The Microsoft Surface 3 tablet is now officially available for purchase in several markets, including the U.S., and will expand its availability shortly.

Arriving as the successor to the Microsoft Surface 2, the new-generation Surface 3 is not a high-end tablet, but it boasts notable improvements over its predecessor. First of all, instead of the watered-down Windows RT powering the Surface 2, the Surface 3 runs the full-fledged Windows 8.1.

The Microsoft Surface 3 was initially expected to make its debut alongside the Surface Pro 3 and potentially a Surface 3 Mini, but that did not happen. While a Surface Mini never saw the light of say, the Surface 3 finally made its debut back in March and is now available for purchase.

Microsoft has officially announced that its new Surface 3 hit commercial availability in Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the U.S. The company is also offering accessories such as a Surface Pen, Surface 3 Type Cover, Surface 3 Docking Station, and Surface 3 Screen Protector, which are available separately.

The Surface 3 is also scheduled to go on sale in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK on Thursday, May 7.

For those unfamiliar with the device, the Microsoft Surface 3 features a 10.8-inch full HD display (1920 x 1080 pixels) with support for an optional stylus, which will allow users to draw, write, or hover for various actions. Powering the slate is an Intel Atom Cherry Trail processor, which Microsoft says delivers 80 percent of the performance of its Surface Pro 3 tablet that has an Intel Core i3 chipset.

Other specs include an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 3.5-megapixel front snapper, a full-size USB 3.0 port, microSD card reader, mini DisplayPort, Wi-fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.0, and stereo speakers.

The Surface 3 starts at $499, which will offer 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage capacity. A higher-end version, meanwhile, packs 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage for $599. The optional stylus costs $50, while the Surface 3 Type Cover is available for $130.

Microsoft also has a trade-in offer in place for a limited time, allowing customers to get up to $150 in credit toward the purchase of a Surface 3 when trading in a Surface RT or Surface 2 in working condition. This offer is only available for the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, at least for now.

For more details or to purchase the tablet, head over to the Microsoft Store at this link. To see the Surface Pro 3 in action, check out the video below.