Unfortunately, these weaknesses are tied to how Android and developers handle large screens in general. This means you'll get inconsistent results: When an app works well, it works very well, and when it doesn't, you're left wondering why Google let a free Scrabble game for phones be recognized as a tablet app.

When you're not using the Excite 13 on its own or as a complement to your laptop's screen, you might want to use it as a second screen in your living room. Unfortunately, the tablet lacks an IR port for use with a remote control app; an IR port is the one thing that would have made the Excite 13 truly appropriate for use on your couch.

While the big display comes in handy for working in productivity apps or viewing movies, it is especially immersive for playing games. Carrying a quad-core inside, the Excite 13 is perfect for gaming; on our GL Benchmark tests, the Excite 13 scored right in line with what we've come to expect from Tegra 3-based tablets.

In the end, though, it's price, not size, that constrains the Excite 13 the most. Though its size alone means that it isn't the tablet for everyone, its price will be the ultimate deterrent to adoption. The 32GB model costs $650, while the 64GB version costs $750. For those prices, you can buy a reasonably nice ultraportable laptop, or perhaps come close to the price of the slim Ultrabook you've had your eye on. No, those products aren't slates, but you'd potentially get more all-around use out of a laptop than you would out of a large tablet.

In spite of these weaknesses, Toshiba deserves credit for taking a chance on the 13.3-inch tablet design. For entertainment, as well as for document creation and consumption, the Excite 13 is like no other tablet available today. But the price of admission is steep.