Toshiba Thrive Review

A Review Of The Toshiba Thrive Tablet PC

The Toshiba Thrive is undoubtedly an affordable alternative for those people serious about a powerful Android tablet pc. With an excellent quality resolution, a variety of storage options as well as a powerful NVidia Tegra Dual Core processor, this may very well be a tablet pc to compete with the most popular Samsung Galaxy Tab and Asus Eee Pad tablet pcs.

Main Specifications Of The Toshiba Thrive

* Costs $430 - $630
* Released in 2011
* Operates on Google Android 3.1 OS
* 10.75 by 0.62 by 6.97 inches in size
* Weighs 1.6 lb / 0.73 kg
* 10.1 inch display screen
* 1280 by 800 HD resolution
* 8GB, 16GB and 32GB storage space options
* NVidia Tegra 2 Dual 1GHz processor
* Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity
* 5 MP & 2 MP cameras
* 7 hours battery life

Toshiba Thrive Review - The Advantages

Storage Options

There are various storage options to select from the Toshiba Thrive which is certainly a fantastic thing. This means users can obtain just what they require and select the right one that suits their budget. Though the basic guideline should invariably be to obtain the maximum storage space within your budget so as to take into account for future expansion. However, getting a lower alternative will still provide you with lots of memory space for apps. The price range of Toshiba Thrive tablet pcs are generally quite similar compared to the other best selling Android tablet pcs.

Design

A major characteristic of the Toshiba Thrive's design is the inclusion of a non-slip interchangeable rubberized back plate. As a result, the tablet pc is unlikely to slip away from your hands when you are working with it. This is an issue some Apple iPad users may probably identify with. It can also help to ensure that it is much more comfortable to hold on to for extended periods of time - a vital feature for anything that is intended to be used mainly while held in the hands.

Toshiba also make it simple for users to customize the design and style their tablet pcs. The back plate can be changed and substituted with any one of six distinctive color options. Though these will cost more, they are a cool add-on to a device which can help it to differentiate from the regular black colored tablet pcs available on the market today.

Screen

The HD screen ensures that your movies and videos will appear terrific on the Toshiba Thrive. Users can also find an inbuilt video enhancement feature to further improve the quality of standard-definition content. It is meant to make it even more closer to what you are used to HD. Much effort has been made to enable the Toshoba Thrive's screen to remain readable in sunlight, by using an automatic adjustment function tuning the brightness and color for optimum viewing, though no tablet pc will ever read very well in bright outdoor sunlight.

HDMI Port

Users are able to take their favorite movies or videos from the Toshiba Thrive tablet pc and make use of the inbuilt HDMI port to hook them up to a big screen HDTV television. This really is a pleasant addition if you desire the flexibility of watching downloaded website content on a better quality and bigger screen.

Camera

The Toshiba Thrive provides both a front facing as well as a rear facing camera, like the majority of of its rivals. The rear facing camera is an impressive 5 megapixel camera, which includes the ability to record HD quality videos, which gives Toshiba Thrive a very good edge over most of its competitors. Even the 2 megapixel webcam means you will be able to make good quality video calls than you would be with the majority of the other competing tablet pcs out there in the market.

Flash Support

Like the majority of the other Android rivals, the Toshiba Thrive supports Adobe Flash on websites, whether for games or even videos. This gives it the extra edge over the Apple iPad if you know you are likely to watch lots of Flash videos. Nevertheless, be aware that the Apple iPad 2 is still equipped with the ability to watch videos on YouTube as well as a number of of the more common video websites.

Processor

The Toshiba Thrive utilizes the NVidia Tegra 2 Dual Core processor - exactly the same processor used by some of the most popular Android tablet pcs currently available. What this implies is that you will find multi tasking feature functions exceptionally well and that tasks and apps generally load fairly quickly. You will also gain access to a variety of games that will be able to display in high quality on the Toshiba Thrive's HD screen.

Accessories

Where the number of accessories for Toshiba Thrive tablet pc is concerned, it can be viewed as both a benefit as well as a drawback. On the plus side, Toshiba is known to have a good variety of accessories available for you to pick from. These include the very useful battery pack; colorful back plate which is interchangeable; and the docking station which lets you display your tablet pc in a prominent area. Depending on which dock you choose to have, you will have either 1 or 2 USB ports. Looking at the downside, the main concern is that there just isn't as many accessories available for the Toshiba Thrive as compared to its rivals Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab. The good news is that the number of accessories for the Toshiba Thrive is growing all the time. There is no doubt that the Toshiba Thrive is one of the more popular tablet pcs in the marketplace and therefore you should not have much problem getting the type of accessories you need.

SD Card Reader

Instead of the commonly used micro-SD card slot which can be found in many other tablet pcs, the Toshiba Thrive is equipped with a full sized SD card reader. This is a great feature for users who need to transfer photos frequently, as it is compatible with much more camera memory cards. With this, you are also able to increase the base storage size options and it's really good news for advanced users with numerous files.

User-Replaceable Battery

This is truly a wonderful feature and so far none of the higher end tablet pc offers it. The Toshiba Thrive tablet pc makes it really easy for users to replace the battery. It is a fact that tablet pc batteries will tend to deteriorate with time, so having user-replaceable battery means that you can possibly avoid expensive costs when the time comes to replace the battery. On top of that, it also means that you can get a spare battery as a standby for contingency purpose. This is one of the best features of the Toshiba Thrive and something which will be important to users who wish to have more control over the device.

Ports

In addition to the SD card slot as well as the HDMI port that were elaborated above, there are a USB port and a mini USB port that comes with the Toshiba Thrive. There are also extra ports if you use the docking station. This is a very useful feature if you intend to add external USB devices or storage.

Toshiba Thrive Review - The Disadvantages

Battery Life

As compared to many of the high end tablet pcs out there, the average 7 hours battery life of the Toshiba Thrive tablet pc is quite a disappointment. If you are looking for a tablet pc with a long battery life, then this shortfall can prove to be a major limitation.

Weight

Weighing at 1.6 pounds, the Toshiba Thrive is not considered to be heavy, though it is a little heavier than its rivals like the iPad. When you are holding your tablet pc for a longer period of time, even a slight difference in weight can be easily felt and noticed.

No 3G / 4G Connectivity

This is a drawback for users who need to be connected even when they are away from Wi-Fi. But if you evaluate this a little deeper, you will find that it's not really a limitation because you can still plug the the dongles into the Toshiba Thrive's USB port so that you can remain connected while on the go.

Should You Choose Toshiba Thrive Tablet PC?

The Toshiba Thrive tablet pc is viewed by many to be a serious contender in the Android tablet pc war, even though its design standards isn't very impressive as it's quite similar to that of others, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab. One of its major advantages is the slightly cheaper pricing (for a lower storage option). In addition, the fact that one can replace the tablet pc's battery by oneself means a lot to many users and that feature alone can make a whole world of difference.

To order your Toshiba Thrive Tablet PC today - click here.