Microsoft unveils Surface tablet computer in mainland China
Software giant goes head-to-head with Apple's iPad in mainland market
The software giant Microsoft unveiled its new tablet computer Surface in Shanghai yesterday, aiming to compete against Apple's iPad in the mainland market.
Surface, which will hit the mainland market on Friday, will be sold at a price from 3,688 yuan (HK$4,570) for a 32-gigabyte version.
Microsoft will also launch Windows 8 on the mainland the same day.
Another 32GB version with a black touch cover - a thin cover that doubles as a keyboard and attaches to the tablet magnetically - will be offered at 4,488 yuan. The prices are nearly the same as the new iPad.
Microsoft still dominates the personal computer software market but lags behind Apple in new devices as millions of mainlanders are hooked on iPad.
"Even though it's bigger than an iPad, it's actually lighter in your hand because of the way the physics of the design work," said Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division. "We wanted to make sure that Surface is a form of Windows."