The Iconia W700 is less than 0.5 inches (1.27 centimeters) thick and weighs 1.04 kilograms. The screen will display images at a high-resolution, 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution.

It is also expected to become available in other countries on Oct. 26, including Canada, although the company did not provide specifics.

The tablet will come with Intel's power-hungry Core processors based on the Ivy Bridge micro-architecture, making the tablet a multifaceted laptop replacement. Some other Windows 8 tablets such as Lenovo's fanless ThinkPad Tablet 2 come with Intel's low-power Atom processor code-named Clover Trail, which enables longer battery life. The Iconia W700 offers up to eight hours of battery life, while Intel estimates 10 hours of battery life on Clover Trail tablets.

A competitor to Acer's new tablet will be Microsoft's Surface tablet, which will come with an Intel Core processor and Windows 8 Pro. Similarly, Asustek is expected to come out with a Windows 8 tablet with a Core processor. However, prices for the tablets have not yet been announced.

But a powerful processor has its benefits. The tablet will boot in just six seconds and return from idle mode in just one-and-a-half seconds, Acer claimed. Other features include a 5-megapixel back camera and a high-definition front camera. Either 64GB or 128GB solid-state drive storage will be available with the tablet. A micro-HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) can connect the tablet to a TV set. A protective case is included.