Get a Toshiba Thrive 10-inch tablet for $299.99 shipped
by Rick Broida | November 15, 2011 6:06 AM PST
The Toshiba Thrive is a powerful, but bulky, 10-inch Android tablet.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)
Now this is more like it.
For as long as I can remember, I've dinged the iPad and its 10-inch competitors for being way too expensive. I mean, come on, $500? That's Core i5 computer money!
But today, Newegg has a tablet deal that's much more reasonable: the Toshiba Thrive 10-inch Android Honeycomb tablet for $299.99 shipped. You even get a free Blue Moon back cover (a $13.99 value).
Update: Sigh. Sold out already. (Do check back later, though, as Newegg sometimes manages to free up more stock.) That's why you gotta get here early!
Now that 7-inch slates like the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet are selling for $199 and $249, I think $300 is exactly the right price point for a 10-incher.
The Thrive is known for two things: its bulkier-than-most design, and its considerable Android-powered power. The tablet sports a 1GHZ Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 16GB of RAM storage, a 10.1-inch display running at 1,280 by 800 pixels, Bluetooth, HDMI and USB ports, GPS, stereo speakers, an SD card slot, dual cameras, and Android 3.1 (aka Honeycomb). That is one seriously loaded tablet.
And seriously heavy. At 1.66 pounds and 0.63 inch thick, the Thrive is one of the biggest tablets in its class. Of course, the original iPad was 1.6 pounds, and the Thrive is still a lot more portable than even the lightest Netbook or Ultrabook.
Another nice perk you rarely see: a removable back panel that provides access to the battery (in case you want to swap in another one on long trips). And Toshiba offers a handful of replacement panels in different colors, including the spiffy blue one that's bundled here.
Want to learn more about the Thrive's pros and cons? Read CNET's in-depth review.
When I posted that $249.99 Samsung Galaxy Tab deal the other day, I asked if anyone was still interested in a 10-inch tablet (as opposed to the newer, cheaper breed of 7-inchers). A lot of you said yes, so this might be your lucky day. Let me know what you think of this deal.
Bonus deal: Interesting matchup here. For that same $299, you can get a Fujitsu LifeBook AH531 15.6-inch laptop with a Core i3 processor. That's after applying coupon code FALLSAVINGS at checkout. (To find the deal, click Outlet Sale, then scroll down and click "Find great discounts in our outlet store." It should be the first laptop listed.)
Find more deals, coupon codes, and bargains on CNET's Shopper.com.
