The big question around enterprise conference tables these days is whether tablet PCs can and will replace laptops and desktops--or at least earn a place alongside them.

Most of the discussion has centered around Apple's iPad, but there's a new candidate that introduces a new form factor. It's the Dell Streak, a kind of smartphone/tablet hybrid that might prove very popular in IT departments.

The Streak features a 5-inch screen--smaller than the iPad's, but also small enough that the device can ride around in a pocket. (Only Shaquille O'Neal's pants can accommodate an iPad.) It runs the increasingly popular Android operating system and does something the iPad can't: make phone calls.

It'll be available for purchase later this month (pricing and carrier details are TBA). In the meantime, check out Engadget's extensive hands-on review of the Streak. Here's an excerpt:

The Streak's battery life may well be impressive, but what about its performance as a phone? Pretty good, we'd say -- last night we made a 25-minute call with the Streak held against our face the whole time, and our hand and arm were still alive after that. We also did our usual noise test and the Streak managed to suppress a fair amount of background noise.

Engadget doesn't really delve into the Streak's acumen as an IT tool or its potential to displace, say, netbooks and laptops. But one thing is abundantly clear to me: its larger screen would make tasks like remote support much more comfortable than on a typical smartphone. And because it is a phone, it doesn't require Wi-Fi for connectivity. That's huge.

The review concludes as follows: "What is the Dell Streak? In our humble opinion, it's most certainly a smartphone. A large and sexy smartphone that still fits in a pocket." Sounds mighty tempting to me.

Your thoughts?