# Dell Streak Android tablet - details and reviews



## editor (May 25, 2010)

This looks a nice pocketable kind of affair, with the potential to punch Tom Tom right in the nadgers.

If it's priced right it could take the sheen off the iPad for some.









> *Key Features:*
> Integrated Google Maps™ with turn-by-turn navigation, street and  satellite views
> · A full screen browsing experience with a 5-inch capacitive multi-touch  WVGA display
> · Easily integrated social media apps: Twitter™, Facebook, YouTube
> ...




More: http://www.wirefresh.com/dell-streak-android-powered-tablet-coming-to-uk-in-june/


----------



## Crispy (May 25, 2010)

hmm, only 800x480 pixel screen - not really enough for full websites. still, good to see more competitors in this space, will be interesting to see how they do


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

Specs dont look that different from my Nexus One.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2010)

But small enough to be truly portable, Flash support - so the full web can be enjoyed - camera, flash, video recording and a ton of Android apps. If it's cheap enough, it could prove a tempting package.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (May 25, 2010)

it's an intresting area  actually...   we have only just told student  to  look  at  working to  a  1025px  res  rather than    an 800px  res...*  perhaps  it's  time  to ell them to  keep an open mind about it



* for maximum accessibility  on old  work computers and library computers   and  it doesn't  have to apply to all sites


----------



## editor (May 25, 2010)

grit said:


> Specs dont look that different from my Nexus One.


They're near-enough identical, but which would you rather use as a satnav or for watching TV?


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

editor said:


> They're near-enough identical, but which would you rather use as a satnav or for watching TV?



I'd prefer to use a dedicated satnav unit and a television 

If the specs were better I'd consider it if the price point was around my impulse purchase mark. I cant see the reason to get one if you are already running something like a Nexus/Desire.


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 25, 2010)

Nice, but not enough of a step up from my Desire tbh.

Something like a 9" or 10" screen with 1024/768 resolution and I'd be first in the queue.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2010)

grit said:


> I'd prefer to use a dedicated satnav unit and a television


Whatever for? The Streak comes with turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views, and it's a bit difficult to take a TV on a bus with you.



Bees: I don't think it's aimed at Desire users.


----------



## Kanda (May 25, 2010)

> · Packaged with cushions made from 100 percent sustainable, compostable bamboo





how is that a 'feature'?? 

lolz


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 25, 2010)

editor said:


> Bees: I don't think it's aimed at Desire users.



I don't think so either, I'm just waiting for a nice full sized Android tablet to come along, can't be long, surely?


----------



## Crispy (May 25, 2010)

They'll have to include support for larger screens in the OS - it tops out at 800x480 at the moment


----------



## WWWeed (May 25, 2010)

Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation wont be a replacement for tomtom as all of the maps are located remotely on a server. It'll be good but it wont replace TomTom. TomTom stores all its maps locally, meaning you can still use the thing should you loose signal....


----------



## Crispy (May 25, 2010)

Actually, having sketched out the dimensions of this thing, I'd call it a big phone, not a tablet


----------



## editor (May 25, 2010)

WWWeed said:


> Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation wont be a replacement for tomtom as all of the maps are located remotely on a server. It'll be good but it wont replace TomTom. TomTom stores all its maps locally, meaning you can still use the thing should you loose signal....


Your route is stored in the cache, so unless you decide to go wandering off in an area where there is no signal, it should be a seamless experience.

It's easily the equal of Tom Tom when it comes to features too:



> The most recent map and business data
> When you use Google Maps Navigation, your phone automatically gets the most up-to-date maps and business listings from Google Maps — you never need to buy map upgrades or update your device. And this data is continuously improving, thanks to users who report maps issues and businesses who activate their listings with Google Local Business Center.
> 
> Search in plain English
> ...


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

editor said:


> Your route is stored in the cache, so unless you decide to go wandering off in an area where there is no signal, it should be a seamless experience.



