It’s no secret that Dell hasn’t had the best of luck in the wide world of Android. Their first Android device, the Streak 5, has already been discontinued (and picked up by the government), leaving behind a rather lackluster legacy. The next device to get the axe is the me-too tablet, the Streak 7.

This is the kind of news you really can’t (or, should I say, don’t want to) make up. The Defense Information System Agency has just cleared the first ever Android device for use with secure unclassified communications. And it’s none other than the discontinued Dell Streak 5.

Armed with enhanced security features like remote wiping, [...]]]>

This is the kind of news you really can’t (or, should I say, don’t want to) make up. The Defense Information System Agency has just cleared the first ever Android device for use with secure unclassified communications. And it’s none other than the discontinued Dell Streak 5.

Armed with enhanced security features like remote wiping, device lockdown after too many incorrect password input attempts and remote access to “peripherals and security policy levels,” the DISA has been preparing the Dell Streak 5 for this moment for over a year now. Originally chosen in September of 2010, drafts of the Streak’s certification were started this summer.

So why did the government decide the Froyo Android 2.2 powered 5-inch slate was the device for them? According to DefenseSystems.com, the military “likes the form factor.” If government and military personnel are lucky, by this time next year they just might be using something as powerful as the Sidekick 4G. Or Cliq 2.

In all seriousness, it’s nice to see Android devices finally being cleared for government use. Back in the middle of October, it was outed that the NSA is working with Google to create a hardened kernel that would allow Android to be cleared for use with classified communications. The Dell Streak is not a part of that project. The new high security version of Android is expected to launch sometime next year. Until then, government workers, “Dude, you’re getting a Dell.”

Dell Inc.’s founder and CEO Michael Dell has announced that the company is betting the farm on Microsoft’s Windows 8 for its future tablets in hopes of dethroning Apple’s iPad2. Mr. Dell stated that the market for Android devices has not developed as they had hoped.

Though I think Mr. Dell is correct when it [...]]]>

Dell Inc.’s founder and CEO Michael Dell has announced that the company is betting the farm on Microsoft’s Windows 8 for its future tablets in hopes of dethroning Apple’s iPad2. Mr. Dell stated that the market for Android devices has not developed as they had hoped.

Android is certainly another opportunity as well, but that market has not developed to the expectations they would have had.Michael DellDell, inc.

Though I think Mr. Dell is correct when it comes to the tablet market, Android is clearly dominating in the mobile arena, having pulled well ahead of iOS and Windows Phone 7/7.5 in recent months. Windows Phone has specifically struggled to gain a strong footing in the market thus far, a trend they are hoping to remedy with the recent WP7.5 “Mango” upgrade for smartphones and the upcoming Windows 8 for tablets.

It’s strange, tho not necessarily unexpected, that Dell is speaking out so loudly against Android. Dell has completely failed to impress with it’s Dell Streak line of tablets and smartphones, though most would agree that Dell’s struggles have been primarily due to their hardware and not a fundamental flaw in Android’s operating system. (The Tegra-2 Dell Streak 7 we played with at CES was atrocious, with an abysmal viewing angle and an overlay to Android that nobody at T-Mobile’s press event seemed to like). If Mr. Dell is looking at sales numbers for Dell’s Android devices alone, it’s easy to see why they might want a change in business strategy.

All joking about Dell aside, I don’t think their new tablet strategy is necessarily a bad one. I have spoken with several friends and colleagues, many of whom own and love their Android smartphones, about what they’re looking for in a tablet. The strong majority of those I spoke with specifically mentioned that they wanted a device that would fully replace their laptops and wanted the comfort of a full-fledged Microsoft Windows operating system to power the device.

I’m curious to hear what you readers think about Android vs. iOS vs. Windows 8 when it comes to tablets.

1. If you’ve already purchased a tablet, what kind of tablet do you have? Does it meet all of your computing needs?
2. If you’ve yet to purchase a tablet device, which tablet operating system would you likely prefer? Why?

