Windows 8 is set to officially go on sale on Oct. 26, but one high-volume retailer has already started offering Windows 8 computers over the weekend.

The online edition of the Home Shopping Network (HSN) started offering a special over the weekend, with two new Gateway Notebook PCs with Windows 8 pre-installed. A search delivered a total of five Acer and Gateway devices available for sale, with the Microsoft's new operating system reportedly on board.

While ZDNet reported that a customer service representative had confirmed that all five models are in stock and will ship immediately, The Verge learned from HSN that customers will not actually get their new machines until the first week of November, well after Windows 8's October launch.

All five machines run Windows 8, not Windows 8 Pro. The Acer notebook and the two all-in-one PCs also include touchscreens. Meanwhile, a few small touches aim to distinguish these models from equivalent Windows 7 devices.

Two of the notebooks seem to feature trackpads, allowing users to swipe from the edges to enable the Charms menu, switch apps, or other gesture-based features of the Windows 8 user interface (UI). All models come with plenty of preinstalled software, commonly referred to as "crapware."

No other Windows 8 PCs appear to be on sale elsewhere, not even on leading shopping sites such as Amazon.com and Walmart.com. Walmart only has a wide selection of Windows 7 PCs that include Windows 8 upgrade options, while Newegg has set up a "Coming October 26th" page.

HSN, meanwhile, seems to have jumped the gun without Microsoft's consent. ZDNet has reached out to Microsoft and received the following response on Monday, Oct. 8:

"Unfortunately, HSN made this offer without the support or authorization of Microsoft. Microsoft and major retailers are getting ready for general availability of Windows 8 devices on 10/26 and not prior to that date. Once Microsoft learned of the HSN promotion, we contacted them and asked that they discontinue the on-air and online offer since it is not yet 10/26, the date that marks the official availability of Windows 8."

"We are excited to support Windows 8 with great Acer and Gateway offerings starting on October 26, but this HSN offer came prematurely and we've requested its immediate removal," added Scott Ledterman, Acer VP, US Consumer.

Following these requests, HSN's Web site still lists all five Windows 8 products, but they are no longer available immediately.

"We're sorry, this product has sold out and is no longer available," reads a message when attempting to purchase a product on HSN.