Dell streak 7. Review on Dell Streak 7

I have always said that the modern world is becoming more and more like the Star Trek universe of late and it looks like the future is here with the new tablet devices. Apple's iPad really paved the way for these new devices to become commonplace in society and it's not surprising that many companies followed suit with its own version of the tablet. I was lucky to be one of the chosen to try out the Dell Streak 7 Wi-Fi Android Tablet (courtesy of Epinions) and really wanted to see if such a device is something that would be beneficial. Just because it has a sharp appearance doesn't mean that it's up to the task at hand.

First and foremost, this is never going to replace a computer or laptop in any serious sense. I knew that from the beginning so I look upon this tablet as more of an entertainment device. In a way that's good because it then frees up my computer for actual work without bogging it down with too many "distractions, " if you get my drift.

The Streak 7 is designed to give to portable accessibility to the internet. This can be achieved with the latest cell phones but all of those devices require you to start squinting a lot more when reading the screen. The Streak 7 allows for better visual readability with this 7-inch tablet. At first glance I thought I received the Playstation PSP device. It has a similar look to it considering that I can hold it easily in my hands without it being obtrusive. However I was a bit surprised by the weight as I found it to be a bit heavy than I imagined. I guess I expected something in the lightweight department. With that said, I'm still impressed with the features on this device.

The Streak 7 has a pretty powerful 1GHz dual-core Tegra T20 processor to allow for fast production on the tablet. It runs on Google's Android 2.2 with Dell's Stage UI, the user interface. It also has 16GB of internal memory, 1.3-megapixel front facing camera with 5-megapixel lens on the rear, a built-in GPS, and Bluetooth. On top of that, it also boasts "4G" connectivity if you choose to subscribe to a plan. All of this sounds great but when put into use, does it actually do the job that you require? This is something I really wanted to see.

I thought the 7-inch size was going to be a detriment compared to iPad's 10-inch form but surprisingly I wasn't bothered by it. In fact I almost wish Apple made a smaller sized iPad similar to the size of the Streak 7. It doesn't feel big at all and at the same time it doesn't feel small and fragile (though the fragile part is something that I will never overlook).

A power cord AC adaptor is included to help charge the tablet when the battery runs low. It connects at the bottom through a 30-pin connector. The other end of that cord has a USB connector that fits into the actual charger or into your computer via USB port. I love how this works and appreciate that it eliminates another cord to use.

There is connector for headphones(also included) for music enthusiasts or for those that do not wish to bother neighbouring people with all that unruly noise coming from this machine. The speakers are at either end of the tablet allowing for the sound to come out. I'm impressed with the volume on this ting and find that I have to really tone down the noise pollution. In my case, I don't think people want to hear how many times I'm losing at Angry Birds.

The camera featurette is quite nice though it's not stellar. The quality of the 1.3-megapixel front facing camera doesn't provide for the best video resolution. There is a camera on the front with a small microphone to help capture both image and sound. I'm not expecting clear, crisp resolution ala Star Trek style but this aspect could have been improved upon. Still it does allow for some good video conferencing especially when using Skype to make video calls. The rear 5-megapixel camera does take crisper images but the pictures still look a bit washed out even when using the flash. Along with photos, you can also record 720p videos, though it can be grainy at times. But I don't expect the camera features to be the top of the line. The fact that it can even do this is already amazing.

The design of the Streak 7 is very streamlined and clean. It needs to be in order to avoid confusion with all the bells and whistles. The three main buttons to help navigate through the Dell Stage are the back, menu, and home buttons. They are located on the right side of the panel. They, too, are also of the "touch" variety rather than actual push buttons. However, I find it to be a nuisance half the time since I accidentally keep brushing over the buttons and interrupting whatever I'm doing at the moment. I appreciate the slick design but I wish there was more distance between the buttons and the edge of the tablet to avoid this complication. Also located on the right side is a plastic latch that houses both the SD and SIM card slots. It's nice to know that you can inject a card in case you run out of the 16GB of internal memory. The top of the device has the power button and volume control. I understand there needs to be a place for these buttons but I find myself accidentally hitting them more than intended. It seems I'm losing the battle when faced against these buttons.

The touch screen feature is still in its infancy stages despite being on the market for a few years. This is the part that makes it fun to use by scrolling from side-to-side or up and down. My three-year old son mastered this using the iPod Touch so this wasn't anything new for him (The fact that my three-year old can even navigate these devices is still uncanny). However I find that sometimes it scrolls too fast and never lands on the page I want. I usually have to slow down my action in order to make sure that it I get the page that I need.

Connecting to a Wi-Fi network is very easy to do. I did this in a matter of seconds and was already up and running. The tablet will search Wi-Fi hotspots and indicate the best ones to use. Once I was up and running, this allowed for the GPS unit to kick into place.

I appreciate the pre-loaded applications available and ready for use located on the Dell Stage. The Home screen provides these widgets to take you to many different areas such as music, contacts, pictures, and so on. You can easily link your Gmail account(if you have on) and read your e-mail. The same can be done with Facebook and Twitter so you have instant updates. While this is useful, it is also a frustrating experience. I find I have to go through hoops before finding what I want and even then it's limited in its function. For example, I can't find any way to login to my YouTube account at all if I use the widget provided. Instead I am at the mercy of the application's limited search parameters. As an e-reader, it works very well. After downloading Amazon Kindle, I was able to retrieve all my books onto this unit and enjoy the bigger format.

More than anything, and I knew this from the beginning, this was going to be a device where lots of gaming takes place. I quickly downloaded Angry Birds onto the Streak 7 and was a bit shocked to see these crazy birds on a bigger screen than the iPod Touch. My three-year old son loves the transition to this bigger format and enjoys it as much as I do. We have downloaded a lot of kid friendly games for him to play specifically for this device. But I do have a problem with the Streak 7 freezing up more often than not when game play is utilized. It's actually quite jarring because it means having to restart to whole device and trying it again, only to find out that the problem persists. I don't know if the case is from these particular games or just game playing in general but it becomes quite aggravating.

The battery is a detriment to the whole device. I never expected a removable battery in the first place but it's something that would have been appreciated. On top of that the battery life isn't the greatest. In fact I think it's the poorest part. I can't believe that I can only squeeze out anywhere between 3-4 hours before I need to recharge it again. Compared to other tablets, this area is very low functioning. I would have expected at least 5-6 hours, perhaps even more, so I'm disappointed with this aspect on the Streak 7.

The Dell Streak 7 isn't going to replace computers at all. It's a good supplement for entertainment and even reading but it really depends on how you use it. The one thing my entire family agrees on is that the Streak 7 isn't as intuitive to use as the iPod Touch or even the iPad. I went into the mindframe that I wouldn't have a problem in that department only to find out that I was wrong. I seem to be going through hoops in order to do a simple task.

The Dell Streak 7 may not be my first choice in choosing a suitable tablet but it's not terribly bad even for one at a decent price for under$300. The size of the device is great allowing for better portability and I do like the simple sleek design. However this particular unit feels like a transitional device that was rushed to flood the market before Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb is released.

But there is a learning curve that is achieved with persistence. I marvel at how fast new technology emerges every day hoping that I can make sense of what is available. It doesn't matter how up-to-date you are with the latest gadgets because the next day will just make you obsolete all over again. Still, it is fun seeing all these new toys. Now I'm just waiting for transporters to beam into reality.