Thats a deal breaker considering the application.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2010)

Crispy said:


> They'll have to include support for larger screens in the OS - it tops out at 800x480 at the moment


That's going to change very soon with Android-powered high-def TVs coming up. 







http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/worlds-first-android-tv-comes-from-sweden/


----------



## editor (May 25, 2010)

grit said:


> Thats a deal breaker considering the application.


How likely are you to go completely off map and end up in an extended area with no signal at all?

Unless you're on a wild moor somewhere, you'd just have to drive over a hill to pick up a signal again, surely?


----------



## Crispy (May 25, 2010)

ah good 
fingers crossed they can set a standard - android is fragmented most by screen size (most other hardware is of a muchness)


----------



## Crispy (May 25, 2010)

editor said:


> you'd just have to drive over a hill to pick up a signal again, surely?



This does not sell it to me! The google maps driving instructions is  anice bonus, but if I was going to rely on it, I'd want an entirely offline solution, no two ways about it.


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

editor said:


> How likely are you to go completely off map and end up in an extended area with no signal at all?
> 
> Unless you're on a wild moor somewhere, you'd just have to drive over a hill to pick up a signal again, surely?



Pretty likely if I'm travelling somewhere I need a GPS for. Plus the amount of time it takes on gprs to pull down those tiles can cause issue. 

You could use it like this, but personally I dont think its really suitable for driving. Picking the right tool for the job etc.

Edit: Also, I'm not sure if its totally relevant to this exact discussion but whats interesting is that Google doesnt really approve of Android being used like this, their vision is of it as a pure phone OS.


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 25, 2010)

Crispy said:


> This does not sell it to me! The google maps driving instructions is  anice bonus, but if I was going to rely on it, I'd want an entirely offline solution, no two ways about it.



For _planning_ a journey it's fine - you set the route, it sticks it all in the cache, you follow the route and get where you want to be, no worries.

It's if you were lost miles from anywhere and _then_ decided to try using it you might have a problem.


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> For _planning_ a journey it's fine - you set the route, it sticks it all in the cache, you follow the route and get where you want to be, no worries.
> 
> It's if you were lost miles from anywhere and _then_ decided to try using it you might have a problem.



So you cant use it if your lost? Well kinda defeats the purpose doesnt it?


----------



## Crispy (May 25, 2010)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> It's if you were lost miles from anywhere and _then_ decided to try using it you might have a problem.



Exactly when satnav is most useful


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 25, 2010)

grit said:


> Google doesnt really approve of Android being used like this, their vision is of it as a pure phone OS.



You sure about that?

http://www.accuracast.com/search-daily-news/google-7471/google-announcements-i-o-2010/



> The biggest single announcement at Google I/O was probably the launch of Google TV, which is an open platform *built on Android* and meant to run on the Google Chrome browser.


----------



## Gromit (May 25, 2010)

I use google satnav on my desire.

Its free and it works so I can't really complain.

There are a couple of things I wish it did such as Via destinations but I can confirm that losing net signal isn't an issue once you have gotten the driving directions loaded onto the phone.

It does however drain battery like a vampire if you have the screen on showing directions.
Even plugged into the cigarette lighter it drains a little bit of battery rather than charging the phone.


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> You sure about that?
> 
> http://www.accuracast.com/search-daily-news/google-7471/google-announcements-i-o-2010/



Sorry I dont see whats in that post thats relevant.


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

Ah just saw your edit, your bolded part should give it away. "Built On"


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 25, 2010)

Crispy said:


> Exactly when satnav is most useful



I've never used a satnav for anything other than planning a journey from A to B I haven't done before. I just read the route, memorise it, then get on my way


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> I've never used a satnav for anything other than planning a journey from A to B I haven't done before. I just read the route, memorise it, then get on my way



Fair enough, but thats far from a typical use case.


