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127 of 140 found the following review helpful:
A good, but not great tablet. Apr 28, 2011
By N. Hawkins
"whereishawkins"
This is my first Android-based tablet, and I'm not going to compare it to the tablet that's made by that fruit-themed company and will keep this within the Android space. The real competitor of the Dell Streak 7 is the Samsung Galaxy Tab (Wi-Fi). The Streak lacks in some features when compared to the Galaxy Tab, and based on stats alone, I think the Galaxy Tab has the Streak 7 beat by a wide margin.
The Dell Streak is a nice tablet, and I like the way it feels. When you hold it in landscape format, your right thumb can hit all of the control buttons. The weight wasn't that bad at around 18oz and felt ok. I could grip the tablet easy with one hand instead of tucking the other 10" tablet under my arm.
The Streak's screen resolution is smaller than the Galaxy Tab's - 800x480 vs 1024x600 on the same size screen. The Streak 7's icons seemed a bit fuzzy to me, but I'm not sure if that's my bad eyes or icons expanded from the resolution of an Android phone. The screen's covered with "Gorilla Glass", which I wasn't anxious to test out by scratching it up or dropping it. Either way, I'd recommend a screen protector just in case.
My first experience with Android was pretty cool. It's an easy enough OS to navigate around, and installing things like the Kindle app was fun to do and worked like a charm. The Swype keyboard is new for me, and it was cool to try even though it requires a learning curve, especially if you have sausage fingers like me. The Streak 7 runs the Froyo version (2.2) of Android. Apparently the Gingerbread (3.0) release is more tablet friendly, and I'm hoping that I'd be able to upgrade this without a problem.
Getting email set up was a breeze and I was able to surf the web just fine. Same with copying movies and music over.
The Dell Streak 7 has a larger rear-mounted camera than the Galaxy Tab - 5MP vs 3MP. In all actuality, I'm not sure how valuable that is. I don't plan on using this as a camera and it's too big to be convenient like a camera phone. But it will do 720p video as well, but again, I'm not sure how often you'd actually use this. They both have front mounted cameras and the Streak's worked fine but I don't like doing video chat, mainly because the camera always seems to aim up my nose.
The battery life was ok - I got through two movies before I had to charge it. The Galaxy Tab's battery is 44% bigger (2780 mAh vs 4000 mAh) so presumably I could get through another film. I travel quite a lot, so a longer battery life is preferred so I'm not always trying to charge things in between flights.
As for upgrading, I could add MicroSD cards (up to 32gb) and carry more music/shows/movies on them, but I really didn't feel like I needed to.
Overall I like the Dell Streak, but I can't help but feel tempted by the Samsung Galaxy Tab instead. The Galaxy Tab is $30 cheaper and gets better battery life (according to online reviews.) The Galaxy Tab seems like a no-brainer, but if you were to catch the Streak 7 on-sale, it'd be worth picking up.
112 of 125 found the following review helpful:
 A Good New Offering in a Hot Category Apr 28, 2011
By Lawrence H. Bulk
"Lawrence H. Bulk"
DECEMBER 2011 IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS PRODUCT IS NOW DISCONTINUED, My original review is below. If you can find this item at a very good price, it might be worthwhile buying as an entertainment device. Otherwise, beware.
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Courtesy of Amazon Vine, I received my Dell Streak 7 Tablet and I have been having a lot of fun with it.
It's a very good and very satisfying entertainment device. It is particularly good for reading e-books, for listening to music, and for watching video such as Amazon/Amazon Prime VOD as well as Netflix (which has recently been added).
Tablet computers are the latest thing and I wanted to see how this one, a direct competitor to the iPad, would fare. (This is my first experience with any tablet computer; I am unfamiliar with the iPad or any other tablet.)
I was supposed to receive the 'straight' Dell Streak 7 Wi-Fi Tablet (Wi-fi only) but in the event I actually received the Dell Streak 7 4G Android Tablet (T-Mobile), the one which can connect to Wi-Fi plus the T-mobile cellular service. As I do not have a T-mobile account, I cannot comment on its cell data plan functioning but I can say that Wi-fi works perfectly. (The fact that my unit has T-mobile incorporated in no way interferes with Wi-fi usage. Both versions apparently operate and function in exactly the same way and the means of internet connection has no effect on the actual operation of the Streak.) It was fairly easy to enter my network password (though I do not care for virtual keyboards) and the Wi-fi signal was strong and remained so until I shut the tablet off.
