Leveraging 18 years of tablet-making history, Toshiba re-enters the space with the AT100, which thanks to some clever inclusions may be the most convenient Honeycomb execution yet.
You could be forgiven for thinking that Apple invented the tablet category, what with all the fuss we see over the iPad (or iAnything, really...), but today's launch of the Toshiba AT100 -- sometimes called the Toshiba Tablet and known in the US as the Thrive -- is a timely reminder of Toshiba's experience in the field.
Indeed, some eighteen years ago the AT100's grandpa, the Toshiba Dynapad T100X, was released in Japan. It sported a 25MHz CPU, 4MB RAM (expandable to 20MB), a 40MB hard disk drive and a VGA 640 x 480 grey-scale display (for stylus pen input).
Times, you might say, have changed.
Today's Toshiba tablet is a different beast entirely: the AT100 features a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, 1GB RAM, 16GB onboard storage and a 10.1-inch 1,200 x 800 display.
If that lineup sounds familiar to you, there's a good reason why; those core specs (or ones very similar to them) lie under the hood of many of the current crop of Android Honeycomb tablets we're seeing on the market right now.
But what makes the AT100 stand out from the crowd are a number of clever little on-the-side inclusions which, especially when viewed together, help make it perhaps the most user-friendly and convenient of the current tablet field.
Rather than focusing on style as an end in itself (we're looking at you, iPad), Toshiba has concentrated on providing the best all-round utility, and in that regard the AT100 is a robust, practicality-oriented contender for the tablet crown. It may weigh a somewhat hefty 771 grams and measure 15mm thick, but overall portability is still high and the build quality is strong.
For us, the most exciting feature is that the rubberised back cover can be removed. While this means you can customise your device (and Toshiba is marketing a range of interchangeable coloured covers for $29.95 so you can personalise your AT100), the real key benefit is it enables you to access and swap out the battery.
As far as we're aware this is a first for tablets, and it's a significant selling point. Not only can you easily replace your old battery when it gets weak and doesn't hold sufficient charge, but power users (or frequent long-flight travellers, for example) will be able to carry two batteries with them and swap out at their convenience. An additional 6-cell battery costs $79.95. The rubberised feel of the removable back cover also provides very good grip (although we did find it a bit finnicky to detach in testing).
Uniquely for an Android Honeycomb tablet, the AT100 offers a full-sized HDMI port, which means there’s no need to get an additional dongle or cord, as per tablets that use mini-HDMI. Another surprising feature that is still rather uncommon is a full-size SD card reader (see below), which means greater scope for expanding storage and greater versatility than a microSD reader. There’s also a (again full-size!) USB 2.0 port, plus a miniUSB 2.0 port, audio jack and a docking port for a proprietary Toshiba tablet dock. Put simply, connectivity isn't going to be an issue.
Storage is only 16GB (but expandable via SD card) and as yet there's no 3G version, but Toshiba has told us to expect a "family" of tablets coming in the future with these functionalities. The AT100 ships with Android 3.0 but will be upgradeable to 3.1 via the inbuilt Toshiba Service Station app. There are rear and front cameras (5MP/2MP), stereo speakers, a microphone, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0.
You can attach keyboards and optical mice via USB 2.0 or Bluetooth 3.0, which is handy if you need to write longer documents or use other productivity applications. An $89.95 Multi Dock is also available separately featuring HDMI, two USB 2.0 ports and a 3.5mm audio port. With this setup you could effectively turn the AT100 into a hybrid desktop PC.
All up, for $579 the AT100 provides a competitive deal at the entry-level side of the tablet spectrum (ie. for users not seeking 3G or additional on-board storage). The ease of connectivity and removable battery are the real stars, so if you don't mind a little extra size and weight, the AT100 just might offer the peak of tablet practicality.