14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like HP will have competition from the get go when its TouchPad tablet finally starts selling, as Toshiba has begun to take pre-orders for its own 10-inch tablet, one that is even cheaper than the former.
Toshiba might not have come out as well-armed with video demonstrations of the Thrive tablet as HP did for the TouchPad, but it looks like it is no less eager to send its slate out into the world.
The Android 3.1-loaded Thrive has been the subject of discussion for a while now, and it appears that users interested in it can finally start to place pre-orders (shipments will commence in the middle of July).
While it does not have the so-called 'uniqueness advantage' that the TouchPad gets from the WebOS and the Snapdragon SoC, Toshiba's product doesn't seem to be any more lacking in performance and features.
The fact that its price of $429.99 is smaller than the $499 (or even $599) of the other slate is definitely an advantage, however.
Granted, users will have to make do with just 8 GB of built-in storage, but even the 16 GB version is cheaper than the rival ($479.99 vs. $499).
There is also a 32 GB versions ($579.99), while a microSD card slot will allow either of the three to be equipped with even more NAND Flash.
The NVIDIA Tegra 2 SoC is the platform utilized by the device, meaning that Full HD media is supported (an HDMI port allows one to stream videos to monitors or HDTVs).
Other specifications include a 5 megapixel camera on the back (for shooting videos) and a 2 megapixel one on the front, plus USB 2.0, a mini USB connector, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, ambient light sensor, accelerometer and digital compass.
While the back cover of the slate is rubberized plastic, for a good grip, one can choose to order a docking station which, for $59.99, will give easier HDMI connectivity, a pair of USB 2.0 ports and a 3.5mm audio output.