Acer Launches 8-inch Iconia W4 Tablet with Windows 8.1, Office Home and Student Starting at $330

Just as Android tablets really started to take off once smaller size (and lower cost) models were introduced, the same may be true of Windows 8.1 slates. We'll soon find out. Yesterday Lenovo announced its Miix2, an 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet starting at $300, and today Acer followed suit by unveiling its Iconia W4, also an 8-inch slate, though pricing starts at $330 for this one.

The Iconia W4 features a 4th Generation Intel Atom (Bay Trail) processor clocked at 1.8GHz. It's powering an 8-inch In-Plane Switching (IPS) display with Zero Air Gap technology and a 1280x800 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio). Other goodies include a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and HDMI output. The tablet is available with 32GB or 64GB of built-in storage, both of which can be expanded via microSD card slot.

Acer Iconia W4

Like Lenovo's offering, Acer's tablet comes with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 pre-installed. You can also pick up accessories for the slate, including an Acer Crunch keyboard fitted in a soft synthetic leather cover that folds out and serves as a stand (the keyboard itself connects via Bluetooth 3.0 and is rechargeable through micro USB), an Acer Crunch Cover, passive stylus, and a few other odds and ends.

The Iconia W4 will begin shipping t his month for $330 (32GB) and $380 (64GB).