Windows 8 launches first in Asia-Pacific; Microsoft branded 'Surface' tablet not coming to SEA

Windows 8 launches first in Asia-Pacific; Microsoft branded ‘Surface’ tablet not coming to SEA

Posted by Jayvee Fernandez at October 25th, 2012

UPDATE: The official #Windows8PH site is now live at www.windows.com.ph

Earlier today Michael Josh of Rapper asked me if I wanted to do a live blog of the Windows 8 launch in Singapore. I had no problem with that as it also made my live coverage so much easier with ScribbleLive. You can view the feed here for a detailed account of what went on earlier this afternoon.

RAPPER LIVE FEED

To give you the highlights:

The much awaited Surface tablet will not be making a coming in the Philippines and other parts of Asia except Australia. ‘Surface’ is a Microsoft-made hybrid tablet running Windows 8. This was confirmed earlier by Ms Tracy Fellows, VP for Microsoft Asia Pacific. The main reason (I surmise) is two fold:

a. In the Philippines, Microsoft is not a hardware company. There is no support system for Surface in terms of warranty. If it breaks, who will fix it? The case is similar for the XBOX 360 which is not officially an effort of Microsoft Philippines, but of 3rd party vendors like DataBlitz.

b. Releasing Surface in APAC can curb relationships with the big manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Lenovo, and ACER — all very strong players in the Asean market.

On another note, Christian Bautista is the new brand ambassador for Windows 8. He was chosen for being an all around “Windows guy” and avid gamer. As of this writing he is currently engrossed in Mass Effect 3.

On the XBOX front, the new Windows 8 will have seamless integration with XBOX and the GamerTag. XBOX will now include Music, Video, Games and Smart Glass, which is a technology that gives you added in-game information on your tablet while playing games on your PC / XBOX 360.

About the author

Jayvee Fernandez is a tech enthusiast, EAN certified SCUBA Diver and underwater photographer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. His photos and videos have appeared in various international and local publications including Random House Germany, Discovery Channel Canada, and CNN. He has been in the publishing industry (both digital and print) for more than 10 years. He has been reviewing gadgets for around that long as well. Follow him on G+ and @jayvee on Twitter.

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Windows 8 now available; upgrade from previous version for only USD $14.99 « Jayvee Fernandez | Pinoy Tech, Diving, Gadgets says:

October 26, 2012 at 1:07 am

[...] For more detailed news about the event, head over to the live blog I did for Rappler and my post-event assessment on why the Surface brand is not coming to Asia. [...]

Lorenz says:

October 28, 2012 at 2:33 am

Dammit! And I was hoping to get a Surface for myself T_T

I think your first possible reason for its non-availability is valid (though the Surface is strong enough that it might not even need a warranty), but the second one is perplexing. If that is true, then Microsoft shouldn’t have made the Surface, period. There were fears that it would overshadow the offerings of the OEMs, but they still decided to push through because they wanted to set a benchmark for Windows 8/RT devices.

Before you buy: What it feels like to own a Windows 8 computer « Jayvee Fernandez | Pinoy Tech, Diving, Gadgets says:

January 2, 2013 at 10:35 am

[...] 8: that amalgamation of a desktop / tablet / laptop that we’ve all seen previously before. Microsoft previewed the alpha and beta builds to the [...]