Dell is planning a “whole slew” of tablets over the next few months and the 7-inch Android tablet we spotted earlier could be released in a few weeks.
The news comes from an interview with the Wall Street Journal, as a Dell executive said the company is also working on a 10-inch tablet. When you consider the Streak, Dell will have tablets with a 5,7 and 10-inch display within a few months.
We know that the 7-inch tablet will be run by Android but it’s unclear what will power the 10-inch device. Dell executives hinted this could be Microsoft products and that probably means Windows 7. I enjoy Windows 7 (I’m writing on it right now) but I still don’t think it’s a proper OS for a tablet because it was not built from the ground up with touch in mind.
The move comes as we are in the beginnings of a war over this new device form factor. The Apple iPad is clearly the leader as the device has sold more than 3 million units since it was released earlier this year.
Even more importantly than the amount of units sold, the Apple iPad proved that there is a market for these types of devices. I’m still not convinced these are going to take over for laptops any time soon but there does appear to be room for a third device beyond your smartphone and computer.
Research In Motion recently introduced its BlackBerry Tablet, the PlayBook, and this device is geared toward the enterprise market. It’s not going to hit until early next year, so it’s too soon to tell how successful it will be.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab also has a 7-inch screen and it will be powered by Android. This device is coming out on all four major U.S. carriers, which could make it appealing depending on if there is a required data contract.
[Via The Wall Street Journal]