Dell includes a set of earbuds and a charger as well as a Quick Start Guide and the usual warranty and legal information.
Operation is simple and intuitive. All external controls fall easily to hand and the touchscreen controls are fairly easy to use.
The video image quality is very, very good, in my opinion, (color rendition is especially rich and vibrant) and the sound quality is adequate, especially considering the size of the tablet and the size of the speakers (it sounds like a small table radio). The sound volume, in most cases, is adequate to fill a small room. I have not heard any distortion or breakup with the sound level set to maximum.
There are loads of applications ('apps') available for it, many of them free of charge (there appear to be thousands of free ones). I intend to install ONLY free applications. I found a free internet radio app (TuneIn) which is the same one on my Roku XDS Streaming Player 1080p; all I had to do was download and install it, enter my user name and password, and everything I had configured on my Roku appeared. Nice.
Entering whatever apps you would like is fairly easy. Just be careful as to what information the app collects and uses.
On our computers my wife and I use the Ubuntu Linux operating system; the Android operating system is based on Linux but, compared to what we are used to, the Android system is somewhat clunky.
In the settings I saw that there was a system update being offered, so I downloaded and installed it (the process was easy enough but nowhere nearly as easy to do as with Ubuntu on a notebook or netbook computer). The resultant system is now Android 2.2.2 but it's still somewhat clunky.
This tablet *may* eventually receive an update to Android 'Honeycomb' (v. 3.0); that's if Dell decides to offer it. I certainly hope they do and I also hope that v. 3.0 is quite a bit better than 2.2.2.
It was easy to connect to our various web-based e-mail accounts though I'm not keen about the fact that the tablet 'remembers' all of the entered account passwords; fortunately there is a setting to enter a system password used for startup which can offer some protection in the unfortunate event that your tablet falls into someone else's hands.
I wish that it had a standard USB port; it does not. To transfer files from a computer, you MUST use the supplied cable (an uncommon type) with its 30-pin connector. This is the same cable used for charging the Streak (you must plug the cable into the AC adapter; it is not possible to charge this device from a computer). The cable is too short and this is disappointing. I will be trying a USB extender cable to see if it is compatible with the Streak's cable.
There is no easy means for printing with this tablet (though it may be possible to do so via a Wi-fi-enabled printer; I don't have one of those, however, so I cannot state with certainty). It may also be possible to print with a Blue-tooth enabled printer; please see the first three Comments.)
You can attach a set of external speakers to it by plugging them into the headphone jack; the speakers will have to be powered separately as there is no means to do so from this tablet.
Its battery is built-in, not user-replaceable. That is unfortunate.
But the unit does fully function with the AC power cord attached; when used this way the battery is charged at the same time. It can also function in a car via its cable and an DC -> USB power converter.
I ran it for three hours on battery power alone, playing an internet radio station. After that time, there was still a fair amount of power left; I do not know how long it would have played before the battery ran out altogether..
If you are just listening to music, you can turn off the screen and this will extend the battery running time. That's what I did.
At this time I cannot comment on battery life while playing video or engaging in other more intensive uses. (I have watched quite a few videos but only with AC power.) But I should think that the battery life will be nowhere near that of most other tablet computers (some of which claim to run 10 hours).
Thus, the battery life of this unit is mediocre at best and will probably be disappointing to most people. This may or may not be a deal-breaker. I myself plan to use it only at home or in a car and, in those situations, it can be plugged in.
Physically, I wish that it had some sort of handle (or even a wrist strap). It's somewhat awkward to carry (I just ordered a Quality Royal Blue Dell Tablet Case with Reinforced Exterior and Soft Suede Interior for the Dell Streak 7 Wi-Fi Tablet 4G , Android , T-Mobile , Gray + Live * Laugh * Love Vangoddy Wrist Band!!! in order to carry it about). It's also heavier than I thought it would be but I found that even several hours of holding it and configuring it while sitting in my reclining chair caused me no undue discomfort. I think that a built-in fold-out stand would have been nice.
