Could there be a 7-inch Microsoft Surface tablet on the way?

Earlier today, we saw how PC sales figures for this quarter tell a woeful tale. One of the principal reasons for this decline is the rise in acceptance and usage of tablets as primary computers. But with Microsoft already preparing for this eventuality with a refresh of the Surface brand, it was only a matter of time before a smaller Surface tablet came up. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Redmond-based company is developing a new line of the Surface tablets, which includes a smaller 7-inch tablet (Surface mini, perhaps?). The mini version of the device is expected to go into mass production later this year, sources clued in to the company’s plans told the paper.