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 25, 2010)

grit said:


> Ah just saw your edit, your bolded part should give it away. "Built On"



I don't see how Google announcing stuff like that squares with them having a vision of Android being a phone only thing?

My understanding of it was that they always saw it being used on multiple devices...


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (May 25, 2010)

grit said:


> Fair enough, but thats far from a typical use case.



I reckon that if you're lost, you've been a numpty and it's too bloody late 

But yeah, I'm kinda on my own in this regard, I think it's something to do with my days as an orienteering team captain


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> I don't see how Google announcing stuff like that squares with them having a vision of Android being a phone only thing?
> 
> My understanding of it was that they always saw it being used on multiple devices...



The developer relations staff from Google that I've met dont really approve of an Android stock install being used for tablets and the like. Using it as a base for development is different from implementing a stock version.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (May 25, 2010)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> Nice, but not enough of a step up from my Desire tbh.
> 
> Something like a 9" or 10" screen with 1024/768 resolution and I'd be first in the queue.



It's a phone as well, although you'd a bit daft holding up to your ear.


----------



## editor (May 25, 2010)

grit said:


> The developer relations staff from Google that I've met dont really approve of an Android stock install being used for tablets and the like. Using it as a base for development is different from implementing a stock version.


Although Google's aim is for Android to be installed _everywhere:_


> Q. Android is open and free, so anyone can put it in their devices – phones, cars, washing machines, whatever. But what uses is Google actively encouraging? Are you just focused on smartphones, or are you trying to get it on other types of devices?
> 
> Andy Rubin, vice president of mobile platforms at Google:
> This is kind of where open source meets business. I encourage high-volume things. A million customers? Not that interesting. Ten million? Not that interesting, but heading in the right direction. A hundred million customers starts getting interesting. So what consumer products have the opportunity to affect 100 million, 200 million, 300 million customers? There aren't that many. What's the most successful consumer product on the planet? People used to say the DVD. It's the cell phone. They're everywhere. That's why we focused on the cell phone first – it's the biggest volume opportunity.
> ...


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

editor said:


> Although Google's aim is for Android to be installed _everywhere:_



Yes he is saying its a phone OS.


----------



## bmd (May 25, 2010)

Gromit said:


> I use google satnav on my desire.



I bet there's a better one on the iPhone.


----------



## grit (May 25, 2010)

Bob Marley's Dad said:


> I bet there's a better one on the iPhone.



Its the same service.


----------



## Gromit (May 25, 2010)

Bob Marley's Dad said:


> I bet there's a better one on the iPhone.


 
Google only released it on Android (i think).

There are expensive one by TomTom and someone else. Set at a price where you might as well just buy a dedicated SatNav for a couple of quid more.

No decent 'Free' SatNav as far as I'm aware.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (May 26, 2010)

*Dell Streak Android tablet coming to UK next month*

Bit bored of all these tablets desperately trying fill that tiny space between smartphone and laptop. Must admit the fact that the Courier never even got to prototype might be something to do with that...!


----------



## editor (May 26, 2010)

Courier was the only one that had anything remotely novel to offer.


----------



## Sunray (May 26, 2010)

editor said:


> Courier was the only one that had anything remotely novel to offer.



That never existed apart from in the imagination of some marketeer.


----------



## Sunray (May 26, 2010)

Actually, after a thought, if you already own a smart phone how this would in anyway be of use I am not sure.  

The iPad was going after a market that never existed and I am fairly sure this is the same.  The iPad only sold because it was Apple with its huge marketing budget.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (May 26, 2010)

Sunray said:


> Actually, after a thought, if you already own a smart phone how this would in anyway be of use I am not sure.



I think the fact it can make calls means its not been marketed to be used instead of your smartphone, but as a replacement.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (May 26, 2010)

Sunray said:


> That never existed apart from in the imagination of some marketeer.



Was it? I thought it was a dev team mock up not the marketing department?


