Toshiba's Thrive Tablet, its first Android-powered tablet for the U.S. market, is now available for presale, and some are suggesting it may be better, or at least cheaper, than the iPad.
The Thrive features a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, Android 3.1,
Honeycomb, a 10.1-inch high-resolution (1280 x 800) multi-touch LED backlit touchscreen, Swype, USB 2.0, HDMI, 2MP front-facing webcam, a 5MP rear-facing camera, and an SD card
slot.
It weighs 1.6 pounds and can accommodate full ports and slots. The screen is enhanced by Toshiba's Adaptive Display and
Resolution video enhancement for viewing in different light and angles.
The Thrive Tablet comes in 8GB ($429.99 ), 16GB
($479.99 ), and 32GB ($579.99 ) models. Amazon.com is
offering a special deal: you will get $100 credit on the Thrive when you
join the AudibleListener Gold membership for 12 months at $14.95 per
month.
Toshiba
File Manager and PrinterShare are preloaded to manage files and to connect
to a printer over a wireless network.
Stereo
speakers are tuned with sound enhancement technologies from Toshiba and SRS
Labs.
The Thrive features a non-slip surface and removable back cover. New cover colors are Blue Moon,
Raspberry Fusion, Lavender Bliss, Silvery Sky, and Green Apple and cost $19.99.
Toshiba sells two docks: the Toshiba Multi-Dock with HDMI for movie watching with full-size HDMI port
for connecting to an HD TV or LCD monitor, two USB 2.0 ports for connecting
a keyboard or external hard drive, and a 3.5mm stereo audio port to take
advantage of external speakers or headphones.
The Toshiba Standard Dock ($39.99) with Audio Out features a built-in 3.5mm stereo
audio port. The dock provides
an ideal viewing angle to write emails and more, using a Bluetooth
wireless keyboard (sold separately), and it also charges the tablet.