Enterprise Mobility: Toshiba Thrive 7-Inch Tablet: Standard Android in a Smaller Package

Toshiba's newest touch screen, a 7-inch variation of its Thrive tablet, doesn't offer many new twists on the standard-issue Google Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) experience. Nonetheless, those looking for a smaller tablet than the 10-inch versions on the market might want to consider Toshiba's offering, which includes a dual-core processor and the company's own proprietary File Manager. Unlike rivals such as Samsung, with its Galaxy Tab, and Amazon, with the Kindle Fire, Toshiba didn't do much to customize the Android interface into something unique—and that could prove totally OK for those users who just want a vanilla Android experience. Many of the new Thrive's other features are also decidedly standard-issue: WiFi connectivity, Google apps such as Gmail and Google Music, the 5-megapixel rear camera paired with a 2-megapixel front aperture, the textured backing (good for traction on slicker tables), the 1280-by-800 resolution, and the microSD card slot paired with a micro-HDMI port. This isn't a tablet trying to sell itself as something utterly unique to the industry; this is a cookie-cutter Android experience, tailored for those who want a device they can hold in one hand (and fit into smaller bags and pockets than a 10-inch tablet). Main competitors include Samsung's 7-inch and 8.9-inch Galaxy Tabs, as well as Research In Motion's 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook. Whether Toshiba can stand out in that crowd is an open question.