IFA - Day 1 - Hands-on with the Toshiba AT200 Android tablet

As if there weren't enough Android tablets already available, Toshiba has decided to get in on the act. The AT200 is being shown for the first time here at IFA in Berlin and we managed to hunt one down for some hands-on time.

How do you beat the iPad? Well, Toshiba is going to have a pop with its 10.1inch AT200 Android tablet. It runs Android 3.1 Honeycomb, not the latest version of the operating system, but still the one designed specifically for tablets. Toshiba is very much pushing the fact that it is a lightweight tablet and it certainly felt considerably lighter than most 10.1inch tablets.

Unfortunately, it is also rather ugly. The back of the tablet is made from a cheap looking rubbery plastic that can be removed and replaced. There are a number of different coloured replacement backs that can be purchased separately. Hardly ground-breaking. The tablet itself is really thin and were it not for the rather ugly looking plastic/rubber back panel, it might actually look quite nice.

The AT200 runs like any other Android tablet that uses Honeycomb; in terms of software there is nothing else to set it apart. On the hardware side it is more impressive however; it has a USB port, a micro-USB port and also a HDMI connection for hooking it up to high-definition TVs or monitors.

We're certainly not convinced the Toshiba does enough to set itself apart from the masses. Samsung's 7.7 and 10.1 inch Galaxy Tabs booth seem superior on first impressions.