-out or the flashiest piece of tech design-wise, but it does quite pack a punch in terms of ruggedness, durability, and performance. In addition, it is optimized specially for the education sector in the sense that all Google Classroom applications are pre-installed on the Chromebook 3100, and the Google Play Store has also been made compatible with it, so you can explore the world of Android applications and increase your little one’s overall knowledge.
To shed some light on the build of the Dell Chromebook 3100, many design-oriented features make this Chrome OS laptop stand out in the spotlight. For starters, it comprises rounded edges that extend outwards so the USB ports can be protected from harm’s way. In addition, the bottom of the device has rubberized bumpers that do a great job at canceling out the desecration done by falls, drops, and everything else that a kid could do to it. Some devices genuinely don’t want to be on the receiving end of any type of damage infliction, but it’s safe to say that this rock hard stud isn’t one of them,
Next up, we have the performance to talk about. This machine will go as far as its Intel Celeron N4020 dual-core processor will take it to. Rest assured because that’s quite the distance the Chromebook 3100 will be covering. Everyday tasks and running Play Store applications will be no less than a breeze to witness on this device, but be sure not to demand anything beyond the processing power of this device. That’s because the 4 GB RAM and 16GB hard drive storage can only do so much in dishing out some potent horsepower.
This brings us to the most alarming downside of the Chromebook at hand – no microSD card reader slot among the I/O options. You’re practically locked in with the sub 16GB storage and your only option, perhaps, is to bring a USB drive into the equation to help you with storage. However, there is another way to increase your storage space, and it’s an exceedingly effective one. Chrome OS makes good use of the cloud, so why shouldn’t you, too, with these excellent cloud-based storage solutions? This can get you to discover a new way of storing your stuff online that millions of other people are already familiar with.
Before buying the Dell Chromebook 3100, check out our complete review article on this device to better understand its strengths and weaknesses.
5. Dell Latitude 5400 Chromebook
Dell Latitude 5400 Chromebook
The Dell Latitude 5400 Chromebook is the older brother of the aforementioned Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook, coming in for somewhere around $1200 and offering a maxed-out experience, just like its sibling. However, as the line-up of Dell’s Latitude series depicts, this machine also focuses on large-scale enterprises and businesses, giving them the horsepower they need to carry out their work effectively and always stay on the top of their game. Therefore, performance is one of this Chromebook’s most significant selling points.
Its base model sports an 8th Gen Intel Celeron 4305U processor, but that can be quickly switched up if you opt for higher configurations of the Latitude 5400, where the Celeron is swapped with Core CPUs. In addition to that, the 4 GB RAM and 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD are great at enhancing the user experience and easing spent time with Chrome OS. The manufacturer offers a bevy of configurations with this Chromebook. You can manually pick each component yourself, including the battery, RAM, storage, CPU, and even the addition of G-Suite. Here is the link for the official product page.
As for the design, the machine is built with carbon fiber, and according to the manufacturer, 17% of that is recycled, making the Latitude 5400 environment-friendly. The vertical bezels on the screen are a lot slimmer than the horizontal ones. The unit weighs about 3.4 pounds, so definitely not ultra-portable. Dimensionally, it measures approximately 12.1 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches. If you were to try lifting the device with one hand, you’re bound to find it a bit too heavy. Still, it manages to slide inside backpacks quite effortlessly, so portability doesn’t take too much of a heavy hit.
Being an enterprise-grade model, the Latitude 5400 is loaded to the brim with ports, and we genuinely mean that. Don’t believe us? The following list is the actual I/O of this Chromebook.
- USB 4.0 memory card reader
- External uSIM card tray
- 3.5 mm universal audio jack
- x2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports
- HDMI port
- Noble Wedge Lock Slot
- USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 2 port
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 port
As you can easily comprehend, your business requirements will be more than met by the Latitude 5400. The developer has just taken every port out there and slapped them on this bad boy without breaking a sweat. The only compromise you’ll be making with the device will be the display quality, which, unfortunately, fails to suffice with an unimpressive level capacity of 250 nits.
If you can live with this relatively small hiccup, the Dell Latitude 5400 Chromebook is a great Chromebook that screams a feature-rich experience all day, every day. If nothing else, it easily deserves a spot on this list for excellent battery life, incredible performance, an overly great number of ports, and a high-quality keyboard and trackpad duo.
Conclusion
As far as Chromebooks go, Dell has been nothing but phenomenal in making sure fans and followers of this neat operating system get a highly polished Chrome OS experience that’s dripping with finesse from head to toe. So if we’re to pick the top option out of this list, we would tilt towards the Dell Inspiron Chromebook 14. This device not only flaunts itself as outright premium but also puts in the performance needed to make it stay true to its self-proclaimed name.
As we’ve described in the article above, each Dell machine has been engineered for a specific audience. For instance, the Dell Chromebook 3100 targets schoolgoing children who don’t hesitate to mistreat their tech gadgets. However, the Chromebook 3100 is built to last, and it will surely do that when you get it for your little one at home.
We hope that you’ll find this article helpful in helping you decide on your next Dell Chromebook. If you’re interested in offerings from other manufacturers, do not forget to check out our interlinked articles above. Chrome Ready wishes you a happy shopping!
