Sunday, January 09, 2011

... The 5" Dell Streak - tablet AND phone, thank you very much

Well i cant hope to write a better review than Engadget so the link is below. 
Remember how i said a 5" tablet might just be the perfect size for me? I was so right. You really have to get the Streak in your hands to appreciate its size. Having used the Samsung 7" Gtab for a few months, its incredibly painful going back to my Blackberry's 3" screen. It's like looking at the internet thru a keyhole. But the Gtab is almost embarassingly large to pull out in public. I tried to take pictures with the Gtab today at the show. Everytime I pulled it out, folks would turn and stare. It makes for a really ridiculously sized digicam, even tho i love ereading on it.
Smartphone/tablet size is a highly personal choice. It depends on how mobile you want to be with it and how important ereading is to you, and what ereading formats are important to you. When it comes to ereading, bigger is definitely bigger. Rich newspaper and magazine formats (Zinio) look awesome on nothing less than a 10" screen.  And the aged (im looking at you baby boomers) will like the bigger fonts available on the larger devices. But folks that want a mobile companion and NEED to be connected all the time will be better served by a 4", 5", or 7". 
So, 4" and 5" are best if your needs are making calls, taking pictures (hello food bloggers) and need total portability.
The hybrid sizes of 5" and 7" are even better if ereading and larger fonts work better for you. These sizes combine the best of both worlds - portability of mobile phones and readability of a tablet, as long as you have a purse or loose fitting pants.
Another thing to consider, are you going to still carry a phone as well as your 7" tablet?  Or start using Skype or Google talk, and divorce your cell phone company?  But then only make calls at home or at hotspots? To solve that dilemma, the Streak is the only tablet-class device that is a 3G phone as well. It is a little strange holding the beast up to my ear but not that much different probably from a 4.3" Droid X or the Samsung 4.5" Infuse phone. 
Its a bit of a catch 22 because you really need to testdrive the applications you want to use before you buy. I really want a Dell Streak now, but I didnt know that before I used the GTab.
I believe there's room for many display sizes in the market and i hope all these choice points are preserved in the market. But spend as much time as possible test-driving devices before you buy.
http://m.engadget.com/default/article.do?artUrl=http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/06/dell-streak-review/&category=classic&postPage=1

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