Apple CEO Steve Jobs gave rivals a verbal bashing at the iPad 2 launch earlier this month, but now they're starting to hit back. Toshiba has put its head above the parapet, with one of its Australian execs promising that its upcoming Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet will be superior to the new iPad.
Here's the exact quote from Toshiba's Rob Wilkinson on Aussie site Smarthouse: "We are confident that we can match Apple pricing for their new iPad 2 while delivering a device that is richer in features," he says. "We believe that our device is superior to the Apple device, it may be a little heavier (773g) but it does have a lot of features that the iPad 2 does not have."
That's fighting talk! Toshiba is currently showing its tablet off to retailers in the land Down Under, so what features does it have that will leap over the iPad 2's specs? We know a few from the prototype model shown off at CES earlier this year.
The as yet unnamed tablet will run Android 3.0 Honeycomb, with a 10.1-inch display and a resolution of 1,280x800 pixels -- that's a bit bigger and higher than the iPad 2 respectively.
Tosh's tablet will pack a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, whose performance we haven't been able to compare directly against the iPad 2's A5.
It will also have a built-in HDMI output, a 2-megapixel front camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera. The cams are certainly higher resolution than what Apple is offering on its second-generation tablet, for which users will have to pay extra for an HDMI output accessory too.
The Toshiba model also has USB and mini-USB ports, an SD card slot and a removable battery. In short, Wilkinson isn't spouting hot air: that tablet does have a lot of features that are better than or missing in the iPad 2.
You might argue that he's missing the point, though -- deliberately or not. The tablet war won't just be about features: it'll be about the apps that make use of those features and the interface that presents them.
We read a tweet the other day that summed it up nicely: "Kudos to Apple, they've reframed the market so almost all other vendors are bringing specs to an experience fight."
For Toshiba's tablet to take a bite out of the iPad's popularity, it may need a superior experience, not just superior specs. We're looking forward to finding out what it has to offer, though -- and hoping it's learned from the lessons of its first tablet, the Folio 100.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 13
Add your comment
anonymous 10 March, 2011 13:37
That tweet really does hit the nail on the head. Apple are smart enough to know that impressive spec sheets aren't everything. It has to be good enough but the experience is crucial.
On a related note, how many people are using displays large enough to show video calls at two mega pixels? If I am right that means full HD, which (again if I am right) is only really worth having on screen of 40inches and above. Personally I use my laptop with its puny little 15.6 inch display, and paltry one mega pixel display for video calls...so two mega pixels is as much use to me as a chocolate teapot.
What Apple seem to do is make sure that the tech is good enough to give an excellent user experience, but no more. Admittedly they do also randomly refuse access to certain standard functions, but you can't have everything in one go or you would never upgrade, would you?
Anonymous 10 March, 2011 17:24
Ipad has been on the scene for a while and disappoints with the ipad 2. What happened to the do called 10.1 screen they said they. A 1 mega pixel camera in the back is a joke and wasted money. I've played with the xoom the camera feature is awesome and fun to use & clearly better quality video and picture. This is what we wanted in the ipad 2. Having said all that Apple has the edge in apps for sure. But many of the apps still suck when they up scale to fit that screen. So it will be interesting to see how long it takes before the apps dramatically start to increase for android. It's going to be an exciting year.
pablouk1 10 March, 2011 22:06
hahahahahahhahahah, now thats funny.
Toshiba releasing a high end product.
They havn't done that for nearly 20 years.
Anonymous 10 March, 2011 22:06
never understood why people want tablets when laptops can do the samething would rather want a smartphone as u can stick it in ur pocket.
Anonymous 11 March, 2011 00:42
"it may be a little heavier (773g) "
180 g heavier...a little heavier ?
This is a joke, a bad joke.
Bye bye Tosh....
EvilJoe39 11 March, 2011 01:31
Our tablet will be better, all the specifications are tons better than our rivals.....the price? ... *cough* double *cough-cough* I'd be pretty amused if the price of the Apple product actually undercut everyone elses
Anonymous 11 March, 2011 06:43
Why all this toshiba hate? Toshiba is really a good company and you may be surprised.
Naryan 11 March, 2011 09:05
Just keep pushing out Android tablets. Google is gaining experience in this field faster than Apple and very soon the Android tabs will very obviously overtake the Apple ones.
Anonymous 12 March, 2011 01:44
I was willing to buy a tablet after Apple launched the IPad, creating from nothing a new market. Since IPad missed some features (hardware) that I consider important for me I've decided to wait, hopping that the competition will get hot. I was wrong. It is more than 1 year since then and Apple is at 2nd gen but the competition is still struggling hard to release at least 1 model. Actually only Samsung launched the Tab that at 7in screen was not even make me curios about the price (that anyhow is high) and recently Motorola Xoom that again is expensive and as far as I know have only 2 models. Rest (HTC, Lenovo, ASUS, HP, Dell .....) of them just words.
Since they were unable in 1 year to copy the features from an already successful product I have doubts that their news will became true soon. As it is clear now they just could not match the price levels that Apple establish.
On top of the hardware/features Apple is comming with Itunes Store and Apple Store. For these it is no equivalent on the market and will not be so soon. It is not only that someone will make a great rich content site but it is about the start that they missed and the user base that Apple have. There are tenths of millions.
Ipad 2 is on the market and even is some of my expectations were fulfilled still some are missing. I decide to wait until summer, hopping that Samsung new 10 in model to be launched and maybe Motorola Xoom to have a new price and most important : to be available INTERNATIONALLY.
anonymous 12 March, 2011 09:39
too many fanboys on this site to get a constructive opinion.
Anonymous 14 March, 2011 18:06
It is great news for me to hear that it has a user replaceable battery.
Anonymous 14 March, 2011 21:59
Tell me about it Stuart... far too many fanboys on here. For the guy that posted at 01:44. The reason that the competition has lagged behind is that there hasn't been a suitable operating system for them to use. Google have always said that Android 2.2 or 2.3 wasn't suitable for tablets, so the manufacturers had to wait until Android 3.0 was developed.
Now that they have a suitable operating system that is optimized for tablets you'll see a raft of devices coming out. The specs of the new releases easily beat the iPad2 so it will be the year of the tablet. But you go ahead... buy your iPad2 and then sit gust regretting it for months after! ;o)
Anonymous 5 April, 2011 13:49
I'm wary of Toshiba because they don't honor their warranty agreements.