Acer has officially started selling the Iconia W500, the world’s first AMD Fusion-based tablet and you should be able to get one within days. Several shops jumped the gun and some lucky punters were able to buy one even before the official launch.

At €499 the Iconia is not what we’d call cheap, however it packs quite a punch and it is second to none in terms of specs. Based on a dual-core 1GHz AMD C-50 APU with HD 6250 graphics, the tablet boasts 2GB of memory, a speedy 32GB SSD and 256MB of dedicated graphics memory.

Unlike most tablets, the Iconia offers full x86 compatibility and a proper Windows operating system, making it a rather interesting alternative to ultraportable notebooks. It packs a hi-res 1280x800 capacitive touchscreen, which makes a lot more sense in a Windows environment than a lower resolution screen.

For an additional €100, Acer will throw in a practical, albeit pricey keydock which transforms the Iconia into a rather useful hybrid tablet. Still, the Iconia costs about as much as a nameless Atom-based tablet built who knows where, which means it offers relatively good value.