Toshiba agrees with BlackBerry: 'tablets are under pressure'

The astronomic growth in the tablet computer category is nothing more than a flash in the pan, according to Toshiba, with the company looking past the slate fad to the next evolution in mobile computing.

Managing Director for Toshiba in Australia, Mark Whittard today expressed sentiments about tablets that fall in line with recent comments from 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's PlayBook tablet is a well-documented failure.

It is hard to argue with the merits of the conversations though. Recent statistics suggest that many adults in mature technology markets now use three or more computers across a range of sizes to satisfy a range of use cases. Some are for pure content consumption, others are for content creation.

That there could be a single product on the horizon that could manage all of these areas in our lives is no only plausible, but desirable.