Toshiba THRiVE Pro Reviews

If you’re all about all around execution, then, at prices starting at $499, it should perform far better than it does. But like I said, it isn’t really it’s fault.

Inevitably, whenever a new tablet comes out, we find ourselves asking, "Why would you choose this over everything else?" And to be honest, in a marketplace with so many forgettable options it's not always an easy question to answer. In the case of the Thrive, at least, you've potentially got enough built-in reasons to count on both hands. It's got full-sized USB and HDMI ports, not to mention an SDXC slot allowing you to make good use of one of the memory cards you've no doubt accumulated over the years. It comes with lots of useful apps -- some of which cost money -- which means if you'll be up and running immediately (and so will any low-tech person you give this to as a gift). It runs Android 3.1 at a time when most tabs don't. Oh, and it's priced to sell. It starts at $429 for 8GB, making it stand out in a market that absolutely does not need another $500 or $600 slate. We say, get the 8GB version, pair it with an old SD card, and have yourself a party.

Toshiba may have taken its time getting the Thrive on store shelves, but that time was obviously well spent crafting an excellent tablet that offers a productive computing experience and fills a much-needed niche.

Toshiba seems to have finally hit squarely on something that many have taken issue with in regards to Apple's dominant iPad offering since its first-gen introduction and even today with the iPad 2. The seemingly simple act of getting your data and content on to a tablet shouldn't be so cumbersome, with the need to synch with proprietary software over proprietary connectors. And a solution to this problem is exactly what Toshiba decided they'd offer users, in order to differentiate their 10-inch Android slate over others in the market. It's not just full-sized USB and HDMI ports that are refreshing; the Thrive's standard SD card slot and removable battery make it one of our favorite tablets on the market currently. Couple that with a price tag of $479 for the 16GB model, or $429 if you don't mind stepping down to 8GB of on-board storage, and you get much more value and functionality in a tablet, so long as you don't mind a little extra bulk. For its uncompromising design functionality, solid performance and competitive price, we'll heartily recommend Toshiba's Thrive to anyone considering an Android tablet PC.

The resume-from-sleep issue was nasty, but even now that the company sorted it out, you might well be better off spending your money elsewhere. Forgetting the full-size ports and considerable girth for a moment, the main thing that distinguishes the Thrive from competitors is how thoroughly average it is — when every other major tablet manufacturer has put their best foot forward, the Thrive offers merely an average experience. That might be fine if Toshiba undercut the competition on price, but the entry-level Thrive (which comes with only 8GB of flash storage!) is still $429. Meanwhile, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, which is superior in almost every way, costs only $400, and you can nab the Acer Iconia Tab A500 for the same price, which comes with a USB port and a superior multimedia experience even as it suffers slightly in terms of battery life. If your desire for full-size HDMI ports and SD card slots is insatiable, we sympathize, as those are definitely features we want on our slates as well, but we'll wait for a more smartly designed tablet to integrate those ports before we lay our money on the table.


In the end, the Toshiba Thrive is a good choice for those who really need the full-size HDMI and USB ports and can envision a day when games run faster on the GeForce graphics. For a specific use, including customisations and future upgrades, the Toshiba Thrive offers some extra flexibility. Maybe you want to be able to claim your tablet has the highest score in several benchmarks. Yet, the hefty size and weight (plus the passable screen quality) is the main reason we prefer other recent tablets.

Toshiba trades size and weight for extra functionality in this Honeycomb-based tablet. If you value full-size ports and a removable battery, this Android model has potential.

Call it a standard we come to expect nowadays, but when a tablet is priced around the $400 mark, there are certain requirements that they need to achieve. Sadly, we can’t say that the Toshiba Thrive is “the first tablet to get it right” mainly because it doesn’t necessarily bring anything new or excitingly different to the tablet form except for its standard sized ports and removable battery.

The Thrive isn’t going to be the best Android tablet choice for everyone. But for geeks, there aren’t many better options on the market right now.

Either way, the Thrive is a unique option when it comes to your tablet purchase and will have a warm place for some of you out there. It reminds us of what’s nice about the Android platform, and that’s options. You can have the sexy runway Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 starved of ports or the homely Toshiba Thrive ready to support more of your needs.

The Toshiba Thrive is one of the most attractive tablets we've tested, and it offers the most flexibility with its myriad of full-size ports and removable battery--just keep in mind that this also adds to its size and weight. Regardless, the tablet's 6 and a half hours of battery life pale in comparison to the 8+ hours of endurance provided by lighter competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and ASUS Eee Pad Transformer. Until Toshiba fixes the serious sleep/wake problem, we recommend holding off your purchase of the Thrive. However, after that issue is fixed, we recommend the Thrive for anyone looking for a stylish Android tablet with plenty of extras and a reasonable starting price.

Do I want a tablet that's more like a PC? No. Especially not when "more like a PC" includes pre-loading my device with piles of bloatware that I'll never use, proprietary crapps that I can't delete. I do not want to visit your App Place, Toshiba, or your Book Place or any Place you want to take me. I don't get in cars with strangers. The display? Your scan lines are showing. Do I mention its fatty, awkward size and the shape? Thrive feels like you're holding a GoKart steering wheel. If this is what it takes to get MiniUSB on a tablet, I'll pass on the MiniUSB.

With a removable battery and full USB functionality, the Toshiba Thrive is better outfitted for business than most Honeycomb tablets, but its bulkiness is bound to be a turn-off for some.

If your life is solely in the cloud, and if you can't envision yourself porting over files on a USB drive, playing a video from your tablet on your TV via HDMI, viewing photos on the tablet that you just took on your digital camera, or using USB devices with your tablet, then the Thrive isn't necessarily for you. But somehow, I think even the most connected people will have occasion to use a tablet in one of those ways. And that's where the Thrive's appeal clearly lies.

The Toshiba Thrive is a bulky but aggressively priced Honeycomb tablet that earns its girth with full port support and a removable battery.