It does appear to be constructed with a great deal of integrity.
Because tablets are equipped with touch screens, the glass screen gets finger marks fast but it's easy to remove them with a damp soft cloth. Swype (swiping with your fingers) works well. But as I mentioned above, I am not enamored with touch screens and virtual keyboards. I 'chatted' with my son last night and it took maybe four times as long for me to type my text as it would have with a regular keyboard, as on a notebook or netbook.
But that's the way these tablets are. I'm sure that there are some people who like virtual keyboards and touch screens for swiping but I wish there were some way to physically attach a regular keyboard to this tablet for some uses (unfortunately there is not - but please see the first three comments: you CAN use a Bluetooth keyboard with this tablet). (Please keep in mind that just because I myself don't particularly care for touch screens and virtual keyboards doesn't necessarily mean that you will feel the same way.) At least this touch screen is VERY quick and responsive as well as being quite sensitive.
This is NOT a replacement for a computer. It is an entertainment device which is splendid for reading books and magazines; EPUB files look and work particularly well (tap right side of screen to turn page forward, tap left side to turn page back), PDFs less so (you have to scroll), for watching videos (including Amazon and Amazon Prime VOD which look really, really good), and for listening to music (either your own or internet radio stations). You can easily get your e-mail. It has some communication capabilities thrown in (but no GoogleTalk as yet). It will also work in a rudimentary fashion as a means for surfing the web. I think that, if you will accept it for what it is, you will be happy with it. I know that I certainly am.
My wife is particularly 'hooked' on it as an eBook reader.
So are tablets, and specifically this one, a replacement for a netbook? Definitely not.
Is it a nice, fairly useful entertainment device (which can do a few things on the web in a pinch)? Definitely yes.
I think that it's a lot of fun. I'll be taking it with us when we travel - but I won't leave behind our netbooks!
Other than the case, the only accessory I can see (thus far) that would be necessary would be a 32 GB SD card if you are planning to transfer a lot of music files, books, etc. to the Streak. It does come with 16 GB of internal memory so, depending on your desired use, you may or may not need an SD card. (I ordered this AmazonBasics 32GB Class 4 SD Flash Memory Card.)
So far, overall, I like it. Its OS has a few 'warts' and there are some functional disappointments, the short cord and the poor battery life (hence the 4-star rating) but I believe that a new version of Android, if supplied by Dell, will go a long way toward alleviating the 'clunky' OS situation and maybe the battery-life situation.
I think that if you buy one of these for entertainment purposes, you will like it as much as I do.
I certainly hope that this review has been of some interest to you and I thank you for reading it.
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Update: November 26, 2011
Several days ago, I received another product courtesy of Amazon Vine: this Epson WorkForce 845 Wireless Color Printer (C11CB92201) and not only can you print directly to it from the Dell Streak 7 (wirelessly of course), you can even update the printer's firmware from the Streak (with two free "apps" which you download from the official Android Marketplace). I know - I did so just today.
Obviously the ability to print wirelessly makes the Streak just that much more useful, assuming you have a wireless printer.
47 of 53 found the following review helpful:
Good Android tablet but flawed... May 01, 2011
By Sumeet Lal
Dell streak7 tablet works very well, smooth operations fast and easy to hold read and operate. As always with Dell products there are some serious product flaws overlooked by designers.
I can understand the screen is not higher resolution, to save cost and it doesn't bother me but the battery life and a short power cord is absolutely dumb on Dell's design.
The screen if not compared side by side with a higher resolution screen is in fact quite pleasent and fluid to work with. The battery life is 3 to 4 hours, depends how you use it. If charged in the evening, with aggressive power savings options selected, it is dead by morning. The battery is not replacable and is a small one compared to competition. It is as if no one put a thought to it. The cord is short so you can't work plugged in. You would need an extension cord either from the wall to the charger or a usb extension to the charger since the supplied cord is 30pin dell at one end and usb at the other.
I just don't understand why there are always some flaws with Dell products, they make high end spec products then leave some basic important stuff out. My Dell XPS laptop has HDD light behind the lid?? This tablet has a very short battery life, every one cries for longer operation times, yet Dell neglected the most important aspect as if with an intention to kill the product prematurely. Not even a replacable battery slot...