----------



## editor (May 26, 2010)

Sunray said:


> That never existed apart from in the imagination of some marketeer.


Strange then that J Allard - head of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division - is reported to have left the company because of the cancellation of the Courier project.

http://www.mobile-computing-news.co...llows-j-allard-out-the-door-at-microsoft.html


----------



## tarannau (May 26, 2010)

They've shaken up the whole underperforming team, haven't they? Claims about what caused the split are rumours at best, but there seems more to it than that.

Courier was clearly vaporware to a huge extent. There must have been some serious reservations to shelve a potential product after Apple's successful ipad launch


----------



## editor (May 26, 2010)

tarannau said:


> Courier was clearly vaporware to a huge extent.


Not sure if that really follows seeing as its scrapping prompted the departure of one of their head guys, but I guess we'll never know.

As for an "under-performing" team, a 35% jump in quarterly profits ain't that bad!


> Microsoft reported a net profit of $4.01bn for its fiscal third quarter ended 31 March, compared with $2.98bn, a year ago. Quarterly net revenue rose 6% to $14.5bn, beating analysts' average estimates of $14.39bn.


----------



## Crispy (May 26, 2010)

Not another fucking courier thread!


----------



## editor (May 26, 2010)

Crispy said:


> Not another fucking courier thread!


You can't stop the love!


----------



## tarannau (May 26, 2010)

Eh Ed? Those figures are not for the disbanded MS division (hardware iirc), but for the company as a whole.


Take out Windows 7 and look at the success of Windows Mobile, Zune and projects like Courier and you'll see why they might think than division is underperforming. Their one 'success' is the Xbox, which only recently started to turn a profit after massive defects and subsidies.


----------



## grit (May 26, 2010)

editor said:


> Not sure if that really follows seeing as its scrapping prompted the departure of one of their head guys, but I guess we'll never know.
> 
> As for an "under-performing" team, a 35% jump in quarterly profits ain't that bad!



Thats talking about the company as a single unit.

The courier is the definition of vapourware, a product that misses it ship date or has uncertainty if it will ever see the light of day.


----------



## editor (May 26, 2010)

Oh well, my bad.


----------



## elbows (May 26, 2010)

Silly name and screen resolution is too low. But I am very happy that it exists because it will be good to see how all the different size & spec of tablets do, and Android certainly has potential. Having done some research into Android recently I think it still has some way to go to become as polished & accelerated as the Apple stuff, but hopefully it will get there before too long. First reports of the Flash plugin for android not at all encouraging though, which sadly I dont find surprising, Jobs isnt fibbing when he says that its not well optimised for mobile devices and by the sounds of it these issues are still not fully resolved.


----------



## editor (May 27, 2010)

Specs and video of the Streak here. It's rather nice you know and if it's being offered for free on some o2 deals could do quite well.

http://www.wirefresh.com/dell-streak-coming-to-o2-on-june-4th-full-specs-released/


----------



## editor (Jun 7, 2010)

Engadget have posted a substantial review - and it looks like it's a winner.


> *Wrap-up*
> 
> 
> So, let's go back to the question that the whole world's been asking: what is the Dell Streak? In our humble opinion, it's most certainly a smartphone. A large and sexy smartphone that still fits in a pocket. Sure, a five-inch phone may not be everyone's cup of tea, but with devices starting to join the 4.3-inch party, consumers will undoubtedly be considering devices with more screen real estate -- the Google Maps screen comparison above probably says it all.
> ...



It's a lot smaller than the iPad:






http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/06/dell-streak-review/


----------



## elbows (Jun 7, 2010)

I think they are right to call it a smartphone, its too small to be a tablet really. Looks pretty good though Im still waiting for Android to get more polish, and I still expect flash to mostly suck on mobile devices, we shall see.


----------



## Crispy (Jun 7, 2010)

Tablone? Phablet?


----------



## editor (Jun 7, 2010)

Smarttab!


