Dell announced it will begin shipping its Streak tablet device later this week, as the well known PC and notebook maker tries to take aim at the Apple iPad and the tablet market.
The Dell Streak uses a 5-inch screen and is being promoted as a device that can operate both as a tablet PC and a smartphone. Dell decided to use the Google Android OS and the device will include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, voice calling support, text messaging, instant messages, e-mail and Android market support.
The device also is powered by the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, which has been mainly used in smartphones.
Most tablets, including the iPad, have a screen around 10" in size, but there is some question as to whether or not a 5" screen is too big for a smartphone -- and too small for a tablet.
Pre-sales will officially begin on Thursday, with shipments and availability starting on Friday, August 13th. The device will cost $549.99 MSRP, but can be purchased for $299.99 if you agree to a mandatory two-year contract through AT&T.
The device was released in the U.K. already, and Dell said its initial sales are "interesting" and "exciting" read: disappointing. Presumably due to the lackluster consumer response to the Streak launch in the UK, Dell later stated that tablets mean very little to the company's bottom-line right now.
I haven't tested the Streak yet, but I have immediate doubts as to whether or not Dell can release a product that is able to double as a tablet device and a smartphone. There are just too many ways this could go wrong, but it's good to see the iPad face new competition.
The tablet market was kick started by Apple’s release of the iPad, and the market is now starting to see increased interest from Dell with the Streak, Hewlett-Packard with a mysterious Slate device, and other recently announced products. Motorola is now working on a new Android tablet that includes Verizon's TV service, and Microsoft last month said "numerous" Windows 7 tablets will be available by the end of 2010.
It's possible tablet sales could hurt the netbook market, but netbooks are still expected to see 36 million units sold this year.
