News - Toshiba launches ultra-slim AT200 tablet in the UK

[HEXUS]

Originally launched as the Toshiba Excite X10 in the US, the world's thinnest tablet hits UK shores.

Read more.

[crossy]

Sorry if this sounds like sour grapes, but I'm not convinced that a thinner tablet is more desirable than a "thicker" one. It hadn't occurred to me until I did a head-to-head of my Asus Transformer against my wife's HP TouchPad. Despite the TP being thicker, it felt "nicer" to hold - then again the Transformer has had comments that it feels a bit "flimsy" in places.

Nope, imho, it's weight that's more important than thickness - I'd prefer an 8mm thick tablet that weighed half as much as a 4mm thick one.

[AlexKitch]

Sorry if this sounds like sour grapes, but I'm not convinced that a thinner tablet is more desirable than a "thicker" one. It hadn't occurred to me until I did a head-to-head of my Asus Transformer against my wife's HP TouchPad. Despite the TP being thicker, it felt "nicer" to hold - then again the Transformer has had comments that it feels a bit "flimsy" in places.

Nope, imho, it's weight that's more important than thickness - I'd prefer an 8mm thick tablet that weighed half as much as a 4mm thick one.

I disagree, actually. I much prefer a device with a bit of weight to it - I think it aids a more 'premium' feel, rather than featherweight devices that end up feeling 'plasticy' and fragile.

"Horses for courses", as they say.

[Ulti]

Personally, I feel it's the material and the way that it's joined that's most important. For example, unibodies have generally "felt the strongest". However, some materials do come at a weight though. Personally I'd like something light, thin but with a "strong" design/material.

I've not actually played with many tablets nor am I looking for one though, so my "different" opinion may be a wrong one.

[kingpotnoodle]

I disagree, actually. I much prefer a device with a bit of weight to it - I think it aids a more 'premium' feel, rather than featherweight devices that end up feeling 'plasticy' and fragile.

Pretty much everything in computing premium = lighter.

I find an iPad2 rather heavy, too much for 1 hand. My Archos 80 G9 just slips into acceptable - it looks cheap, it was cheap but I'd take it out every time over the Mrs' iPad2.

[Animus404]

For me the Blackberry Playbook felt perfect in the hand. I just wish it was running something other than the QNX OS, I like the OS as well but I'm not convinced it will take off.

As for the other tablets, currently it's the price that is putting me off. I'm still convinced that the money spent on a tablet would be better spent on a Laptop. Just waiting to see if anybody puts Windows 8 into a Transformer type form factor, I think that would be the device for me.

[AlexKitch]

Pretty much everything in computing premium = lighter.

I find an iPad2 rather heavy, too much for 1 hand. My Archos 80 G9 just slips into acceptable - it looks cheap, it was cheap but I'd take it out every time over the Mrs' iPad2.

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction? Your Archos fits your lightweight definition of 'premium' very nicely - yet you describe it as looking and being cheap.

Plucked from Wiki:

"In marketing and advertising, premium refers to a segment of a company's brands or products that carries tangible or imaginary surplus value in the upper mid- to high price range. The targeted high income customer group is also frequently referred to as "premium". Premium brands are designed to convey an impression of exclusiveness"

[crossy]

As for the other tablets, currently it's the price that is putting me off. I'm still convinced that the money spent on a tablet would be better spent on a Laptop. Just waiting to see if anybody puts Windows 8 into a Transformer type form factor, I think that would be the device for me.

Windows 8 isn't out yet! But if you could "put up with" a Windows 7 one then there's always

See http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_Slate_EP121/. Only downside is that because it has to run current Windows it's about £900 - that said if you can live with having a permanently attached keyboard then you can get a tablet-form-factor netbook for just over £400. Oh, and that doesn't have the backup battery in the keyboard that the Android based ones do.

Don't have a problem "downsizing" to my TF101 - Doc2Go lets me do office-type stuff and I can find analogs for most of the other programs I need.

[kingpotnoodle]

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction? Your Archos fits your lightweight definition of 'premium' very nicely - yet you describe it as looking and being cheap.

Plucked from Wiki:

"In marketing and advertising, premium refers to a segment of a company's brands or products that carries tangible or imaginary surplus value in the upper mid- to high price range. The targeted high income customer group is also frequently referred to as "premium". Premium brands are designed to convey an impression of exclusiveness"

The two sentences were not really related, I was just making the point that *generally* in mobile computing premium products are smaller and lighter than similar products... The iPad2 is quite light/slim in it's size class - 10".

Buuuuuut... I still find an iPad2 heavy, my Archos is not in the same size class as an iPad2 though so not directly comparable, in the 8" class there is probably lighter than my Archos (not much choice in that size range though, 7" are definitely lighter). I was just using it as an example to back up why I would prefer the lightweight choice over something heavier and why lightweight generally means premium... although the Archos is not very premium it just shows why light is good... errr

See... clear as mud