Toshiba's flagship Fire TV set has hands-free Alexa
It comes in three sizes and will be available this month.
Toshiba Thrive
69
Engadget Review
An SD card slot and full-sized USB and HDMI ports don't fully make up for the fact that the Thrive is bulky, cheaply built and doesn't last long on a charge.
Dana WollmanJuly 22, 2011
Pros
- Relatively inexpensiveFull USB and HDMI ports, SDXC readerUseful file manager and printing app
Cons
- Chunky design and chintzy build qualityShort battery lifeWeak cameras
View All Critic & User Reviews
Toshiba Thrive
- Critic Reviews (5)
- User Reviews (7)
- 70AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE5 ReviewsEngadget70Toshiba Thrive reviewAll told, there are plenty of thinner, sexier, longer-lasting (and yes, pricier) tablets to be had, with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and iPad 2 coming to mind first. Still, we suspect there are some folks out there who've been waiting for something just like this.PC World70Toshiba Thrive Review: A Tablet Edges Closer to thThe Toshiba Thrive stands out in many ways--most of them good. It has some hardware weaknesses, including tinny speakers, a good but not outstanding display, and a bulky, heavy design.CNET70Toshiba Thrive ReviewThe Toshiba Thrive is a bulky but aggressively priced Honeycomb tablet that earns its girth with full port support and a removable battery.Pocket-Lint70Toshiba AT300 reviewToshiba is doing it. It's taken a year, but the firm is slowly pushing out tablets we'd be happy to recommend. The AT300 is nearly there, the battery life is good, it looks nice, it's well-built. As a tablet that competes with the likes of Apple and Samsung, it's slightly too expensive, and we think that will hamper sales...SlashGear70Toshiba Thrive ReviewIf you’re considering the Toshiba Thrive, you must really desire some full-sized HDMI and USB ports along with a full-sized SD card slot and a swappable battery on a tablet form factor because that’s what sets this slate apart and makes up for the extra bulkiness.
- 80AVERAGE USER SCORE7 ReviewsEngadget Reader80June 22, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I'm still looking for something with the same combination of features. It's a shame that most tablets aren't trying to be a little bit more like a real computer. Practically nothing has replaceable batteries. I want to be able to leave my laptop at home.Engadget Reader70April 28, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80January 26, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!While the tablet is very nice with the many connectivity ports, it sometimes has issues recognizing select USB devices and is rather heavy compared to other Android tablets. Definitely looking forward to what Android 4.0 ICS does for its usability.Engadget Reader80December 17, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have had this gadget for almost a month now. I don't remember how I was able to live before.Engadget Reader90August 22, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Simply put, this is not a tablet for people who want something just so they can show it off to their friends. You can do that, have no doubt. But, this tablet is more.Chief among its qualities is the full sized ports. Want more anything? Plug it into the full size USB port. Video on the big screen? No need for a second cable, this uses your regular HDMI. Full sized SD cards are cheaper than the micro versions, and 64GB cards are not far in the offing. The point is, this tablet is capable of more than it's competition because of the difference between it and it's competition. Sure it's a tad thicker, but it also feels sturdy in your hand, not like a piece of glass that might break. I have had no difficulties with the port covers as reported by another reviewer, and I've used them several times. And, the textured back is great. Presumably all of them are, though I have not purchased any of the different colored backs - I'm fine with stock.Other than that, this is a tablet with stock Honeycomb. Do what you will - elGoog doesn't care. Note that I didn't comment on durability. If I remember to update this in a year I'll comment, but I haven't even had this a month. No way does that allow me to say if it's durable or not.Finally, what I expect is the least used part of a tablet - the camera. Don't throw away your stand alone camera when you get this (or probably any tablet). Your phone probably takes better pictures.Engadget Reader70August 11, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I do not own a tablet so when I got the chance to take this with me for a work trip I was pretty excited. I have been wondering if a tablet is something that would enhance my life at all and figured that this would be a good way