When Google introduced Chromebooks in 2011, its “always in the cloud” philosophy made these machines seem like starter kits for the lite laptop user.

The new Chromebook 13 might hit that elusive sweet spot between cost and quality. The battery of the laptop can last for up to 12 hours, thereby allowing users to achieve all business day productivity while on the go. “Enterprise class performance at an economical price point”, Google says in its blog post. Google’s operating system was built at a much later time, and without the baggage of years and years of developing and supporting software meant for a place and time that has since passed. Many businesses should probably stick with Windows machines (coupled with Office 365), but others would be smart to choose a Mac or Chromebook instead – it depends on needs. Customers too, will be able to enjoy manageability and security software and applications, which will enable it to make its way into just about any professional computing environment without missing a beat. After examining the market, Dell said that it is applying the same strategy it applied with its education-focused Chromebook 11 to the enterprise market.

Unlike rivals, like HP and Acer, that target the mass consumer audience with their Chromebooks, Dell is taking a more niche approach.

In terms of ports, the Chromebook 13 has a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port and an HDMI 1.4 port. There’s also a 720p HD webcam above the screen.

The Dell Chromebook 13 starts at$399.00 and will be available starging September 17 in the U.S. and Canada.

To keep the weight down to a light 3.23 pounds (1.47kg), Dell opted to use a magnesium alloy for the keyboard deck and palm rest and an aluminum cover for the undercarriage.

From there, everything from the wallpaper preloaded onto every Chromebook, through the wireless, VPN, and other networks it connects to when powered on, to what apps are suggested at first boot and when Chrome OS updates are installed can be organized. Prices range from about $400 to $900. Chrome OS is proving to be a legitimate threat in the enterprise. The Chromebook 13 is also covered under Dell’s ProSupport Plus program, which sees Dell staffers take some of the troubleshooting load off IT departments.

And Chromebooks can store files to a hard drive more easily than before.