Just thought I'd let people know that Noel Leeming is now carrying the Toshiba Thrive. I'd been thinking of getting a tablet and although the iPad is pretty cool, I just couldn't bring myself to join the Apple ecosystem and make Steve Jobs richer than he already is (I'm also proud of the fact that I'm immune to Jobs' "Reality Distortion Field'  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_distortion_field)

Anyway, I came close to ordering a Blackberry Playbook, but wasn't willing to spend money on a new device with a new OS that might not ever have a thriving app ecosystem. I also considered the HTC flyer. I eventually decided I wanted a honeycomb tablet. I read about the Toshiba Thrive on the net and it seemed pretty unique in that it's a honeycomb tablet with a usb port, an SD card slot and a full size hdmi port!

I thought about ordering one from overseas, but last week I was having a browse at Noel Leeming in New Lynn and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that they had the Thrive! I was on my motorbike at the time, so I couldn't buy one on the spot. I went home, got the car and went to the St Luke's branch and got one as well as a Toshiba Portfolio case which is quite versatile: http://us.toshiba.com/accessory/PA3945U-1EAB

It was definitely an impulse buy, but I have no regrets! A quick summary:

Pros: running honeycomb 3.0
         responsive touch screen
         solid build quality
         Battery is user replaceable (back cover pops off)
         usb port is awesome (my wireless keyboard and mouse work perfectly, so do fat32 thumb drives, and  card readers))
         micro usb port

Cons: camera quality is poor (not a big deal for me)
           fake chrome on camera looks tacky
           power button is hard to press

I don't have time now to write an exhaustive review, but if you want a tablet and have ruled out the iPad you should consider The Thrive! (at Noel Leeming they just call it a Toshiba tablet)

More info: http://us.toshiba.com/tablets/thrive/10-inch/