AS100 Is the largest Android tablet PC ever at 10.1 inches. Toshiba claims that it supports 4 points of simultaneous touch and it is also worth noting that the screen has a resolution of 1024x600p while the usual Android tablet PC come with only a resolution of 800x480p. In Europe, the tablet is known as Folio 100 in Europe, one among the most anticipated ones.
Some important features of the AS100 are :
| Webcam | 1.3MP |
| Memory | 8GB |
| Memory card slot | MMC/SD |
| Operating System | Android 2.2 (Froyo) |
| Flash player | Version 10.1 |
| Speakers | Two 0.5 watt stereo speakers |
Design:
Toshiba AS100 looks just like a 10-inch Netbook without a keyboard. With 26 ounces, the tablet weighs more than the Apple iPad but still feel lighter in hands. Upfront is the 10.1-inch display while the stereo speakers are present at the bottom corners (left and right). Above the display is a 1.3MP camera provided with a blue color light which turns ON when the camera is activated. Just next to the webcam is the microphone. An LED light shows the status of the battery: glows in white when charging while discharging it is yellow in color.
There are four touch-sensitive buttons along the right side namely the search, back, home and menu. For every touch the buttons glow for 2 seconds. It is upsetting that the display is very much reflective but on the other hand it is very colorful, of course only at maximum brightness. There is nothing special about the viewing angle and although it is a capacitive display, scrolling is not that smooth as in other devices. We suggest you use a screen protector which will help you when scrolling with a dry finger.
There are many connection ports along the right side of the device namely the memory card slot, mini USB port, HDMI port, headset jack and the power port. The volume rocker is present on top of the device.
Camera:
The 1.3MP camera can be not only used for video chatting but also to take video and pictures. Video and picture quality is exactly what you would expect from a 1.3MP camera. Settings are pretty basic.
Operating system:
AS100 runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo) and in addition Toshiba included its own custom launcher but it is very basic. You get 5 home screens and also there are five dots indicating in which home screen you are in. You can choose to view all the icons in a single home page by tapping on the small icon present at the right bottom corner. There are not many apps included in the tablet but as it is an Android device, you always get access to Android market from where you can download thousands of useful free apps.
Video and Audio playback:
AS100 has no problem in playing videos up to 720p in both MOV and MP4 formats. Audio quality is acceptable only at maximum volume but it is sure to be better if you play uncompressed tracks. The included media player does not support 1080p videos but you can try other players including Rock. If you wish to view on a bigger screen, you can as the included media player has output to any HDMI monitor.
Browser:
Apart from the default Android browser, AS100 also comes with the Opera Mobile browser. Although pages load faster in Opera, it does not support multi-touch gestures. The built in browser doesn’t support multi-touch either. Zooming can be done only using the on screen controls. The browser supports flash player and videos are also good. Once installing the flash player, you can watch YouTube videos inside the browser rather than needing to use a separate app.
Performance:
We expected a faster response as it uses the nVidia dual core mobile processor but we have to say that it is not actually fast enough. Scrolling between home screens is the same as in other devices however. You can never use the keyboard when holding in landscape mode and hence find a flat surface when you are about to type something. The on screen keyboard does not include number keys either and hence you will have the strain of switching between alphabets and numbers. Not all Android apps, in fact most of the Android apps does not open in 1024x600p resolution, therefore you will find a black border around the app.
There are many hiccups in the tablet but not too many when considering the fact that it is the first tablet PC from Toshiba. Installing Android apps can be done only using marketplaces like AndroLib. AS100 is definitely not for you if you are looking for an alternative but on the other hand, if you are looking to step into the tablet world, then it is worth giving a try.
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