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Toshiba Folio 100 Android tablet gains responsiveness, dignity via new firmware update
Hard to say if this injection of code will be enough to get Toshiba's Folio 100 back on PC World shelves, but for those who already snatched one off of there, it's bound to improve morale. Word on the street has it that Tosh has just issued a new firmware update (v2.2.5.0053) to the aforesaid device, and while it doesn't include Adobe's Flash Player 10.1, it does aim to improve the screen / touch responsiveness, issues with lag, pinch-to-zoom capabilities and audio / video processing. We're also getting the impression that the genuine Android Market is staying far, far away from this build, but we'd love to hear if your slate is acting any nicer post-update. Hit us up in comments below, won't you?
Toshiba Folio 100 now shipping its Tegra 2-powered Froyo wares around Europe
If you're LG, you wait until Android becomes a tablet-worthy OS before bringing out your Tegra 2 slate. If you're Toshiba, you're too busy shipping your 10-inch Froyo tablet to care. The Folio 100, powered by NVIDIA's latest and greatest ARM SOC, is making its promised Q4 2010 arrival today, as it begins shipping all across Europe. There are still no release plans for the US, but Euros can now enjoy a 1024 x 600 resolution, 16GB of internal storage, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, mini-HDMI, USB and SD card-reading ports, and up to seven hours of battery life. €399 ($560) is the last price we heard for this Android Market-deprived slate, though we'd recommend trying one in person before letting go of that cash -- our own impressions of the Folio 100 weren't overwhelmingly positive. Update: Toshiba has furnished us with updated pricing. Germany will have to pony up €429 for the 3G-less Folio 100 or €529 for the 3G-equipped SKU (available Q1 2011), whereas Italy gets both of them cheaper at €399 and €499, respectively, and UK buyers will have to find £329 for the thriftier model. All prices include local sales tax.
Toshiba Places to deliver web content across all Toshiba screens
Great devices aren't great without content and if you want it done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself. For Toshiba that means a new online content and services portal called Toshiba Places. The point of this companion software is to ensure that all said company's screens have a similar look and feel which will bring a consistent experience to every size screen while still being optimized for a TV or mobile phone (for example). Places will help you gain access to your own content or share it in your social networks as well as offer access to applications and various other online content. Exactly what premium content is available wil vary region by region and so until the US announcement comes we'll have to wait to learn which of our favorite sources will be included.
Toshiba Folio 100 preview
We just got to handle the Folio 100, after witnessing it bolted to a wall earlier, and we have to admit that it's lighter and thinner than it looks at first glance. Unfortunately, it still feels pretty cheap, and we're not sure how much we trust ourselves one-handing something this large and fragile seeming. Our brief glimpse of Toshiba's custom skin on here was most depressing -- it's not final, but we're not sure why Toshiba is even bothering showing anything in this abysmal state. The bits we've seen of Toshiba's market (for music, apps, e-books and so forth) look a bit better, but as far as we know there's no official Android Market on this thing -- a kiss of death for almost any Android device. Toshiba's biggest failure here, however, is probably the LCD it sourced for this tablet -- the screen looks as cheap and low res as could be, and while a €399 list price is decent for a tablet this size, it hardly seems a good excuse to stoop to KIRF-level components. Hit up the gallery for all the angles, along with some comparison shots with the mind share monopolizing iPad. Update: We just heard from Toshiba's US team and there are apparently no plans to bring the Folio 100 stateside. Given our lackluster first impressions, we can't say we're all that upset by that...%Gallery-101154%
