Hasta La Gadget!

iPad holdouts, here’s a real alternative. Dell’s first tablet, the ‘Streak’ aka ‘Mini 5′ is set to go on sale towards the end of next month in the U.S.

The device will be available unlocked through Dell’s website and will cost $500 –the same  price as an entry level iPad. The Streak releases later this week in the U.K. and includes a plan that offers the device free with a mobile phone and data contract.

The Streak will be the first real challenger to the Apple iPad. Since Apple launched the iPad in April, it has sold more than 2 million devices. The demand for tablets has spurred other PC makers including Asus, MSI and HP to introduce tablets. But so far, none have made it to the market.

The Streak’s pricing on par with the iPad is a bold move by Dell considering the device feels somewhere between a smartphone and a tablet.

The Streak has a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen, a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera, a front facing camera for video chat, 3G and Wi-Fi capability. The device also has a Micro SD slot expandable up to 32 GB. It will run Google’s Android operating system, version 2.0 or higher.

Interestingly, Streak has a SIM card slot so you could use it to make phone calls, as long as you don’t feel awkward holding an electronic slab to your ear. Already AT&T has said it will support the Streak on its network.

Specs wise, the Streak is pretty impressive but the question is will the screen size fly with potential tablet users who have seen the 9.5 inch of gorgeousness that the iPad offers?

Check out the demo of the Streak from the D8 conference.

See Also:

• Dell’s Tablet Aims to Stick It to Apple’s iPad
• Dell Streak Tablet Official, Crippled by Android 1.6
• Dell Tablet To Debut on AT&T
• Why 2010 Will Be the Year of the Tablet
• Gallery: 8 Tablets That Aren’t Made by Apple

Photo: Dell Streak/Dell