Dell Is Setting Its Streak Tablet Up As an Apple Also-Ran

When it comes to competing in the tablet world, Dell (DELL) seems determined, but misguided. Its first effort, the Dell Streak, is coming out this summer, but no one is quite sure what to call it. Dell has referred to the 5-inch touch screen device as a "slate", "voice enabled tablet" and "mini-tablet", anything to avoid calling it what it is, an over-sized smartphone. The sales pitch for the Streak borrows directly from Steve Jobs in an unfortunate fashion. "The Dell Streak is a hybrid device that lives in the space between the smartphone and other larger tablets or netbooks that you might be using right now." That's exactly how Jobs positioned the iPad, hitting the sweet spot between the devices you already own. Except Jobs imaged a world with just three devices, while Dell is positioning the Streak as one of four, or possibly five, if you count a home computer.

Another strange similarity is that when the Streak debuts stateside -- it's coming out in the U.K. first -- Dell plans to sell it through AT&T. This is just completely baffling. Studies show that a lot of folks want access to the smartphones and tablets the Apple (APPL) is selling, but don't want to switch to AT&T. If the Dell Streak was on other networks, it might have captured some of those aspirants. But on AT&T it's going head to head with Apple for the same set of customers, a battle Dell is sure to lose.

Dell did announce that it would be expanding the Streak to better fit the definition of a tablet device, both 7 and 10 inch models are in the works. It's pretty clear that Dell took notice of the iPad and redesigned accordingly. The larger versions of the Streak bear more resemblance to Apple's product than they do to the original 5-inch version. The company would have been better served to develop a competing look, as Motorola did with Droid.

The Streak has cool features like a front facing camera and will be upgraded remotely to Android 2.2, giving it Flash capabilities. Heck, the 5 or 7 inch touch screen may turn out to be a niche market. But the number of ways in which Dell is aping Apple will make it very difficult for the company to create its own momentum. Dell is soldiering into the tablet wars, knowing full well its tactics are borrowed from a superior enemy.