First time tablet buyer

C/net Tablet section News & Reviews

i heard the THRIVE has a longer battery life, plus it is the cheaper of the two

Check the battery life chart in the Thrive review above.
It's about 3 1/2 hours shorter than the Tab.

thats strange, on Toshiba's website it says up to 10 hour battery life and on Samsung's website they said the galaxy tab had up to 9 hours battery life...

It could probably get 10hrs certain circumstances. Low power, dim the screen and radios off. etc. The reviews @ Endgaget test the same way and are probably ' more realistic' as to how an average person would use the tablet.

The early Galaxy Tab did have a shorter battery life. It's better on Tab 10.1

now the tough part of deciding which one the get:

a) more expensive galaxy tab which comes with a good battery and is overall better than the THRIVE

or

b) the cheaper Toshiba Thrive with a weaker battery BUT has twice as much memory PLUS usb and sd slot

Tab does have USB connection.

MicroSD is handy for extra storage for movies and music.
It's not a major player in a surfing / gaming situation.

im not even sure i want to get a tablet, but since its cheaper then a laptop and lighter too.
i just need something i can use while im at my university just to pass the time when i have a break between lectures

What? Cheaper than a laptop?
It's not.

explain, how is a tablet (in this case the ones im looking at) not cheaper than a laptop that can last as long as these tablets (10 hours for the galaxy and 7 for the thrive).

i doubt i can find a laptop that is cheaper than these that can provide me the same performance and battery life.

Or maybe it's slightly more expensive where you're at:
HP Pavilion DM1-4018AU 11" Notebook $AU 436
AMD Fusion Dual-Core E-450 CPU, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD, 11.3" 1366x768 LCD w/ AMD Radeon HD 6320 GPU, Wi-Fi & BT, Win 7.

In classroom note-taking mode (dim screen, radios off) it can last about 9 hours.

HP Pavilion dm1z (with AMD Fusion) review

true, but i would prefer a tablet since its lighter, has an SSD, and runs an android OS.
id prefer to run windows 7 on my gaming rig (kinda dated but it runs what i play) and try out something new with these tablets.

It's not like the DM1 can't run Angry Birds!
But for overall performance and usefulness? Far, far beyond a tablet.

3.52 lbs vs 1.6lbs

read my last post, anyway some of the lecture rooms have small tables and i wont be able to fit a laptop next to my textbooks, and forget about resting the thing on my lap since my big gut barely fits anyway, lol.

Read your previous posts.
Your the one that brought up laptops. Questioning performance, price and battery life.
Size? Tablet 10.75" x 6.97" Laptop 11.49" x 8.46"

Hopefully, the class handouts won't be in standard lecture hall Powerpoint format.

wait...
tablets cant view Powerpoint?
also remember a laptop has a screen plus a keyboard

Android OS, remember?

Still fits in the same 11.49" x 8.46" footprint, open or closed.

In a lecture hall, you might need to hold the tablet to get a good viewing angle.
With a laptop - you just adjust the screen angle.

hmmm...
if the powerpoint is online can it go though the slides like a normal computer?
as in the browser supports ppt?

Or get one of those tablet covers that can open up into a standup arrangement.
A bit dicey for tapping away but it fixes the viewing angle for you.

Usually...you download the .ppt file from the local WiFi so you can use it to make your own notes in the ppt note option.

Even browsing the slide format - you'd have to check the Android App store to see what they have and what it can, and can't do.

ill take the risk, anyway im set on getting a tablet and not a laptop.
Im mostly interested in trying out the android OS and getting something different.

Okay, thank you for your help, ive decided to get the toshiba thrive since battery life isn't a big deal for me since the university has hundreds of outlets i can use. Also the USB port will be great to stick flash drives in.

also with a tablet i can set it down flat on the table and put a book on top or underneath it, compared to a laptop where i would have to open and close it constantly. A friend of mine has a laptop and we both swap it time to time to use and thats the reason i was more set on getting a tablet.

There's always the Tab 8.9 to look at.

15 best Android tablets

i cant actually find it anywhere that im willing to buy from...

Too bad. It has the same performance and on screen resolution.
Just lighter and smaller.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 review

oh well, im still set on getting the toshiba thrive, but i might wait a little bit to see if something better shows up or save up some cash to get an expensive tablet

Over here the Tab 8.9 is $50 less than Thrive.
(as long as it's WiFi and you skip the 4G version of Tab 8.9)

lucky you, in australia we fall behind in technology by about a generation or 2 and get charged insane prices

Best answer selected by alhanelem.

well... turns out the university's WiFi doesnt support android tablets or smartphones;
so i spent $400 buying an eBook reader with no wifi...