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The Toshiba Thrive 10.1 inch 8GB Android Tablet is a superb Tablet, and out of over 330 reviews it has received 4 stars out of a possible 5, so people must be happy with it!

If you are interested in a powerful Android Tablet that has good quality resolution, a powerful NVidia Tegra Dual Core processor and many storage options, then the Toshiba Thrive is an option that is very affordable – this could well be the tablet that rivals the popular Samsung Galaxy and the Asus Eee Pad Tablets.

This review primarily covers the Toshiba Thrive 8gb, but also touches on the other two storage options with the Thrive, the 16gb and the 32gb.  Buy the Toshiba Thrive 8GB here and get free shipping.

These are the key specifications for the Toshiba Thrive:

- $368 (8gb)to $580 cost
- Released in 2011
- Uses Android 3.1 OS
- Weighs 1.6 lbs / 0.73 kg
- Measures 10 3/4 inches x 0.62 inches x just under 7 inches
- Has a 10.1 inch screen
- 8GB, 16 GB or 32GB storage options
- 1280 x 800 HD resolution
- 5 mp and 2 mp cameras
-WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
- 7 hour battery life

What are the benefits of the Toshiba Thrive

The Toshiba Thrive offers different storage options, so you can get just what you need and pick the storage that suits your particular budget.  Generally you would go for the highest storage you could afford as you will probably want to expand your tablet in the future.  However even going with the lower storage still gives you room for apps.

The Thrive has a non-slip interchangeable rubber back plate which means that your tablet is not so likely to slip whilst you are in the middle of using it – some iPad users may well relate to this particular problem.  It is also more comfortable to hold for long periods which is important when you are going to have something in your hands for any length of time.

With the Toshiba Thrive it’s really easy to personalize the design as the back plate has the option to be changed for one of six colors.  These may cost a bit more but they will help your tablet to stand out for others, and be different from the more standard black.

The HD screen on the Thrive will ensure that anything you watch will look great.  It also has in-built video enhancement which will improve the quality of standard definition content bringing it more to the level you would be used to with HD.  The screen can stay fairly readable in sunlight, with automatic adjustment of color and brightness (although do remember that no tablet will be able to be read in really bright sunshine).

You can use the HDMI port to connect to your big screen HDTV and watch videos from the Thrive.  You may well want to watch downloaded content on a larger, higher quality screen.

The Toshiba Thrive has a front facing camera which is 2 megapixel so you can use as a web cam.  The rear facing camera is 5 mega pixel and is able to capture HD quality videos – this is so much better than many of its competitors.

The Toshiba Thrive also supports Flash on websites; both games and videos.  This will give the Thrive the edge over the Ipad, so if you know you are going to be watching lots of Flash videos then bear this mind.  The iPad 2 can still play videos on YouTube and other popular video sites.

Because of the use of the NVidia Tegra 2 Dual Core processor you will make short work of multitasking, and you will have access to a large range of games as they display in great quality on the HD screen.

What accessories are available?  Toshiba has a fair range of accessories, including battery pack, interchangeable colorful back plate, docking station with 1 or 2 USB ports (depending on the dock you pick).

There are not as many accessories for the Thrive as there are for some other Tablets, but the number is increasing.  You can be sure that you will find the accessory you are looking for, which after all is what really counts.

The Toshiba Thrive has a full sized SD card reader, and this is a huge benefit to those that like to transfer photos because it will be compatible with many of the camera memory cards.  It will also enable you to expand on the base storage size options (great if you are an advanced user with lots of extra files).

You can also replace your own battery with the Thrive, and this is a feature that no other high end tablets have on offer at the moment.  So you can avoid the large cost normally incurred when it is time to change your battery.  You can also buy yourself a spare for emergencies.

As well as the SD  card slot and the HDMI port we have already discussed you will also find a USB port as well as a mini USB port (extra ports when using docking station).  This is great for adding external USB peripherals or storage.

Some of the drawbacks to the Toshiba Thrive are the battery life of 7 hours on average. Some of the tablets can give you more use from your battery, so if you are going to be relying on batteries a lot you will need to bear this point in mind.

This model could be slightly heavier than some of the other tablets like the iPad, so if you are holding it for a long time you may notice the difference.

There is no 3g/4g connectivity.  This can be a huge drawback for those people that will want to connect where there is no WiFi.  You could of course buy a dongle to plug into the USB port to connect you in that situation.

To summarise the Toshiba Thrive does not have quite the same design standards as the Samsung Galaxy for example, but it does come in at a lower price (when going for the lower storage option).  The ability to replace the battery yourself can be a huge advantage.

Where’s the best place to buy the Toshiba Thrive 8GB?

From our research Amazon is the cheapest place to buy your Thrive, but they are closely followed by BestBuy, you will get free shipping with both companies.

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