Dell has stopped selling the Dell Streak 7, the company’s last remaining tablet model being sold in the US market. Last August, Dell discontinued the sales of the Dell Streak 5. The company’s Dell Streak 10 was never released in the US and may not be released at all given the turn of events. It is, however, being sold in China.

Dell issued a statement reiterating their commitment to the “mobility market” and said that it is still selling products in other parts of the globe. Dell also mentioned that it “remain committed to expanding our reach beyond PCs with a targeted set of open, standards-based mobility solutions and services designed for commercial and mobile professional customers.”

Dell’s affirmation of commitment may now shift to Windows. It has introduced two Windows Phones and an Inspiron laptop that transforms into a tablet. With Microsoft planning to release Windows 8 next year, Dell could actually use it to reenter the tablet market with a renewed strategy – one that is anchored on Windows 8’s capabilities that have been built with touch screens in mind.

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American computer manufacturer Dell is making additional inroads to the Chinese market by partnering with Baidu, one of China’s biggest companies. The agreement is for the manufacturing of smartphones and tablets that will use Baidu’s own Android-based operating system, Yi.

The announcement of the Dell – Baidu partnership was not very rich in detail. No announcements were made regarding schedules on when the first devices are expected to be revealed to the market. But there is speculation that consumers may see the first products of the partnership as early as November this year.

The Baidu Yi is an Android-based system for mobile devices. The Yi will feature built int apps and services. A Baidu product is expected to gain a lot of supporters because the company’s service is the overwhelming leader in the country’s search market. The decision for Baidu to go into the electronics business is to provide consumers with products that already have Baidu services built into it. Dell, on the other hand, will further strengthen its presence in the Chinese market because of this partnership.

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It looks like one company has chosen to do the latter, which a few Microsoft employees were able to demo for the rest of the world (note: video is from Dell, not Microsoft).

The core of the duo’s uniqueness is the screen itself; rather than have a convertible screen that is hinged at a single point on the chassis and rotates laterally, the duo’s lid is fixed and the screen rotates inside the bezel[.] [...]

I found the duo comfortable to work on – the tight 1366 x 768 resolution, even on the 10” viewable screen area, was easy to read, and 12” body offers up a keyboard that was big enough to type on without my fingers cramping. Sound was impressively good for something this diminutive and I enjoyed singing along to the new Zac Brown Band album on Zune.  My office mates, however, did not.

In touch mode, the duo is a capable entertainment companion.  When you flip it to reveal the touchscreen, a finger friendly interface called “Dell Stage” pops up, and gives you one-touch access to your photos, movies, the Blio reader, and games.   It’s an unobtrusive overlay to Windows 7’s standard interface that’s there when you want it to be there, and hidden when you don’t. (Windows Team Blog)

The Inspiron Duo starts at $549 and may actually prove to be a serious contender against the iPad, although that depends upon how well Microsoft Windows 7 works with the netbook tablet laptop (or whatever one wants to call it).

Dell’s visionary netbook also boasts plenty of space by offering a 250 GB hard drive as well as 2 GB of RAM.

Truth be told however I’m not so sure if that last fact matters as the netbook is sporting an Atom processor which honestly are not the best processors for computers (smartphones are a different matter however).

While this netbook could prove to be a holiday blockbuster for Dell, it may also be the company’s ticket to compete against not only Apple, but HP as well (the latter who is creating a tablet for Windows 7 as well as webOS).

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“There are going to be unique innovations coming up in the marketplace in two, three years, with a new form of computing, we want to be on that forefront … So with Chrome or Android or anything like that we want to be one of the leaders,” [Dell's president for Greater China and South Asia] Midha said, adding that there were no firm announcements to be made but talks were underway. (Reuters)

Dell is probably one of many computer manufacturers talking to Google, who of late seems to be the only force strong enough to counter the rise of Apple in the tablet and mobile fields.

Previously Dell has partnered with Google to launch Android powered smartphones, although unlike the Droid and Droid Eris (via Motorola and HTC, respectively), Dell’s official smartphones have yet to become hits with the public.

Dell has not commented on whether they will consider producing a large Chrome OS tablet to counter Apple’s iPad, although for now throwing their lot with Google could help them maintain relevance in the brave new world of mobile devices.

(via CrunchGear)

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The Inspiron Mini 9 is a small, easy-to-carry Internet companion that can be tuned to fit your specific needs and deeds. Minis are ideal for teens, tweens, travelers and “Tweeters” to surf the Web, chat with friends, blog, upload photos or enjoy online videos, music and games.

AT&T offers the nation’s 3G network in nearly 350 major U.S. metropolitan areas. AT&T LaptopConnect customers with a 2-year service agreement also enjoy free connectivity to the AT&T Wi-Fi network.

The $99 tag price is too tempting, however.

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As part of this unique offering, Dell and UMG have created 50 and 100-song music bundles starting at $25, each of which includes a curated selection of MP3s for approximately half of current standard per track pricing.

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Dell (PRODUCT) RED products are now available at www.dell.com/joinred and at Best Buy stores throughout the United States by the end of the week. Beginning Jan. 31, they also will be available through Dell in nearly 30 additional countries.

(RED), launched in 2006, is a brand designed to engage business and consumer power in the fight against AIDS in Africa. To date, (RED) partners have contributed more than $57 million to the Global Fund based on the sale of (PRODUCT) RED products. (RED) funds are at work on the ground in Rwanda, Swaziland and Ghana.

With each purchase of a (PRODUCT) RED branded Dell personal computer including Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED, Dell and Microsoft will make a combined contribution of $50 to $80 – depending on the PC purchased – to the Global Fund. Purchase of a Dell (PRODUCT) RED printer generates a $5 Dell contribution. One hundred percent of the funds contributed go to Global Fund-financed grants in Africa.

An $80 contribution generated by the choice of a Dell (PRODUCT) RED all-in-one PC with Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED is equivalent to more than six months of life-saving antiretroviral treatment for an individual living with AIDS in Africa.

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Known for its “always connected” mobile entertainment, Zing currently provides the streaming audio technology for Sandisk Sana Connect wireless mobile mp3 player, and the Sirius Stiletto.

This acquisition is just one of the steps that Dell has taken to expand its retail catalog. “We’re looking at companies that can expand our capability to provide great product experiences,” said Frink. “We think this is a company that can provide a great technology and entertainment experience.

However, with the disappearance of the Dell DJ Ditty, Dell’s own-branded but now defunct portable media player, many are perplexed about this recent attempt. Then again, when all else fails, Dell could still continue effectively selling third party products anyway.

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