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A more usable tablet

Instead of simply replicating the Android experience that’s available on smartphones, the Android 3.0, Honeycomb, platform has been redesigned to take advantage of a tablet's unique hardware, especially the large touchscreen. For instance, Android's virtual keyboard has large, shaped keys that are easier to type on than other onscreen keyboards. A redesigned user interface is also streamlined for a tablet's added screen real estate and makes use of simple commands like Home, System Bar, Back, and Apps to give you easy access to whatever you need.

The Android platform offers other familiar conveniences. If you're accustomed to tabbed browsing on your PC, you can create multiple tabs in the Android Browser, just like you can on your PC, and use automatic form-filling for entering personal information on Web sites. Like desktop and laptop browsers, tablets powered by Android also feature a private browsing mode, which prevents Web sites from installing cookies and tracking your behavior. And the platform’s video features are especially appetizing. Android 3.0, Honeycomb, includes a pleasing redesign of the YouTube interface and a version of Google's eBooks marketplace optimized for tablets.

Unlike some other tablets, the Thrive tablet, powered by Android, includes USB and HDMI ports and an SD card slot, so you can connect the tablet to your HDTV to watch a movie or sync media files with a USB-connected camera or desktop computer. Look for a tablet that has these standard computer ports if you want to enjoy the connection flexibility you’re accustomed to having on a laptop.

Flash-enabled Web Content

Animation and video bring richness to the Internet experience that some tablet platforms miss. Thanks to Adobe® Flash® support, though, tablets powered by Android delivers every frame easily and smoothly. Not only is there Flash support, some tablets, like Toshiba’s Thrive tablet, actually boosts the performance of Flash-enabled content with hardware acceleration. Now you can visit YouTube and watch any number of videos in a row without experiencing a slowdown.

Home, sweet Honeycomb

Some platforms make you swipe through screen after screen of static application icons to find the one you want. But with tablets powered by Android you can personalize your Home screens by simply dragging and dropping apps and other elements exactly where you want them. Like most Android-powered smartphones, Android 3.0, Honeycomb, comes with five customizable home screens that put everything at your fingertips. Each screen has a grid for arranging app shortcuts and contacts. And because the Android platform is widget-friendly, you can use your dynamic home screens to keep tabs on everything from important email updates to changing music playlists. You can even choose a different wallpaper for each Home screen to add a final personal touch.

Moreover, tablets powered by Android 3.0, Honeycomb, have a useful enhancement option over the smart phone version. When you press and hold the + icon in the upper right-hand corner, all the home screens instantly flatten and angle into a 3D-like array. Then you can scroll through them by swiping, or pick and drag different screen elements to rearrange the contents. The Android platform adds another nicety: Tap the Home button in the system bar to return to the home screen most recently used.

See more with resizable widgets

The Android platform also lets you resize widgets. These standalone apps are your go-to windows for commonly used features. You can make standard Gmail™, calendar, and bookmark windows as large or small as you like, just like on a laptop. Want to see more text while scrolling through your emails? Simply hold your finger down over the Gmail widget until a blue frame appears, then drag the diamond to resize.

Want to keep tabs on family and friends? You can create a custom widget for any person in your contact list. Move it to a Home screen and it will display a comprehensive stream of real-time updates and activity for that person from all of the services where the two of you are connected.

Better multitasking

The Android platform was built from the ground-up to make multitasking fast and easy. A larger "Recent Apps" snapshot not only offers better visual access to the specific apps you have open, it's also been expanded. Instead of limiting users to just five, you can now vertically scroll through up to 18 recently opened tasks to see thumbnail images of all the tasks in progress. Going back to a specific application is as simple as touching its corresponding thumbnail.

Tablet or laptop?

A tablet doesn’t replace a laptop, but it can be a great companion device. And it can offer its own advantages, particularly if your focus is on entertainment and quickly accessing everyday information. So, to conclude, here are a few final reasons to consider a tablet powered by Android:

Supreme portability. Tablets make ideal traveling companions. Screens usually measure between 7 and 10 inches diagonally, which makes them easy to carry but plenty big enough to read e-mail, tap out notes, or read a book. And with many weighing under a pound, tablets can beat even a mini-laptop's two-to-three-pound range.

Superior standby time. Like a smartphone, a tablet rarely needs to be powered off. The display sleeps to conserve battery life. This not only lets the device start up instantly, but also allows it to continue downloading emails and receive instant messages. Many tablets such as Toshiba’s Thrive now offer up to 11 hours of operation on a single charge.

Inexpensive apps. If you don't need a PC for cranking out heavy-duty work documents, a tablet can mean big savings on software. As with a smartphone, many applications are free; others cost between $1 and $20. Compare that to the professional-grade software for laptops and other computers, which can go for hundreds of dollars, and it's easy to see how populating your tablet with inexpensive apps can be far easier on the wallet.