Yuhnke Commentary: Smaller tablet computers are about to take over

PHOENIX - Does size matter? Ok, get your head out of the gutter and realize that I’m talking about tablets here. How big does a tablet need to be to fit your needs?

10” has become the standard thanks to the iPad (technically it's 9.7") but is that actually the best size for consumers? This week Amazon announced that the Kindle Fire is officially sold out . Wow, what a coincidence. Amazon just happens to have an announcement set for next week . Whatever could it be??? Obviously the site that books built is going to be announcing the next version of their successful 7” Kindle Fire tablet. Google is now selling the ASUS Nexus 7 and Apple is expected to finally release a scaled down iPad mini. It’s expected to be 7” or 8”.

The point is, there’s a trend. Tablets are getting smaller. While the iPad is a great tablet and Apple has obviously convinced millions of us that we need to have it, it’s a bit large and expensive. A 10” screen makes for a tablet that is very portable but every once in a while it's too chunky to take with you. 7” is a different story. 7” can almost fit in your back pocket. 7” can slide into a briefcase or small purse and nobody would ever know. More importantly, 7” can sell for $200 while 10” nabs $500 from your bank account.

With high resolution screens now being scaled down to 7” I think we are finally at a point where a smaller tablet makes sense. With Amazon, Google and Apple all on-board with the smaller tablet trend, expect to start seeing them everywhere. While iPads are popular, I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet. The $200 price will make a huge difference especially if Apple can slide it’s rumored iPad mini into the price point too.

The popularity of tablet computers is about to explode even more than it already has and the 7" tablet will play a critical role in making that happen.

Which tablet size do you prefer? Is 7” too small? Is 10” too big?   Head over to my Twitter feed or my Facebook page and join the conversation.