The Acer Iconia W4 tablet went on sale earlier this month in India and Hong Kong, and now it's available for purchase in the U.S. as well.

The 8-inch Acer Iconia W4 runs Microsoft's Windows 8.1 software and packs an Intel Atom Z3740 Bay Trail processor under the hood.

Amazon is now selling the Iconia W4 for $380 in a 64GB internal storage configuration. A 32GB model is reportedly set to launch soon with a lower $330 price tag, but it's not available yet. Amazon lists the option, but only allows interested buyers to register for notifications at this point.

The tablet market is now divided in two categories: large-screen and small-screen tablets. Acer was the first company to launch a Windows 8 tablet with an 8-inch display with its Iconia W3. That model made its debut earlier this year, but came with lower specs compared to the new Iconia W4.

The new model sports a faster processor and a superior display. It packs a quad-core Intel Bay Trail processor which should allow for both good performance and long battery life. The Iconia W4's multitouch display, meanwhile, offers better viewing angles and a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.

Other specs of the Acer Iconia W4 include a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and a micro HDMI output. The tablet also features a microSD card slot for additional storage. In terms of battery performance, Acer claims that the Iconia W4 should last for up to eight hours on a single charge. As for size, the Acer Iconia W3 measures 8.6 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches and weighs less than 15 ounces.

It remains to be seen, however, whether the Acer Iconia W4 will be able to compete with rivals in the same category. Although Acer was the first company to launch a smaller-size tablet running Microsoft's Windows 8 software with its Iconia W3, the Iconia W4 will now have to face some serious competition. Toshiba, Dell, Lenovo, and others have launched their own small-size Windows 8 tablets, and most start at around $300, well below the Iconia W4's price tag. With the tablet now available for purchase, we'll see soon enough how well it stacks up to rivals.