Dell unveils Streak, joining the tablet battle
By Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch
Last Update: 4:10 PM ET May 25, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Dell Inc. on Tuesday unveiled a new touch-screen device called Streak, as the PC giant made its much-anticipated foray into the emerging tablet sector.
Dell (DELL) introduced the product in the United Kingdom, where Streak will be available at O2 stores and other outlets by early June. O2 is a major cell-phone network operator in Britain, with roughly 21 million mobile customers, according to the company's Web site.
The Round Rock, Texas-based company said it plans to make the tablet available in the United States later this summer, though no specific date was given.
The Streak is a tablet with a 5-inch screen based on Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android operating system and uses an ARM-based processor called Snapdragon from Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM)
The device has Google Maps integrated with turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views. It also includes a high-resolution, 5-megapixel camera and a VGA front-facing camera along with a removable battery, built-in Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity options.
The Streak is smaller than Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) popular iPad, which has a 9.7-inch screen.
"It's curious that they're doing a 5-inch form factor, which is half the size of the iPad," Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu said in a phone interview. "It's an interesting move."
Pricing for the Streak will be announced before the actual launch, according to an O2 spokesman.
Wu speculated that Dell may be aiming for lower price points and production costs, marketing the device in the $200 to $400 range. Apple's iPad starts at about $500.
Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates said that the Streak seems targeted for a "slightly different audience" than the iPad..
"The Streak is closer to a phone in size and can go anywhere with the user," he said in an email interview. "It has some of the same touch commands as the iPad, but can be used for more specific functions, like navigation."
In fact, Ron Garriques, president of Dell's communication-solutions group, said in a statement that the device "hits the sweet spot between traditional smart phones and larger-screen tablets."
Tech stalwarts led by Dell and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) have been expected to enter the growing tablet market, which took off after Apple introduced the iPad.
"This is the first small tablet into the market by a major vendor," Kay said of the Streak. "H-P has shown one but not brought it out. I suspect the Palm acquisition has something to do with that.
By Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch
Last Update: 4:10 PM ET May 25, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Dell Inc. on Tuesday unveiled a new touch-screen device called Streak, as the PC giant made its much-anticipated foray into the emerging tablet sector.
Dell (DELL) introduced the product in the United Kingdom, where Streak will be available at O2 stores and other outlets by early June. O2 is a major cell-phone network operator in Britain, with roughly 21 million mobile customers, according to the company's Web site.
The Round Rock, Texas-based company said it plans to make the tablet available in the United States later this summer, though no specific date was given.
The Streak is a tablet with a 5-inch screen based on Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android operating system and uses an ARM-based processor called Snapdragon from Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM)
The device has Google Maps integrated with turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views. It also includes a high-resolution, 5-megapixel camera and a VGA front-facing camera along with a removable battery, built-in Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity options.
The Streak is smaller than Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) popular iPad, which has a 9.7-inch screen.
"It's curious that they're doing a 5-inch form factor, which is half the size of the iPad," Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu said in a phone interview. "It's an interesting move."
Pricing for the Streak will be announced before the actual launch, according to an O2 spokesman.
Wu speculated that Dell may be aiming for lower price points and production costs, marketing the device in the $200 to $400 range. Apple's iPad starts at about $500.
Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates said that the Streak seems targeted for a "slightly different audience" than the iPad..
"The Streak is closer to a phone in size and can go anywhere with the user," he said in an email interview. "It has some of the same touch commands as the iPad, but can be used for more specific functions, like navigation."
In fact, Ron Garriques, president of Dell's communication-solutions group, said in a statement that the device "hits the sweet spot between traditional smart phones and larger-screen tablets."
Tech stalwarts led by Dell and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) have been expected to enter the growing tablet market, which took off after Apple introduced the iPad.
"This is the first small tablet into the market by a major vendor," Kay said of the Streak. "H-P has shown one but not brought it out. I suspect the Palm acquisition has something to do with that.