to find out.The first thing I noticed was that the tablet is quite heavy. It's my understanding that this is not unusual for tablets but since I'm used to carting around a Macbook Air, I was a bit surprised. Of course, once the tablet is in your bag, you don't even feel it. But holding it for a two hour flight? No thanks. My phone is the original Droid so for me the interface was intuitive and mostly behaved as expected. There were a few things that took me awhile to get used to but nothing that I feel detracted from the experience or should be held against the tablet. I had anticipated a zippier experience and was a little disappointed that it didn't seem to perform much better than my phone but I haven't played with very many other tablets so I can't say if my expectations were unrealistic or not.The tactile experience with this was very good. I barely had to touch the screen and it would do what I wanted it to. It made playing my favorite games (like Guns N Glory) easier and more fun. My biggest complaint, besides the weight, is the placement of the buttons. At the top right you have the power LED and like an inch below that is the power button. Every single time I went to hit that button I missed it because I expected it to be where the power LED was. I shouldn't have to LOOK for buttons after first use on a handheld device.I mentioned above having some mixed feelings about the design/form factor. The tablet looks fine from the front but the back cover is a bit cheesy. At the same time, taking the tablet with me on a trip, I found that I felt a lot more comfortable man handling the tablet because of that back cover. I didn't worry about it scratching or breaking. I basically felt like the tablet already had a protective cover on it and after a day or so the functional perks grew on me so that I no longer found the look of it detracting. My take away with the Thrive is that it is a tablet, it works and if the price is right, is worth getting, but it doesn't really stand out in any particular way.Engadget Reader90July 31, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love this thing works great. I love how the base OS is just Android and you just get some apps and make it what you want!! Adding a flash card for $25 from newegg.com more then dublels USD is grand. I have not use the others but this is pro for me.
Key Specs
FORM FACTOR
Tablet
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android
SCREEN SIZE
10.122
STORAGE TYPE
Internal, Memory card
CAMERA (INTEGRATED)
Yes
More from Toshiba
Toshiba and Insignia add AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support to their 2020 Fire TVs
You can skip the Apple TV.
Toshiba launches a new lineup of Fire TV Edition televisions
They're reportedly getting Amazon's redesigned Fire TV interface this summer.We have two newsletters, why not sign up for both?
A look back at some of Toshiba's most memorable laptops
The company sold it's laptop business off, but we'll always have these oddballs.
Toshiba officially quits the laptop business
Sharp now owns what's left of Toshiba's computer lineup.
Sharp's latest Dynabook is one of the lightest 13-inch laptops yet
The Portégé X30L-G weighs 1.9 pounds while delivering solid speed.
The latest Fire TV devices include a revamped Cube and Anker soundbar
You can also expect a deluge of TV sets, including an OLED model.
Tile partners with chip makers to bring stuff-finding power to everything
Soon you'll never lose anything ever again.
Toshiba's SSDs are the first to use 96-layer 3D flash chips
The cutting-edge NVMe SSDs are aimed at gamers and power users.
Toshiba's flash chips could boost SSD capacity by 500 percent
The 96-layer, four-bits-per-cell 3D NAND crams 1.33 terabits in a single chip.
Japan Display built a 1,001-ppi screen for VR headsets
It's all about pixel density and better latency.
Amazon recruits Best Buy to sell Fire TV Edition smart TVs
Best Buy gets exclusive dibs on Fire TV sets and becomes a third-party Amazon seller.
12Toshiba's smart glasses are powered by mini Windows PCs
They're not for everyone, but they could be useful for enterprise users.
Toshiba's Symbio is both a security camera and Alexa speaker
The multi-talented device also works as a smart home hub, intercom and sound detector.
Toshiba's chip drama ends with sale to a financial group
This might affect the prices of memory in your devices.
Toshiba's latest SSD tech squeezes 128GB onto a tinier chip
At this pace of development, mechanical disks are doomed.
Apple and Amazon want a stake in Toshiba's memory business
They're backing Foxconn's bid to buy Toshiba's NAND arm for as much as $28 billion.
The best external desktop hard drive
Seagate's 4TB Backup Plus Desktop Drive offers fast speeds and ample storage space for its price.