Dell hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to their phones and tablets division. Be it funky software or a crazy huge screen (the Streak 5 has paved the way for smartphones coming out now, display-wise), the company simply hasn’t seen the success it would like. When it comes to the Streak 7, poor [...]]]>

Dell hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to their phones and tablets division. Be it funky software or a crazy huge screen (the Streak 5 has paved the way for smartphones coming out now, display-wise), the company simply hasn’t seen the success it would like. When it comes to the Streak 7, poor sales can most likely be attributed to the software.

Specs-wise, the Streak 7 can pretty well keep up with the best of ‘em. It comes with an NVIDIA Tegra 2 1 GHz dual-core processor, 16 GB internal storage with microSD expansion slot, a 5 megapixel camera, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat and a 7-inch display. The only really bad thing about the device hardware is the screen resolution. For a 7-inch tablet, 480×800 simply isn’t enough. But at the right price, with the right software, it could be.

Right now, the Streak 7 is officially running Android 2.2. In the ever-growing world of Honeycomb tablets, this is unacceptable for serious mobile users. Anything below Android 3.0 isn’t optimized for tablets and offers a lackluster experience at best. So how is the Streak 7 going to become the budget tablet of your dreams? An upgrade to Honeycomb.

Outed today at IFA, an official Honeycomb update for the Streak 7 is in the works. There were several Streaks running the new OS on hand just to show how well it really works. No ETA has been given on when the update will hit handsets, but with the state of the software on the demo Streaks, it shouldn’t be long.

If you do a little Googling for Streak 7 prices, you’ll see that you can easily buy the device for around $200. An almost outdated Froyo tablet for $200 sounds like a bad deal. Because it is. But an ultra-portable, dual-core Honeycomb device for $199 sounds downright tantalizing, low screen resolution or not. Does the promise of a $200 Honeycomb tablet like the Streak 7 interest you, or would you rather pony up the extra $200-300 for something a little more powerful?

Dell has been making some good Android devices, but none are as impressive as they could be. The commonly-known PC manufacturer is expected to strengthen their efforts in the Android market with the release of the Dell Streak 10 Pro. This tablet will be the first Honeycomb device manufactured by Dell, and it doesn’t [...]]]>

Dell has been making some good Android devices, but none are as impressive as they could be. The commonly-known PC manufacturer is expected to strengthen their efforts in the Android market with the release of the Dell Streak 10 Pro. This tablet will be the first Honeycomb device manufactured by Dell, and it doesn’t seem like a bad tablet at all. This family photo has just shown up on the inter webs. It gives you an idea of the size of the tablet, compared to its predecessors.

As you can see, the tablet is more or less about the same size as other 10-inch Honeycomb tablets. That’s not the only similar thing, though. The Dell Streak 10 Pro is also not falling short on specs. This Android 3.x Honeycomb tablet will come with a 10-inch (1280x800p) display, an NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 5 MP rear-facing camera and 2 MP front-facing camera. The specs are on par with other Honeycomb devices, so this tablet should be able to process your usage just as well.

It’s still uncertain whether this tablet will be released in the US and, if so, what the price will be. This bad boy will be first released in China, and the decision to release in the US will be based on how sales go in that country. The China release should be sometime this week, so stay tuned for more details.

On a side note, you may have noticed the Dell Streak 7 in the above image is also running Honeycomb. This tablet is not currently packing the tablet optimized Android version, so this may be a sign of an upcoming update!

What do you guys say? Is anybody going for the Dell Streak 10 Pro? Do you think it’ll sell well? Should Dell get it to the US?

Manufactured using [...]]]> Not everyone is familiar with Corning’s Gorilla Glass yet, but many of the current Android devices out there are already using it. Samsung chose Gorilla Glass for most of their Android lineup (Galaxy S series and Galaxy Tab),Dell is a big customer (Aero, Streak, Venue), and it was used in the original Motorola Droid.

Manufactured using Corning’s proprietary fusion process, Gorilla Glass is all about thin and tough. You will find it all types of electronics from smartphones, to tablets, and big screen TVs (that can withstand a Wii remote at 65 mph).

