---
title: The real issue with the Dell Streak - not its physical, but its energy footprint. iPad wins.
date: 2011-07-04T15:39:22Z
modified: 2011-07-04T15:39:22Z
permalink: "https://redmonk.com/jgovernor/the-real-issue-with-the-dell-streak-not-its-physical-but-its-energy-footprint-ipad-wins/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 3426
categories:
  - Uncategorized
timestamp: 2011-07-04T15:39:22Z
tags:
  - Uncategorized
---

As I have said before [I like the Dell Streak 5’s form factor](http://www.redmonk.com/jgovernor/2010/09/06/thoughts-on-the-dell-streak-i-like-the-form-factor-but-then-i-dont-wear-skinny-jeans/). A jacket pocket-sized tablet is fine by me. No – the real problem with the Streak wasn’t that it was “too big for a phone, too small for a tablet” but rather that it needed recharging all the time. True mobility requires a long battery life, which is perhaps where Zuckerburg was [wrong about the iPad](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/03/zuckerberg_says_ipad_is_not_mobile/) -of course its a mobile device-you can carry it around for a day without a charge.

The Streak on the other hand is never really happy unless its plugged in for recharging. I think Dell will make some great devices, and 5 inch may be a great form factor for mobile workers…. but Dell needs to hire some engineers to be remorseless about energy efficiency. The iPad is frankly astounding in terms of energy consumption; at rest it basically doesn’t draw power – we should put the team in charge of global power efficiency. The Android community, meanwhile, needs to learn the power lesson from Apple.