Acer unveils Android-based Iconia Tab A500; HDMI, 5MP camera

Acer will be giving all of the tablet makers a real run for their money with this introduction. The Iconia Tab A500 is the company's first Android 3.0-based tablet in the U.S. market.

Sporting a 10.1-inch capacitive touch screen (1,280 x 800 resolution), the A500 is being touted first and foremost for its entertainment value. The display itself only supports 720p HD resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio with a respectable 80-degree wide viewing angle. But with a built-in HDMI port, the resolution can be bumped up to 1080p on a connected HDTV. Furthermore, the A500 does support Adobe Flash, but the software doesn't come pre-installed.

If gaming is more your thing, note that the A500 hosts a 10-point touch display and six-axis motion sensing gyrometer. The A500 also comes with two games pre-loaded at opposite ends of the spectrum: Need for Speed: Shift and Let's Golf.

Even though no one should replace a point-and-shoot camera with a tablet, the A500 does sport a few better ones. The rear camera has a 5-megapixel sensor with autofocus and flash. The 2-megapixel, front-facing camera is the more interesting one and should come in handy for video conferencing and chatting.

Here's a look at some of the other more notable specs:

• NVIDIA Tegra 250 1GHz dual-core processor
• Integrated NVIDIA GeForce GPU
• 1GB of RAM
• 16GB of flash storage
• microSD card slot (supports up to 32GB)
• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Dual 3260 mAh Li-polymer batteries
• Battery life: Eight hours of gaming, 10 hours of Wi-Fi use/web browsing
• Weight: 1.69 pounds
• Dimensions: 10.24- x 6.97- x 0.52-inches

Available immediately for pre-order exclusively at Best Buy and then online starting April 14, the Iconia Tab A500 will be officially on sale on April 24. Acer also undercuts most other tablet makers with products in the same price and spec range with an MSRP of of $449.99.

So who's buying this one?