Corning is still trying to get their name out there to the geek crowd and they just uploaded a new video called A Day Made of Glass which shares their vision of the future. I’ve seen similar conceptual videos, but this one really is pretty cool and shows what Android-powered devices might look like in the near future.

If you have any of the Galaxy S phones (Captivate, Continuum, Epic 4G, Fascinate, Vibrant) or Dell Streak, let us know what you think of the Gorilla Glass screen. Has it held up to the daily wear and tear as advertised?

The Dell Streak 7 is T-Mobile’s first 4G tablet and features Android 2.2, a [...]]]> We had the right date, but the rumored price was wrong. T-Mobile just tweeted that the Dell Streak 7 will go on sale this Wednesday, February 2nd for $199 with 2-year agreement (after a $50 mail in rebate).

The Dell Streak 7 is T-Mobile’s first 4G tablet and features Android 2.2, a 7-inch display, Tegra 2 processor, and dual-cameras. I like Dell computers, but I am not a fan of their Android devices yet.

If I was in the market for an Android tablet, I think I would wait until February 13th to find out what Samsung has been working on.

Bonus: The first reviews are starting to roll in. Head over to CrunchGear to read to John Biggs thinks of Dell’s tablet.

*On approved credit. $82.50 down [...]]]> The folks over at Streak Smart have discovered that the Dell Streak 7 Android Tablet will likely launch for $330 on contract. Though no official pricing has been announced by T-Mobile, hidden in the fine print on their “Coming Soon” page for the Streak 7 is the following statement:

*On approved credit. $82.50 down payment, plus 3 monthly payments of $82.50, required.

The asterisk doesn’t seem to refer to anything on the page (as the price is obviously missing), but this language is frequently used in T-Mobile’s Equipment Installment plan, which allows customers to purchase devices in four monthly payments rather than forking over the full cost of the device up front. Assuming the prices on the Streak 7 preorder page are accurate, that would put the subsidized price of the device at $330, slightly cheaper than the current $350 price point for the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The Dell Streak will be the first tablet launched in the U.S. that will feature NVIDIA’s dual core- 1GHz Tegra 2 processor. Additionally, it will be fully HSPA+ compatible (up to 21 Mbps), making the Dell Streak 7 a strong contender in the upcoming tablet wars. The one drawback is that it will launch running Froyo, when other upcoming tablets such as the LG G-Slate and Motorola Xoom will be launching with Honeycomb (3.0).

Again, no official pricing or launch date have been released, but all the pieces are coming together for a February 2nd launch at $330 on contract. Anyone else thinking about picking up the Streak 7 when it launches in a few weeks, or are you holding out for the G-Slate or Xoom?

The headlining features for the Dell Streak 7 are 4G support, [...]]]> The Dell Streak 5 left many consumers confused on whether they were buying a phone or a tablet, but Dell’s latest Android device, coming to T-Mobile on February 2nd, avoids any such dilemma by bumping up to the established tablet realm of 7 inches.

The headlining features for the Dell Streak 7 are 4G support, nVidia Tegra 2 processor, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 5MP rear-facing camera with flash, and a Gorilla Glass screen.

It is currently running Froyo with a Dell skin (that I personally found frustrating) on top. Dell of course notes that it can be upgraded over the air, but relying on updates has become an uncomfortable proposition for many users.

The biggest disappointment on the Streak 7 for me though was the screen. To begin with it is only 800×480 versus the 1024×600 on the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which just doesn’t cut it on a device this size. Forgiving that issue the viewing angles still presented a significant concern during my brief hands-on at CES. As viewed from one side the screen remained perfect up to extreme viewing angles, but on the other as soon as I got past about 45-60 degrees it became completely unusable. The unit available there was still a somewhat early build, but I would definitely counsel heading into your local T-Mo to check that out before you make a purchase.

Are 4G and Tegra 2 enough to sway you or are you waiting for something more?