SAN FRANCISCO — Toshiba is hoping to lure consumers to its new tablet computer by including a screen that is slightly larger than the iPad’s and offering a version of Google’s Android mobile operating software geared toward such devices.
Tentatively called the Toshiba Tablet, the device will include a touch screen that measures 10.1 inches diagonally — compared with 9.7 inches on Apple Inc.’s iPad. Toshiba’s device will also have the forthcoming version of Android, called Honeycomb.
It will be more optimized for tablets than current, smartphone-focused versions of Android, by letting applications adjust to take advantage of the tablet’s larger screen.
The Japanese computer and flat-screen- TV maker is set to unveil the tablet at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It won’t be the only one: A handful of tablets were released in 2010, but many more are expected to be shown off at CES and hit store shelves this year.
Since Apple unveiled its iPad last January, consumers have been clamoring for the sleek computing device, and manufacturers have started churning out competing products in an effort to capitalize on the iPad’s popularity.
Toshiba’s Tablet won’t be the company’s first, or its first Android tablet, but it will be the first time Toshiba is releasing such a product in the U.S.
Toshiba expects to roll out the tablet by the end of June. A price has not yet been set, but the company believes it will be competitive with the iPad, which costs $499 to $829, depending on its memory capacity and wireless capabilities. The Associated Press
