Acer's Iconia Tab A500 Android 3.0 tablet available for pre-order at Best Buy

Acer has been relatively quiet on the tablet PC front -- that is, until now. The company has just announced that its new Iconia Tab A500 tablet, which will run Android 3.0 (a.k.a. "Honeycomb"), is available starting today for pre-order exclusively at Best Buy's Web site.

The Iconia Tab slate is built around the Nvida Tegra 2 platform, combining an ARM Cortex A9 dual-core processor with a GeForce GPU for 1080p video playback and improved gaming performance. It comes with 16GB of storage and built-in Wi-Fi, though the A500 doesn't offer any 3G or 4G support out of the gate. You also get front- and rear-facing cameras, an HDMI port, and a microSD card slot. Battery life is claimed to be in the 8- to 10-hour range, thanks to a pair of lithium-polymer batteries.

The 10.1-inch display sports a resolution of 1,280x800, and Dolby Mobile technology is onboard for improved audio performance. DLNA support baked in means that the A500 can stream media to and from compliant devices.

In addition to being able to pre-order the Iconia tablet online now, you'll be able to pre-order it at Best Buy retail outlets on April 14. Acer hopes to beat competitors to the punch with its Honeycomb-based slate by shipping units starting on April 28. The A500 will cost $449.99, with options including a $39.99 case, $79.99 dock, and $69.99 Bluetooth keyboard also available.