Dell Streak vs. the tablet market: It doesn't fit and never will

The Dell Streak. Everybody is talking about it as the high and mighty product of the year. But it isn't, and doesn't give anything back to the market except a bridge between a smartphone and an iPad, which even then it fails to really grab the eye.

Rory Cellan-Jones, the BBC technology reporter, says it all by not saying anything. He fails to disclose anything exciting or new about the device - which is not to his failing, no - not at all. It's because there isn't anything to say.

In short, there is nothing to this device that others have or don't have. It doesn't shout out to me, it's nothing special and has no appealing features which would grab the student market.

I sincerely cannot understand why so many people are talking about this phone slash tablet come smart-device, because this device exists in so many others. It will run the mobile Android 1.6 OS with an upgrade later on this year, just like the Nexus One, except it's smaller and actually fits into the pocket. The Dell Streak probably won't fit into most jeans' pockets.

The one thing this tablet has in benefit to the wider market is the ability to run the Android operating system. It's free and advanced, so it allows open-source to get out there into the world. But this entire tablet market will fall flat on its face with the student community as students just don't care.

If it ain't got a keyboard, then it ain't work jack. And if it isn't an iPad or a smartphone, then there isn't any middle ground to gain. What could possibly gain from a slightly larger phone which doesn't even have the cool factor of the iPad?

Nothing, and neither will any other tablet device. And that's why I drink.