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 1, 2011)

I might give one of these a go, y'know. I use my phone for u75, Facebook and Kindle, on the whole, and the larger screen appeals.


----------



## editor (Jan 1, 2011)

I'd wait a week - the CES show is coming up and there's going to be all sots of  new gear being announced.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 1, 2011)

Yeah, gonna wait and see if another 5" effort comes out any time soon.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 1, 2011)

There's gonna have to be something spectacular (as in as impressive as Palms efforts with the Pre and WebOS a couple years back) in CES to stop me buying an iPad in a few months...


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 1, 2011)

I can't see anything knocking the iPad off its perch tbh. Android might mature sufficiently to make me consider something other than an iPhone when I upgrade in a month or so though.


----------



## editor (Jan 1, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> There's gonna have to be something spectacular (as in as impressive as Palms efforts with the Pre and WebOS a couple years back) in CES to stop me buying an iPad in a few months...


There'll be a lot of great tablets coming through in form factors that I suspect a lot of people will prefer to the iPad. They may not be a slick but they'll have a lot more functionality, and offer a lot more choice.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 1, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> I can't see anything knocking the iPad off its perch tbh. Android might mature sufficiently to make me consider something other than an iPhone when I upgrade in a month or so though.


 
Was tempted by Android but from what I've heard it's not big on games to the same extent that iOS is. Also, I can play all my games on the iPad so that's a big plus. Like I said it's gonna take one mind-blowing piece of tech to pull the likes of me toward another tablet...


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 1, 2011)

Yeah, Android games, and apps in general, are a long way behind iOS, but I realised I only ever use a couple of apps and I never play games anymore so am getting tempted by the 4.3" and 5" devices available with Android as I use the Kindle app so much.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 1, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> Yeah, Android games, and apps in general, are a long way behind iOS, but I realised I only ever use a couple of apps and I never play games anymore so am getting tempted by the 4.3" and 5" devices available with Android as I use the Kindle app so much.


 
If I wasn't into games and it had apps to match Awesome Notes and 2Do I'd be very tempted by an Android phone...but the games are a deal breaker for me (I'm big on convergence having an iPhone means I have an iPod, a games console, a PDA and mini computer all in one!).


----------



## editor (Jan 1, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> Yeah, Android games, and apps in general, are a long way behind iOS


 No, they're not. _Some_ are, but most of the mainstream apps are near identical, with some apps being better on Android.

It's only in games that iOS has any kind of advantage and that'll be closing fast over the next year.


----------



## editor (Jan 1, 2011)

I didn't like Awesome Notes on the iPhone at all. Way too much pointless graphic fluff.
There's loads of very good note taking and to-do apps available on Android, btw.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 1, 2011)

editor said:


> I didn't like Awesome Notes on the iPhone at all. Way too much pointless graphic fluff.
> There's loads of very good note taking and to-do apps available on Android, btw.


 
Graphics don't bother me, I find it very useful and syncing with Google Docs is great too.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 1, 2011)

Ed, most are still along way behind. I compared the apps I mostly use with a desire hd using mate a couple of days ago. It hasn't really moved on since I had the Desire. 

That said, I think I'm going to go for the new LG Optimus or the new Dell Streak, release date dependent. 

The big plus for the Android from a gaming tip are the emulators, Snes, PSX and N64. I miss them.


----------



## grit (Jan 1, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> Ed, most are still along way behind. I compared the apps I mostly use with a desire hd using mate a couple of days ago. It hasn't really moved on since I had the Desire.


 
A lot of this is down to the conversion rates for developers on the Android platform. To be blunt iOS owners are more likely to pay (and at higher prices) for their applications, hence thats where developers focus.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 1, 2011)

grit said:


> A lot of this is down to the conversion rates for developers on the Android platform. To be blunt iOS owners are more likely to pay (and at higher prices) for their applications, hence thats where developers focus.


