The Dell Streak that I've been testing for a few days is a tablet, too. And that's pretty much where comparisons with the iPad cease.

Oh, sure, folks will ask the same basic question of the Streak that they asked before the iPad appeared: Is there room for a slate that's larger than a smartphone but smaller than a typical laptop? But where the iPad has a near-10-inch screen and a form that brings it into the ballpark of some notebooks, the Streak is at the other end of the spectrum. With its 5-inch, multitouch-screen, Streak resembles a smartphone that went on an eating binge, like an old-fashioned PDA. And Streak, unlike an iPad, will fit in your pants pocket, albeit with a bulge, or jut out of a shirt pocket by an inch or so.

Streak actually doubles as an Android-based smartphone. But phoning is not its strength nor the reason to consider buying one. I couldn't hang up on a call when the dial pad was on the screen covering the "End Call" button. And while the Streak is petite for a tablet, it is gargantuan by modern standards for a phone -- like a handset that belongs to the past century. It weighs in at 7.8 ounces. Streak is attractive and thin, though better suited for tablet duties.

Alas, I didn't love the virtual keyboard. And Dell is a generation behind when it comes to Android. It runs Android version 1.6, making it a tad listless. Dell has added its own tweaks to Google's operating system and says an over-the-air update to version 2.2, or Froyo, is in the cards.

Here's a closer look:

*Availability. Dell won't say but indicates the Streak is coming very soon. This week Dell started soliciting pre-orders for Streak on its Web site, offering folks first crack at the device when it does go on sale, and a chance to buy a Plantronics Bluetooth headset for 99 cents.

*Price. That's also a Dell secret for now, as is the identity of Streak's official U.S. wireless carrier. All signs point to AT&T, though. Michael Dell has mentioned AT&T as a Streak partner in the past, and AT&T will be bringing out the Dell Aero smartphone in the not-too-distant future. I was able to test Streak with an AT&T sim card. (In geek terms, Streak is compatible with UMTS, GSM /Edge and HSDPA and HSUPA networks. The device is already on sale in the United Kingdom via the wireless carrier known as O2.) (continued...)

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