This is my last Dell product purchase, next time I will stick with HTC for tablets, HP for laptops.. Goodbye Dell.
[UPDATE - 12 May 2011]
After using the WiFi only Dell Streak 7 for a few weeks now, I have to say my initial assessment of this device was correct. I can only manage 2 or 3 hours and find myself charging 2 to 3 times a day. I reckon, the battery will be dead within a year and after that I will have to put this in the bin, since the battery is not replaceable.
The software in Dell Streak 7 drains the battery unevenly sometimes I have noticed that within 10 minutes of web surfing using Dolphin Mini browser I had lost 20% of my battery life, even though I have installed auto-task killer to kill Dell Sync, Music and other Applications that seems to have a mind of their own to Startup in the background. This is absolute garbage. However, I still maintain the screen is usable and pleasant to work with given the lower resolution than competition.
Unless Dell comes out with a better Honeycomb update that saves this tablet's battery and within a few months it is not worth buying. For people who have bought this already will have their batteries ruined by frequent charging/ discharging every day, may have to trash the device.
26 of 30 found the following review helpful:
 Defective Product Design Jun 23, 2011
By Pastor J
To Whom it may concern:
PLEASE BEWARE!!! This product has a design defect the manufacturer had to have known about. I purchased 3 Dell Steak 7 Wi-Fi Tablets about 30 days ago. Without fail, in about 30 days, two of them stopped receiving a charge. Knowing that it was just a matter of time before the 3rd one failed, I have decided to return all three. If you are noticing that your Dell Streak 7 is no longer receiving a charge, immediately go to your settings menu and erase all information from the tablet via the privacy option, which will reset the tablet to factory settings. If you don't do it as soon as you notice it is no longer charging, you will not be able to do so once the battery goes fully dead.
14 of 16 found the following review helpful:
 Exactly What I Wanted! May 25, 2011
By Sleepspeed
I spent a lot of time looking at and reading reviews of tablets. I did not want a 10 inch-Ipad size. I felt it was too large for me to consider the device portable. A lot of my coworkers have Ipads and the size is beyond allowing placing in a pocket. I wanted to take it with me everywhere even though I also carry a laptop with me for work. I also wanted a fast dual processor like the Xoom, and Gorilla glass for durability. Since I have an Android phone (Samung Fascinate), and had just gone through purchasing new apps when I changed from an old Windows phone to the Android I did not want to learn new apps or repurchase apps for the tablet. I also wanted to share materal between my phone and tablet. I did not want 3/4G cell connectivity since I have a Mifi for wireless use. And I did not want to pay more than $400 for a device.
With these specs in mind I went to the mall and looked at the Samsung Gallay, the Dell Streak 7, the Xoom, and the Ipad 2. The Samsung has a brillant screen but the difference to me compared to the Streak in the 7 inch size was not enough to offset the price difference and the "hope" that it would be upgradable to Honeycomb. The Xoom was too large and expensive for the wifi version. I looked at the Ipad 2 last. The display was impressive, but the size, cost, and operating system were not what I wanted.
I then found that Amazon was advertising a pre-order of the wifi version. I immediately ordered one and waited a long time! When I finally got it I found it to be kind of anticlimatic since it worked just as expected! The display is great and I don't notice the decreased resolution that reviews seem to focus on. The screen is responsive to touch and swype works well in the portrait orientation. The rear camera works well, but I have not used the front facing camera for video conferencing yet. But most of all when I went out to the Android Market it had all my apps listed that I had purchased and I was able to download them without buying them again. The sound through the speakers is amazing. I ordered a stand to use it for music at work and as a electronic photo frame (pictures on the SD card I added). While I have a Kindle the ability to download my Kindle books to the Streak makes this a great e-reader, enabling me to just carry one device. It did take a little practice to adjust to holding it without accidentally hitting the home button. Yet I don't find it hard to hold, or heavy at all as others have found. The battery does have a short life, but usually meets my needs. I'd reccommend purchasing a car charger.
Overall this is a great device for the price, which is now $80 less than what I paid! You cant beat the portability, speed, ability to upgrade, and flexibility of the Android operating system.
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