 
Probably doesn't help having fragmentation in terms of devices and which OS number they're on either, can't see that being fun for dev teams to contend with.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 1, 2011)

Indeed.


----------



## grit (Jan 1, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Probably doesn't help having fragmentation in terms of devices and which OS number they're on either, can't see that being fun for dev teams to contend with.



Fragmentation is not the issue Steve Jobs would like you to think it is. Its about equal on both platforms and has the same development overheads (i.e very little)


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Jan 1, 2011)

Fragmentation is not equal on both platforms. There is one iPad, and the hardware and software for iPhones degrades relatively elegantly and in general most people have the latest OS anyway. On the other hand fragmentation is not the reason that there are no Android tablet apps, that's because there's no standard for Android tablets - sort of stands to reason really that that will affect development. The Streak and the Galaxy aren't standards yet, it's all still up in the air and you'd be foolish to write apps for them that exploit their individual characteristics or even be based on a particular screen size and so on, which you can with the iPad.

edit: there's also that nobody really has an Android tablet yet anyway, which is a bit of a disincentive too


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 1, 2011)

This seems as good a place as any to highlight iOS' huge advantage over Android: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/dec/26/best-apps-iphone-ipad-android so many great apps that aren't on Android. This is what's putting me off despite the super sexy hardware.


----------



## editor (Jan 2, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> This seems as good a place as any to highlight iOS' huge advantage over Android: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/dec/26/best-apps-iphone-ipad-android so many great apps that aren't on Android. This is what's putting me off despite the super sexy hardware.


All the major apps in that listing are on Android too or an equivalent exists. I'd hardly call Stephen Fry's £8 app as a devastating omission from the Android Market, neither do I particularly care that there's no app about The Elements for £8 or Vogue magazine.

What is bizarrely missing off that iPhone focussed list is genuinely brilliant apps like Google Navigation on Android and the Wi-Fi hotspot feature which is a lot more useful than a Jamie Oliver app.


----------



## elbows (Jan 2, 2011)

It depends what apps you want exactly doesnt it?

The apps I know most about are music creation ones. These are certainly miles ahead on iOS.


----------



## elbows (Jan 2, 2011)

And seeing as you are such an Android fan, can you answer the question I have asked several times about how many Android apps there are that are designed to take advantage of larger tablet screens?


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (Jan 2, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> I can't see anything knocking the iPad off its perch tbh. Android might mature sufficiently to make me consider something other than an iPhone when I upgrade in a month or so though.


 
I'd wait for Android 3.0, due soon(ish). That's the one that's going to be optimised for a tablet, there's all sorts of rumours as to how lovely it's going to be.

Time will tell I guess...


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 2, 2011)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> I'd wait for Android 3.0, due soon(ish). That's the one that's going to be optimised for a tablet, there's all sorts of rumours as to how lovely it's going to be.
> 
> Time will tell I guess...


 
I'll be getting the HTC Thunderbolt if the rumoured specs are true and unless something else trumps it at CES. 4.3" is fine, 3.5" has been fine for ages with the iPhone.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 8, 2011)

I've decided to get a Dell Streak now 2.2 is out. Have only heard very good things and I can't resist the 5" screen.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 9, 2011)

Look forward to your real world experience of it.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 11, 2011)

Arrives tomorrow - looking forward to my new toy


----------



## editor (Jan 11, 2011)

Blimey - the Dell Streak 7 is a clever thing and can act as a home entertainment control centre.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 12, 2011)

To be honest I'd be surprised if any tablet couldn't do this or something similar. It should be a key selling point...


----------



## elbows (Jan 12, 2011)

That 2nd video about the Dell there was not good at all, filled me with dread that they have failed to get the UI responsive enough. Time will tell eh!


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 12, 2011)

Yep not what I'd call slick...


----------



## grit (Jan 12, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> To be honest I'd be surprised if any tablet couldn't do this or something similar. It should be a key selling point...


