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Topic: Laptops

Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

Summary: Toshiba has fired up a web site to tease us with its upcoming Android tablet. This Honeycomb tablet is the first with a user replaceable battery and SD card slot.

James Kendrick

By for Mobile News |

Toshiba has fired up a web site to tease us with its upcoming Android tablet. According to the site the Toshiba tablet will run the latest version of Android, Honeycomb. Details are sketchy but piecing together what the site shares we get the following picture of the Toshiba tablet:

  • CPU: Nvidia Tegra 2
  • Display: 10.1-inch capacitive multitouch
  • Ports: MiniUSB, HDMI, USB, Full-size SD card slot
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
  • Cameras: 2MP, 5MP (front/rear)
  • Battery: User replaceable (with screwdriver)
  • OS: Android Honeycomb
  • Special: Replaceable back cover in 5 colors

No pricing nor availability is provided by Toshiba, other than it is coming this spring.

Topics: Laptops, Hardware, Mobility, Tablets, Toshiba

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43 comments
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  • Just three questions

    What will this tablet cost?
    How long does the battery last?
    How much does it weigh?

    Answers revealed in the spring.
    kenosha77a
    Reply Vote

    • Agree

      @kenosha7777
      All three questions are very good. :-)

      I am looking for a tablet and can't convince myself to buy iPad... I tried it in Best Buy and it seems sluggish to me. :-(

      Two ARM cores running at 1GHz and Nvidia graphics is a good H/W base for the tablet.

      I keep my fingers crossed in hope for the decent price (like iPad), good battery life(like iPad) and light weigh. ;-)
      Solid Water
      Reply Vote

      • If you feel that the iPad was sluggish ...

        @Solid Water Then an Android tablet is not going to win your approval any time soon.

        Play with a Galaxy Tab for a few minutes ... then you will know what sluggishness really feels like.

        If you look at the videos of the Moto Tab, it does not look like Honeycomb will be that much of an improvement (btw, I really hope the visual sluggishness gets fix by the time it gets released). Even on with the (alleged) better hardware specs, the OS was visually sluggish and late reacting to the inputs from the user.
        wackoae
        Reply Vote

      • @Solid Water: Ask yourself what wackoae's motivation is

        @Solid Water
        Why doesn't he want you to try the Toshiba? Why doesn't he want you to try Honeycomb? What is he so afraid of?

        One possible answer is that he is a plant from Apple's marketing department.
        NonZealot
        Reply Vote

      • You are a complete moron

        @NonZealot What part of "try" and "hope it gets fix" didn't you understand?
        wackoae
        Reply Vote

      • I can't convince myself a tablet is needed at all

        @Solid Water

        ... I frequent a couple Starbucks and several independent coffee shops all with wifi, etc. I have seen people surfing on their iPhones, type furiously on netbooks (probably term papers).... guess what no iPad. Not a single one.

        I am starting to suspect the iPad is like owning a third car: it looks cool in the driveway, but isn't practical for the everyday commute.
        croberts
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

        @croberts
        I agree. I think the novelty is wearing off. The first 3 months, I didn't see very many ipads on the train. then a lot more ipad sightings the next 4 months. And now in the past 2 months, i've seen much fewer ipads on the trains again. I think after a while, even if its much lighter than a laptop people just don't want to schlep one around. Its light by laptop standards but not light by convenience standard. Try and hold one up and read for 20 minutes. You'll feel the strain on your arm very quickly. Thats why everyone you see with an ipad, they hold it with 2 hands against their lap. Its just not comfortable trying to hold it up off your body without the body's extra support. And you can totally forget about holding it in one hand.
        rengek
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

      @kenosha7777
      Agree with those questions.
      I would also point out that spec-wise, this looks like a Xoom clone.
      BillDem
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

        @BillDem <br>How can it be a clone of the Xoom?????<br>Lets look at what they both have:<br>1. The same screen resolution (1280:800)<br>2. The same proccesor (Tegra 2)<br>3. The same screen orientation (16:10)<br>4. Nothing more!!!!!!<br>Also the design is completely different, and how many tablets have the Tegra 2 proccesor? <br>The Tegra 2 proccesor is one of the most advanced mobile processor and there are gonna be more tablets with it, then just the Xoom and the Toshiba Tablet.
        Julian Blau
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

      @kenosha7777
      <br>Question 1: Should be around 599$ like the Xoom, maybe they can make it get close to the iPad 2 cheapest version 499$
      <br>Question 2: It will be about 8-10 Hours and can be much longer just by buying an extra battery so you could use it all day long xD
      <br>Question 3: Around 1.7 pounds, but it is not known precisely. The iPad 2 weights 1.5 (WiFi only version) and 1.6 (3G Version)
      Julian Blau
      Reply Vote

  • Thank goodness...

    some of the manufacturers are coming to their senses and including a full size SD card slot. I need a tablet that can be used to play back videos from my camera. I do not think too many cameras come with micro SD.
    Economister
    Reply Vote

    • Unfortunately, that will also degrade the battery life

      @Economister The extra peripherals will greatly degrade the battery life of the product. Unfortunately, peripheral (no matter what they are) require power, even when not in use.

      Another problem, it may actually generate the perception of a bad product. For example, people will think that any USB device will be compatible. When the list of unsupported devices starts growing, that will give the wrong impression that the device is not good.
      wackoae
      Reply Vote

      • Grasping for straws?

        @wackoae

        iPad fan boy by any chance?
        Economister
        Reply Vote

      • Peripherals like USB and SD slots use so close to zero when not in use,

        that it is not significant.
        DonnieBoy
        Reply Vote

      • Mr. wackoae, I have a growing list of thigs that are not

        compatible with the iPad.
        Are you indicationg that the iPad is not a good device?

        :|
        Tim Cook
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

        @wackoae
        Give it a rest.
        SD card impact is minimal if even noticable from a battery level perspective.
        For usb - the fact that it will start then grow is very good!
        Likely much better than the print issue (or lack of print) I am having with iOS....
        rhonin
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

        @wackoae <br>All devices are great and can what they should. But everyone wants to have the best devices. I think that the iPad 1/2 are one of the best, but i just love the awesome futures that Android has, and IOS devices don't. An in this case its just that the Toshiba tablet (The temporarily name is Ant-101, 102 or 103) can do everything the iPad can and more). For price class information look at this home page: http://www.tabletmonsters.com/news/toshiba-ant-100-102-104-tablet-pricing
        Julian Blau
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

        @wackoae <br>But there are still a lot of devices using USB, example HTC, Apple and the most cameras, maybe you have a device with mini-USB but that is also in this tablet, so the 3 most used connection cables are included. And its just great having an USB port, for watching Movies (HD Movies to) from external devices, like a HDD. And the HDMI, is for watching playing or browsing on other screens, like the the big flat screen at home, and since the Nvidia Tegra 2 supports 1080p, it is possible. And this "greatly degrade the battery life" you are talking about is not so "Great" as you say. Slots that are not used, are always in static load, but that is not using very much energy, it may degrade the battery life but first after a lot of time. And that is what is so great about this device because you can replace the battery yourself, instead of sending it back to the manufacturer. Like you have to do with nearly every other tablet on the market (including iPad). So it want be so a bad thing!!!!
        Julian Blau
        Reply Vote

    • It would also be nice to have an internal SD slot for memory expansion.

      NT.
      DonnieBoy
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Toshiba Teases With Android Honeycomb Tablet

        @DonnieBoy ... roger that. A slot for memory expansion plus at least one more USB port as well.
        SCRooster
        Reply Vote
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