TOSHIBA THRIVE

Though the physical appearance is what first sets the Toshiba Thrive apart from other tablet PCs (more on this below), the really outstanding feature of this device is in its multiplicity of ports and jacks, thereby allowing the user perhaps more functionality with outside devices than any other tablet.

Included the Toshiba Thrive are ports for full-sized SDXC, USB, mini-USB, HDMI, headphones, microphone and a 30-pin docking connector. We imagine the Thrive could easily serve as the nerve center for quite an expansive multimedia entertainment center. And with the Android 3.1 Honeycomb operating system, actually connecting the Thrive to other devices is a pleasure. The intuitive removable battery is also a nice touch, and the 5-megapixel camera is quite good.

As for the Toshiba Thrive’s looks, well, they’re a bit odd. The back side of the tablet bears a rubber finish for easy gripping if in a bit eccentric fashion, while the top lid is also textured. All those embedded ports in the Thrive mean that Toshiba pays in thickness. How thick is it? At 0.62” (1.6 cm), the Thrive could well be the fattest tablet on the market. It’s also among the heaviest at 1.66 pounds (over 0.8 kilograms).

Considering the vast amount of apps (too many to list in this space) embedded onto the tablet, the state-of-the-art OS and the Nvidia Tegra 2 microprocessor in the Toshiba Thrive, however, we can safely recommend this tablet to any user – despite the extra poundage.