 
Anyone know what method is used for communicating with the other network devices? I'm guessing some sort of server has to be installed on each machine?


----------



## editor (Jan 12, 2011)

elbows said:


> That 2nd video about the Dell there was not good at all, filled me with dread that they have failed to get the UI responsive enough. Time will tell eh!


You were looking at a pre-release demo. The concept is very interesting.


----------



## elbows (Jan 12, 2011)

editor said:


> You were looking at a pre-release demo. The concept is very interesting.


 
Actually I just realised I was commenting on another video that I saw by clicking through a youtube suggestion at the end of that 2nd video.



Yes I know its not the final product yet, which is why I keep saying 'time will tell'. Its impossible to know how much more they will improve things by final launch, a few tweaks could work wonders. However if I were them I would have wanted to get that side of things right before showing it off too much, as first impressions count for something.

Where I remain even more skeptical is flash, I want to see how well it runs.


----------



## elbows (Jan 12, 2011)

grit said:


> Anyone know what method is used for communicating with the other network devices? I'm guessing some sort of server has to be installed on each machine?


 
From the press release:



> The new Streak 7 will feature Dell's innovative Stage user interface, which provides a seamless and unified experience for accessing all your favorite content. Later this year, Dell will add syncing to Stage so people can keep their photos, contacts, calendars and other personal content synchronized across their Dell Stage-equipped devices, from tablets to PCs, connected through their home network.


----------



## elbows (Jan 12, 2011)

More about Stage, sounds just fine if all your other home equipment is modern Dell stuff! Too early to be sure but provisionally I will yell 'Closed ecosystem = fail!'



> At CES, Michael Tatelman illustrated how we’re soon be including Stage on more of our products, including all the new XPS laptops, the Zino HD and several of the products we're introducing today. That expansion translates into a consistent and intuitive experience across a range of products. But later this year, the real benefit comes from being able to synch photos, video and music across a range of Stage-equipped devices. Also, later this year, we plan to include Intel's Insider application in VideoStage which will allow users to easily purchase SD and HD movies through RoxioNow. The other cool part that's coming is that Dell Stage will enable Dell mobile devices to remotely control devices on the network, so people can access the entertainment and stream it to other Stage-enabled devices like the Zino HD in the living room with a simple flick. I’ll be blogging more about Dell Stage in future Direct2Dell posts.



Taken from http://en.community.dell.com/dell-b...-smartphone-enhanced-dell-stage-and-more.aspx

Its not a million miles away from Apples approach to some of this stuff, but Imnot sure if Dell have the muscles or content partners to pull it off.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 12, 2011)

Well, my Streak arrived today and.... it was DOA. It's going to be swapped out tomorrow. Sigh.


----------



## grit (Jan 12, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> Well, my Streak arrived today and.... it was DOA. It's going to be swapped out tomorrow. Sigh.



Shite, I've been looking forward to your hands on impressions


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 12, 2011)

Innit!


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 12, 2011)

I can tell you that it's massive but certainly pocketable so it's definitely 'mobile'. And the screen is beautiful... at least beautiful at displaying a Dell logo forever. 

Looking forward to getting a working one then hacking it with a decent custom rom. All the reviews claim it's an exceptional device now it has 2.2 on.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 13, 2011)

New one arrived and... it works!

Only played with it for a few mins, but so far I am very impressed. The 5" screen is a game changer.


----------



## Crispy (Jan 13, 2011)

How is typing?


----------



## editor (Jan 13, 2011)

Crispy said:


> How is typing?


They're bringing SwiftKey to tablets soon and that is - by miles - the best onscreen keyboard I'e ever used (Swype doesn't really work on bigger screens). 

Even the stock SwiftKey would be ace on the Streak - its predictive/learning text is so good that it's not unusual to construct entire sentences with just one key press per word.


