Comments on: Dell’s Streaky Tablet Strategy

By: Saad

Saad — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:19:19 +0000

Interesting article indeed, let’s not forget that that Dell’s Strategy also includes hardware for Windows Phone 7 series as well as Streaks 7 and 9 – the next few Months are going to be very exciting!

By: @crossy

@crossy — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:00:43 +0000

How strange, my disclaimer didn’t make it on to my last post, perhaps because I put it in little brackets?

Anyway, it should have read that I do in fact handle some of Dell’s PR in EMEA but that those were my owns views.

I thank yow.

By: Max Tatton-Brown

Max Tatton-Brown — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:46:16 +0000

Haha my Apple Fan days are increasingly behind me- I’m predominantly running Windows 7 on my Macbook now and would be investing in an HTC Desire if it weren’t for the fact Wildfire are giving us all iPhone 4s. Not to mention the embarrassing way they handled all this antenna business.

I could have been clearer about the bits where I’m talking about Dell’s wider tablet strategy rather than the Streak in particular- perhaps my issue is with the former more than the latter. The Streak just ends up taking the flack because it’s the only tablet available right now.

Likewise, “desperate mess” should have been in reference to the situation of its genesis rather than the device itself. From my dealings with it, it strikes me as a reasonable niche offering but its existence seems more valuable to Dell in the stopgap self-defence function than the “our users need this” sense.

Hope that clears a few of the points up!

By: @crossy

@crossy — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:35:20 +0000

Interesting piece Max and obviously I can’t help myself but reply and I would echo Chris’s comments above to some extent too.

I have to say that phrases like “desperate mess” are probably used unwisely until you have used a Streak as much as you have used your iPad…assuming you haven’t had one on review that is?

I would also point out that “getting something out” is actually the Steve Jobs method of production – set a date and stick out whatever is ready, whether it’s finished or not – fan boys will buy it now and then again later as well.

I think the Streak vs iPad is a bit tricky because really it should be Streak vs iPhone (or any other smartphone for that matter).

Anyway, strong MacMan that you are, I would have expected nothing less my friend! Gold star from Steve in the post!

Crossy

By: Max Tatton-Brown

Max Tatton-Brown — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:24:43 +0000

Thanks for your thoughts Chris, certainly agree with you about the variety point and that it’s the best execution I’ve seen so far of something that falls in the 5 inch zone.

Look forward to seeing what comes next alongside it though and whether they can make it complimentary to the Streak experience. I suppose 2.2 should help with that once you can easily send links between devices.

By: Chris Davies

Chris Davies — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:18:12 +0000

Interesting arguments. I’ll have to admit to falling on the other side of the fence re. the Streak – I think that, while it’s destined to be a niche product (like 99% of tablets, breakout-iPad excepted) it actually delivers a differentiated user experience that falls nicely between smartphones and larger slates like the iPad. The 5-inch screen size (and a chassis only just bigger) is great for browsing, and the dimensions – particularly the slimness – make it a realistically pocketable device. Perhaps you’d feel silly talking on it at first, but it could legitimately replace your smartphone, which isn’t something you could say about the iPad.

Problem is, people just love to compare anything and everything to the iPad, just because it has a reasonably sized touchscreen. Have you tried a PsiXpda, or a Nokia N800, or a Fujitsu U810, or any of the other compact UMPCs/MIDs with screen sizes far more in line with what the Streak offers? In that line-up, the battery life and usability (helped no doubt by using Android as the OS) make a far more convincing argument.

I agree that Android 1.6 is a frustration (though the customisations Dell has made are pretty solid and should tide most users over until 2.x arrives) and the promised update later in the year can’t come too soon. Still, I’m glad that Dell aren’t sitting back and saying “oh, everyone likes the iPad, we’ll just make another one of those” (plus they’ve been working on it for ages, before the iPad made its official debut). Will lots of people buy one? No, probably not, but then again I don’t think I’d like to live in a tech world where we only had a single choice.