Wednesday 14 March 2012

In Review: Toshiba Thrive

By James Perron


Given the amount of features that this beautiful tablet packs it's barely surprising that it's one of the leading sellers on Amazon. Known more for their PCs, the Thrive represents Toshiba's first foray in to the world of Android with their 10.1 in. tablet and they have not held back on the features either. With the most recent 1GHz twin core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB RAM and 1280x800 resolution screen it's got the same hardware as the more dear Samsung Galaxy Tab yet Toshiba have raised the standard by adding SD card support, a HDMI out port and 2 USB ports.

We're not quite certain how Toshiba has managed to make a tablet so much cheaper than all the competitors while offering more features but we are definitely not complaining! Aside from the additional features you may also find a gyroscope, an accelerometer (perfect for gaming), a digital compass and GPS for location based services. On the rear you're covered with a 5 megapixel camera similar to the Xoom and eeePad Transformer and on the front there's a 2 megapixel camera on the front of the unit for video conferencing. Read more.

The Thrive comes with Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) which permits you to make all of the alterations and customisations that you would expect from an Android tablet. If you have already installed Android applications on your smartphone then a fast sync up will let you immediately download all the compatible tablet programs which is a huge time-saver and means you're porting your well known smartphone environment to your tablet.

You may have thought that Toshiba would actually push the fact that the Thrive has more port options than any other tablet but in truth they are promoting their video enhancement technology which they claim makes standard definition movies look more like HD movies. We think that Toshiba looked long and hard at the tablet market before releasing their model and accepted that the majority of people were using them as media consumption devices while travelling or in bed instead of as productivity devices and decided that the way to distinguish the Thrive amongst the bunch was to provide superior video play back.

Another feature that Toshiba highlights is the removable battery and it might be because it's a design issue which they're spinning to be a feature. While it's rated to have an eleven hour battery charge lifespan, numerous shoppers have reported that they have struggled to get rather more than seven hours out of it especially with wifi is turned on. An additional battery will set you back about $80 but we do not see why you'd be carrying an extra battery though not the charging unit.

The downsides for the Thrive are that it is almost twice as thick as the Galaxy Tab and 4 oz heavier. A few of the people are also reporting that the build quality feels a tiny bit inexpensive compared to the solid feel you get from the Motorola Xoom. It has additionally been widely derided for its ungainly looks, some critics even go as far as to call it a fatso '! If you're looking to turn heads then think about an iPad but if you are on a restricted budget and wish to do everything the more expensive tablets can do then the Toshiba Thrive should most definitely be on your wish list.




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