With the release of the Streak on Thursday, Dell will try to target all of Apple’s mobile products at once. This strategy will surely only confuse consumers. Under Steve Jobs’ tutelage, consumers know exactly which Apple product to purchase for the task at hand. Want to listen to music, but don’t need to make phone calls? Get the iPod. Need to make phone calls, but also want video? Get an iPhone. Want to get some work done while on the road? Get an iPad.

Want to try to do all of those things with an old operating system and a screen that is somewhere between perfect and not enough? Get a Dell Streak.

I will give Dell credit for trying something new and not following directly in Apple’s footsteps, but the Streak is like the Homer Simpson car that had a little bit of everything on it. The end result is that none of it really worked.

The Streak comes with Google’s Android OS, but not the latest 2.2 version. The Streak will ship with version 1.6. That just makes no sense at all.

With its five-inch screen, many people see the Streak as an iPad competitor, but how can that be? The great thing about the iPad is its large 10-inch screen, enabling you to work on word processing documents or spreadsheets without straining your eyes. a five-inch screen can’t compete with that.

So the Streak must be a competitor for the iPhone. The Streak can make phone calls, but can you image holding up a device to your ear that is so large? I can’t.

Dell’s fundamental mistake here is that it is confusing the consumer on what this device actually is. Apple’s product strategy is clear — you have a task, you have a product to fit that task.

In a way, Dell’s strategy is clear too. Throw everything into one device and see what happens. Until Dell figures out what it’s going after, consumers will remain confused.