First Windows Mini Tablet to be released next week - Acer Iconia W7 Credit: Acer.com

The first Windows 8 mini tablet shipping next week is the Acer Iconia W3. It is equipped with Windows 8 Pro and the latest copy of Office Home and Student 2013.

The Acer Iconia W3 may not win any awards for design but it is the first 8-inch tablet to be released in the market with a full version of Windows 8 Pro. The Windows mini tablet may just be the first of its kind.

As what will be a surprise to many, various retail sites have opened up pre-order shipments so customers interested in the Acer Iconia W3 will get their mini tablets right away. The Acer Iconia W3 has an 8-inch display with 1,280x800 screen resolution, quite noticeable for its small size. The Windows mini tablet is powered by Atom Dual Core Z2760 1.5GHz CPU. The device has rear and front 2MP cameras and 2GB RAM.

The device promises a battery that will last for 8 hours. Users will get to test this advertised feature once they get their hands on the Windows mini tablet.

Acer initially has plans to release a full-sized keyboard for an additional cost to match the mini tablet but decided against it because the laptop keyboard did not go well with the size of Acer Iconia W3. Early prototypes posted online did not capture anyone interest to prove it's a worth buying.

Good business for Microsoft's Office

The first Windows 8 mini tablet may not be that interesting but it does have Windows 8 Pro and Office Home & Student 2013. If not for the hardware, the mini tablet's software is something to seriously consider. A licensed version of Office in a tablet is hard to come by. Buyers don't need to have a subscription to use the licensed software. Although Office Home & Student 2013 does not have Outlook, it has the basic Office programs every student or businessman should need. Excel, Word, Powerpoint and OneNote will cover the computing essentials. Buying a separate license for the software will cost around $140.

The Windows 8 mini tablet 64GB will be sold in Amazon with free shipping for $430. Microsoft retail stores will start getting pre-orders on its website very soon. Watch out for this in your favorite gadget stores in Australia.