Acer Details Iconia W700 Windows 8 11.6-inch Tablet PC, Available October 26 Starting At $799

Today, Acer officially unveiled the U.S. and Canadian availability, pricing and full spec list of its Iconia W700 Windows 8 tablet, which comes in three variants ranging in price from $799 ($749 in Canada) to $999, depending on hardware configuration. The tablets will ship on October 26, the same day Windows 8 is scheduled for its public release, which should provide us with an early look at how third-party offerings will perform in a market that’s yet to really be proven.

Acer’s Windows 8 tablets are designed to be full-powered computers in addition to portable devices, each boasting the ability to power three independent displays, and shipping with a cradle designed to hold the tablet at a variety of angles and orientations. They all come with the standard load-out of sensors, including an electronic compass, gyroscope and accelerometer, and manage a cold boot in just six seconds, according to Acer. A Bluetooth keyboard will make things easier for those who don’t like touchscreen typing, and there’s a Micro-HDMI to VGA adapter and protective case in the box.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the three W700 models and what they offer:

Acer Iconia W700-6691

• Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz Processor w/Turbo Boost up to 2.6 GHz
• 11.6″ 1920 x 1080 resolution LED backlit TFT LCD display w/ 10-point multi-touch screen
• 4GB of DDR3 RAM
• Intel HD Graphics 4000 w/128MB RAM
• 64GB SSD
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0
• 5MP, 1080p rear-facing camera
• 1280×1024, 720p front-facing camera
• 1 USB 3.0, 1 Micro-HDMI, 1 3.5mm headphone/mic jack
• Up to 9 hours battery life
• 17″ (L) x 3.28″ (W) x 9.25″ (H), 2.09 lbs

Acer Iconia W700-6465

• Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7GHz Processor w/Turbo Boost up to 2.6 GHz
• 11.6″ 1920 x 1080 resolution LED backlit TFT LCD display w/ 10-point multi-touch screen
• 4GB of DDR3 RAM
• Intel HD Graphics 4000 w/128MB RAM
• 128GB SSD
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0
• 5MP, 1080p rear-facing camera
• 1280×1024, 720p front-facing camera
• 1 USB 3.0, 1 Micro-HDMI, 1 3.5mm headphone/mic jack
• Up to 9 hours battery life
• 17″ (L) x 3.28″ (W) x 9.25″ (H), 2.09 lbs

Acer Iconia W700-6607

• Intel Core i3-3317U 1.8GHz Processor
• 11.6″ 1920 x 1080 resolution LED backlit TFT LCD display w/ 10-point multi-touch screen
• 4GB of DDR3 RAM
• Intel HD Graphics 4000 w/128MB RAM
• 64GB SSD
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0
• 5MP, 1080p rear-facing camera
• 1280×1024, 720p front-facing camera
• 1 USB 3.0, 1 Micro-HDMI, 1 3.5mm headphone/mic jack
• Up to 9 hours battery life
• 17″ (L) x 3.28″ (W) x 9.25″ (H), 2.09 lbs

Acer is also selling the W700 for the corporate market, backed by an extended two-year warranty and boasting Windows 8 Pro, with a price tag of $1,049.99. As the second largest PC maker in the U.S., it’ll be interesting to see how the company fares with its debut approach to the full-powered Windows 8 tablet market. We’ll have a full review coming later on the Iconia W700, but for now check out the gallery below.

Crunchbase

• ACER

Company: Acer

Website: acer-group.com

Launch Date: 1976

The Acer Group is a family of four brands – Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell and eMachines. It ranks as the world’s third-largest company for total PC shipments, is No. 2 for notebooks, and has a global workforce of more than 6,000 employees. Revenues in 2008 reached US$16.65 billion. The successful mergers of Gateway, Inc. (October 2007) and Packard Bell, Inc. (March 2008) by parent company, Acer, Inc., completes the group’s global footprint by further strengthening its presence in the U.S....

→ Learn more