Microsoft announced today that its long-awaited Surface tablet computer will be available for purchase starting Friday, October 26, 2012. The tablet, which is available for pre-order from the company's website now, will be initially be available for purchase in the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and Hong Kong. The base model of the Microsoft Surface sports 32 GB of onboard storage for $499. The Surface will be powered by Windows 8.