They plan on doing that by releasing a 10.1-inch tablet with a 1280 x 800 touchscreen at a very competitive price of only $429. For the time being, it is unclear what makes this tablet special and will give it a fighting chance on an increasingly competitive market, but Toshiba hopes to start on the right foot. The tablet is known as Thrive and is powered by an Android 3.1 operating system which is pretty impressive given the few devices which run on this. Toshiba didn’t try to leave its mark on the operating system and limited themselves to a few utilities, which they expect to appeal to a broad audience.
Besides the Android 3.1, Toshiba’s Thrive is the first tablet to incorporate the Swype keyboard, which is a bold move to say the least. It remains to be seen whether the users will appreciate the innovation, or stick to the more conservative keyboards, given the obvious problems when holding the tablet. Speaking of which, those who were worried about Thrive weighing 1.6 ponds can relax a bit, knowing that the tablet is easy to hold and feels considerably lighter. Toshiba took some chances by using rubber for the edges of the case, but it proved to be a winning bet.
It is virtually impossible for the Thrive to slip out of your hands, and this finish is also visually appealing. The bezel is a bit wide, but all the features and design elements are discrete and elegant, so even the savvy users will find Toshiba’s release well above the average. On the other hand, watching the images displayed from various angles leaves a lot to be desired, but keeping in the natural position delivers clear and bright colors. This is definitely not the best tablet on the market, but there is a huge value if you put things into perspective and compare the price with what Thrive has to offer.