----------



## Crispy (Jan 13, 2011)

I was more interested in the ergonomics


----------



## editor (Jan 13, 2011)

Crispy said:


> I was more interested in the ergonomics


Trying on a screen is like, err, typing on a screen. The bigger the screen and the heavier the tablet the more awkward one hand typing becomes, which is where good predictive text apps can make the experience less painful.


----------



## Crispy (Jan 13, 2011)

OMG, this is the Streak, not the Galaxy. I thought we were talking about a tablet-sized device 
oops. as you were.


----------



## fredfelt (Jan 13, 2011)

grit said:


> Anyone know what method is used for communicating with the other network devices? I'm guessing some sort of server has to be installed on each machine?


 
I have GMote installed on my Android.  There's a server on my laptop and my phone communicates to it through my router.  I use it mainly as a remote control for iPlayer - the phone screen becomes the mouse for the PC.  Gmote also gives access to selected folders to play media on (either your phone or the connected computer).


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 13, 2011)

editor said:


> They're bringing SwiftKey to tablets soon and that is - by miles - the best onscreen keyboard I'e ever used (Swype doesn't really work on bigger screens).
> 
> Even the stock SwiftKey would be ace on the Streak - its predictive/learning text is so good that it's not unusual to construct entire sentences with just one key press per word.


 
Actually, Streak 2.2 comes with Swype pre-installed and it works like a charm!


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 13, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> New one arrived and... it works!
> 
> Only played with it for a few mins, but so far I am very impressed. The 5" screen is a game changer.


 
Why is the screen a game changer?


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 13, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Why is the screen a game changer?


 
Well, it's a mobile, I can make calls and stick it in my pocket, but it displays websites properly and allows so much more space to do everything. It feels a very different experience to using a standard 3.5" screen. I'm more impressed than I thought I'd be, in all honesty.


----------



## Crispy (Jan 13, 2011)

Not too large then?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 13, 2011)

It's replaced your phone? Tbh I'm not sold on 5-7 inch tablets, I'd like the screen to be bigger, the iPhone is just fine for brief net stuff I find...


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 13, 2011)

Crispy said:


> Not too large then?


 
No, perfectly pocketable and doesn't look all that big when held to the ear. Some obligatory piss taking off workmates, but that's to be expected.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Jan 13, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> It's replaced your phone? Tbh I'm not sold on 5-7 inch tablets, I'd like the screen to be bigger, the iPhone is just fine for brief net stuff I find...


 
Yeah - bored of iOS and I worked out that I spent many more hours on the web or reading books through the kindle app than I do on the phone. Makes sense to get the biggest genuinely pocketable device out there - the Streak. And thus far I'm very glad I did. It's a beaut. If it had launched with 2.2 instead of 1.6 it would be rivaling the Desire at the top of the 'best phones' charts.


----------



## editor (Jan 14, 2011)

Well, there's loads of new Android phones coming through soon with big 4"/4.3" screens to offer more choice in the big screen mobile sector.


----------



## UnderAnOpenSky (Jan 14, 2011)

I've just got a Desire HD, was a little apprehensive about how I'd find the 4.3" screen size would be for day to day use, but I don't know what I was worried about now, I'd go up to 5" quite happily. It feels like a lot more space then the 3.8" I was using before.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 14, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> Yeah - bored of iOS and I worked out that I spent many more hours on the web or reading books through the kindle app than I do on the phone. Makes sense to get the biggest genuinely pocketable device out there - the Streak. And thus far I'm very glad I did. It's a beaut. If it had launched with 2.2 instead of 1.6 it would be rivaling the Desire at the top of the 'best phones' charts.


 
Ah makes sense...I have a Kindle so reading on the iPhone isn't an issue...although I find 90% of my net time these days is Twitter followed by Facebook and the apps serve them up pretty decently...


----------



## Badgers (Apr 28, 2011)

I doubt there is much stock left but Tesco are selling this in-store for £199 at the moment. 
Dell.co.uk is selling for £398.99.


----------

