Review: Toshiba AT100

The Toshiba AT100 is a decent-sized tablet with great features. At just under R5 000, it is also a welcome alternative to the pricey iPad.

The AT100 is not as slim as some tablets on the market; however, it is still light and easy to handle, weighing around 765g. It also has a solid feel and sleek design, despite its thickness.

The tablet has black rubber backing, making it easy to grip and also giving it an executive feel. Users of the AT100 can also swap the black cover for other colours, including denim blue and silver.

The AT100 is easy to use and requires no set up. It comes with preinstalled applications, and users can download more apps from the Android Market.

It runs on Android 3.1 Honeycomb, which is a fairly intuitive operating system. It also has the standard navigation buttons, making it easy for users to move between applications and the home page.

data via the File Manager app. Although, I must add, accessing files via the File Manager is incredible easy. It also comes with ready-made folders, for example: podcasts, images and music.

At 10.1 inches, the AT100's screen is well suited to watching video clips, while browsing the Internet is also pleasing. The 720p HD screen provides a crystal-clear display; I found colours were crisp and bright.

The screen also has an accelerometer, allowing users to view videos in landscape mode, and browse documents in portrait mode.

The tablet also has an audio jack, where users can plug in earphones if watching videos or listening to music while travelling.

Unfortunately, the AT100 is not 3G-enabled, which means users will have to buy a USB dongle or rely on a wireless signal. Then again, at its price, the lack of 3G is not surprising.

In addition to the USB port, the AT100 also has an HDMI port and an SD card slot.

YouTube and Gmail apps come preinstalled on the AT100. There is also an eBay app, and, of course, a shortcut to the Android Market. As a nice little extra, there is also a shortcut on the home screen to the user manual.

A handy switch on the side of the tablet locks the screen. This is an essential feature for any touch-screen device. That said, having the button on the side of the tablet makes it easy to find and access. It's a welcome improvement on devices that require users to perform a mini obstacle course in order to unlock them.

The tablet has two cameras: a 5MP rear-facing camera, and a 2MP front-facing camera.

The AT100 has a lithium battery. I found battery life more than adequate, with the device lasting roughly five hours with heavy usage, including watching videos and browsing the Internet.

The three-point plug on the cable scores this device points with me; it means users don't have to worry about adapters, should they run out of power.

I would recommend the Toshiba AT100 to consumers who aren't willing to cough up for pricier tablets. While it lacks features like 3G and high-speed cameras, the AT100 will meet the needs of most consumers.