3 ms·

Dell launches Streak tablet PC across Europe

7 points by draegtun 16y ago

jacquesm 16y ago
Very clever of Dell to release in Europe first where you still can't buy ipads from Apple. Also nice of them to put voice in there right away, that alone makes it a much more useful device. Screen size is significantly smaller though, so it is definitely aimed at the phone market, not as an ipad competitor, though it could very well benefit from the tablet hype. One thing apple does a lot better than dell here though is that when they announce something you can go and buy it. The streak, though announced is not for sale on their website.
- Tichy 16y ago
  "One thing apple does a lot better than dell here though is that when they announce something you can go and buy it" I keep hearing that, but it simply isn't true. Even for the iPad there was a wait of a couple of months, and it happened lots of times before with recent products.
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    They announced a sale date and the ipad was available on that day. Dell just announces. When can I buy it? There is no pre-order, no website page about the device, just an announcement. I don't mean to say I expect to have one tomorrow, but at least apple will have their webstore up and running to capitalize on their marketing efforts.
    - Tichy 16y ago
      Yeah but the sale date was several months back, wasn't it?
      - jacquesm 16y ago
        I remember seeing the announcement, checked the apple site and it was completely up and running with all the relevant info there, it was a product. Dell announces this thing and their website doesn't even mention the device. It's such a total waste of good press.
- bruceboughton 16y ago
  The iPad was announced well before you could buy it. This is due to devices having to go through regulation before release, isn't it?
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    Pre-order = buy, see above.
ableal 16y ago
Apparently a 5" 800x480 touch screen: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/dell-streak-mini-5-tablet-docs-leaked-reveal-specs-colors/13087 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/dell-streak-mini-5-t... Not much different from the top end HTC phones (HD2/Desire), which also have 1 GHz CPU and 800x480 touch screens around 4", with prices about 500 euro.
petercooper 16y ago
Where "launches" merely means "previews" or "suggests that it might possibly be released one day."
cakesy 16y ago
No price, which is going to be a big selling point. They can't make these things that cheap, surely. I can't see it being less than $400.
cubicle67 16y ago
soon to be followed by the HP Smear and the Acer Smudge
cubicle67 16y ago
Interesting, in that it really blurs the line between a phone and a tablet. It seems to be pretty much a smartphone (it can make calls) with a slightly larger physical size, just enough that it becomes too large to be used as a phone and therefore becomes a small tablet?
- jacquesm 16y ago
  If the ipad could make (regular voice calls, no need to point out the voip possibilities) voice calls and take voice calls from the network in the 3G version it would be a lot more useful as a device.
  - notauser 16y ago
    Why not point out the VoIP possibilities? I believe Apple/AT&T changed their terms and conditions and now permit VoIP over 3G. These days even your land line calls are often converted to VoIP the moment they reach the local POP. (E.g. BT's C21 packet switched network.) Give it another couple of years and it'll be all-IP all the way to the handset. The telcos will do it because it'll cut the cost of the equipment required in the cell towers and local equipment rooms. IP switches are going to be needed anyway, and it's cheaper to have one kind of router than two. Latency and jitter will need to be improved but that'll happen eventually.
    - jacquesm 16y ago
      Because in another thread people were pointing out that VOIP was a valid replacement for cell phone functionality and imho it really isn't. Right now, if I want to make a call or be called on a mobile device it will be using the normal phone system, not via VOIP.
Tichy 16y ago
Weird form factor. I'd like just a normal Android tablet, please.
joubert 16y ago
"Google has blocked some tablet makers from installing the marketplace app on many devices larger than a mobile phone." Why?
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
- unwind 16y ago
  The article says otherwise: The first model comes with 3G and wi-fi connectivity, 16GB of storage, GPS and two cameras; one on the front and one on the back.

7 points by draegtun 16y ago

Very clever of Dell to release in Europe first where you still can't buy ipads from Apple. Also nice of them to put voice in there right away, that alone makes it a much more useful device. Screen size is significantly smaller though, so it is definitely aimed at the phone market, not as an ipad competitor, though it could very well benefit from the tablet hype. One thing apple does a lot better than dell here though is that when they announce something you can go and buy it. The streak, though announced is not for sale on their website.

Tichy 16y ago
"One thing apple does a lot better than dell here though is that when they announce something you can go and buy it" I keep hearing that, but it simply isn't true. Even for the iPad there was a wait of a couple of months, and it happened lots of times before with recent products.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  They announced a sale date and the ipad was available on that day. Dell just announces. When can I buy it? There is no pre-order, no website page about the device, just an announcement. I don't mean to say I expect to have one tomorrow, but at least apple will have their webstore up and running to capitalize on their marketing efforts.
  - Tichy 16y ago
    Yeah but the sale date was several months back, wasn't it?
    - jacquesm 16y ago
      I remember seeing the announcement, checked the apple site and it was completely up and running with all the relevant info there, it was a product. Dell announces this thing and their website doesn't even mention the device. It's such a total waste of good press.
bruceboughton 16y ago
The iPad was announced well before you could buy it. This is due to devices having to go through regulation before release, isn't it?
- jacquesm 16y ago
  Pre-order = buy, see above.

ableal 16y ago

Apparently a 5" 800x480 touch screen: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/dell-streak-mini-5-tablet-docs-leaked-reveal-specs-colors/13087 http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/dell-streak-mini-5-t... Not much different from the top end HTC phones (HD2/Desire), which also have 1 GHz CPU and 800x480 touch screens around 4", with prices about 500 euro.

petercooper 16y ago

Where "launches" merely means "previews" or "suggests that it might possibly be released one day."

cakesy 16y ago

No price, which is going to be a big selling point. They can't make these things that cheap, surely. I can't see it being less than $400.

cubicle67 16y ago

soon to be followed by the HP Smear and the Acer Smudge

cubicle67 16y ago

Interesting, in that it really blurs the line between a phone and a tablet. It seems to be pretty much a smartphone (it can make calls) with a slightly larger physical size, just enough that it becomes too large to be used as a phone and therefore becomes a small tablet?

jacquesm 16y ago
If the ipad could make (regular voice calls, no need to point out the voip possibilities) voice calls and take voice calls from the network in the 3G version it would be a lot more useful as a device.
- notauser 16y ago
  Why not point out the VoIP possibilities? I believe Apple/AT&T changed their terms and conditions and now permit VoIP over 3G. These days even your land line calls are often converted to VoIP the moment they reach the local POP. (E.g. BT's C21 packet switched network.) Give it another couple of years and it'll be all-IP all the way to the handset. The telcos will do it because it'll cut the cost of the equipment required in the cell towers and local equipment rooms. IP switches are going to be needed anyway, and it's cheaper to have one kind of router than two. Latency and jitter will need to be improved but that'll happen eventually.
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    Because in another thread people were pointing out that VOIP was a valid replacement for cell phone functionality and imho it really isn't. Right now, if I want to make a call or be called on a mobile device it will be using the normal phone system, not via VOIP.

Tichy 16y ago

Weird form factor. I'd like just a normal Android tablet, please.

joubert 16y ago

"Google has blocked some tablet makers from installing the marketplace app on many devices larger than a mobile phone." Why?

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

unwind 16y ago
The article says otherwise: The first model comes with 3G and wi-fi connectivity, 16GB of storage, GPS and two cameras; one on the front and one on the back.