New Surface lineup lands in Singapore

Gary Chan, Retail Partner Services Lead, Microsoft Asia Pacific (left) with Microsoft Surface user Max Tan, Singapore Fashion Designer and founder of the brand, max.tan, at the new Surface store in Singapore. Tan said the pressure-sensitive pen offers a high level of sensitivity and that he is "addicted" to using the Surface Pro family.

Microsoft has unveiled its entire Surface lineup in Singapore, aimed at inspiring users to achieve more with the perfect Windows 10 device. Designed to empower work life and everyday life, the touch- and pen-capable Surface Book 2, Surface Laptop, and Surface Studio now join the Surface Pro as part of the full lineup of Surface devices available to customers in Singapore.

The new Surface offerings will be available for purchase on the Microsoft Store and through authorised retailers, and include:

Source: Microsoft. From left: Surface Pro, Surface Book 2, 

Surface Studio, and Surface Laptop. The Surface Pen is in the 

foreground on the left, and the Surface Dial in the centre of 

the foreground.

Surface Book 2

The most powerful Surface yet, Surface Book 2 is designed to deliver the ultimate in performance and versatility without compromise, featuring the latest Intel Dual-Core or Quad-Core processors, NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, and up to 17 hours of battery life. Available in 13.5" and 15" options, the Surface Book 2 is up to five times as powerful as the original. It is also able to support varying workstyles, including studio mode, laptop mode, view mode, and also tablet mode by detaching the screen.

Surface Book 2 configurations have a suggested retail price (SRP) beginning from S$2,188.

Surface Laptop

Surface Laptop is crafted for a portable and performance-packed experience powered by Windows 10 S. Windows 10 S offers a new Windows experience streamlined for security and superior performance, including faster startups with the InstantOn feature. It is engineered to start fast and stay fast with a 7th generation Intel Core processor and up to 14.5 hours of battery life* to last through the day. At 1.25 kg** and less than 14.5mm thin, Surface Laptop is ideal for those who want a light device on-the-go.

The Surface Laptop features a keyboard covered in Alcantara material, along with a quiet and responsive keyset, large precision trackpad, and soft palm rest for typing comfort.

Surface laptops have an SRP of S$1,488 and up.

Surface Studio

With a 28" PixelSense Display that is adjustable, the Surface Studio is a new type of device designed for the creative process. It provides a canvas for users to sketch, paint and edit photos, and can even be laid flat like a drafting table thanks to a Zero Gravity Hinge. Paired with the Surface Dial***, a small cylindrical device which provides easy access to shortcuts, controls and drawing tools, the Surface Studio is designed to be the ultimate creative studio. The Dial is a controller that offers context-sensitive menus when placed on the Surface Studio screen, as well as haptic feedback.

The Surface Studio costs S$6,488, while the Surface Dial is S$159.

A new S$148 Surface Precision Mouse offers flawless scrolling, customisable thumb buttons****, and the ability to support three computers simultaneously*****.

“Since the launch of Surface Pro in Singapore, we have been receiving feedback from our consumers that they are looking for different forms of Windows devices to suit their varying needs. Today, we are excited to be bringing an expanded lineup of Surface devices, which brings an ultimate computing experience with the combination of power and portability, and will inspire users to bring a new level of creativity to their work,” said Veronica Chiu, Windows and Devices Business Group Lead, Microsoft Singapore at the time of the announcement.

“In addition, the new Surface premium experience in Singapore is a commitment to deliver a one-stop experience for customers to experience the ultimate Windows devices that brings the best of Microsoft in one location.”

Source: Microsoft. The first Surface Store experience in
Southeast Asia is at the Harvey Norman Millenia Walk
Flagship Superstore in Singapore. 

Microsoft also launched the first dedicated Surface Store in Southeast Asia. The store is in Singapore, at the Harvey Norman Millenia Walk Flagship Superstore.

The new Surface Store features the full lineup of Surface devices and accessories so customers can decide easily on the best device to empower both work and life. Officially opening on 10 March 2018, it will offer a new Concierge service where customers can get support for their Surface device, regardless of where or when it was purchased.

Details:

The new Surface products will be available 15 March. Surface Book 2 and Surface Studio are available for preorder on the Microsoft Store as well as at authorised retailers including Best Denki, Challenger, Courts, LOL by Epicentre, Harvey Norman, and Newstead, both online and in-store.

In addition, the lineup will be available for commercial customers via Authorised Device Resellers including AsiaPac Distribution, JK Technology, and UIC Asian Computer Services.

Explore:

View the Instavideo where Chan talks about the Alcantara covers

Hashtag: #SurfaceFam

*Testing conducted by Microsoft in April 2017 using a preproduction Intel Core, 256GB, 8 GB RAM device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network and auto-brightness disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage, and other factors

**Weight is based on i5 configuration

***Sold separately

****Customisation not available on devices running Windows 10 S or Mac OSX

*****Smart Switching not available on devices running Windows 10 S or Mac OSX

Microsoft and Adobe introduce free trial of Adobe CC with Surface purchases

Microsoft has announced a new partnership with Adobe to further spark creativity.

Customers who purchase an eligible Surface device will be entitled to an expanded three-month free trial of the new Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) Photography Plan with 1TB of cloud storage, worth US$59, the companies revealed in a blog post.

"There is something magical about the combination of Surface Dial and Surface Pen. When you fold these capabilities in with the Adobe Creative Cloud and the collective power of Surface hardware, artists can create in more intuitive and versatile ways to bring their ideas to life," said Jason Gregory, Microsoft's Surface Product Marketing Director, in the blog post.

Announced at Adobe’s annual MAX conference, the new Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan includes the all-new Lightroom CC and up to 10TB of cloud storage.

Microsoft and Adobe also unveiled new integrations between Surface Dial and Adobe Photoshop. The new Photoshop CC will enable Surface Dial users to easily control some common tasks such as brush manipulation.

Details:

The promotional offer will be available from 18 October 2017 to 18 January 2018*.

Participating Surface markets in Asia Pacific and the Middle East include Australia, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, KSA, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the UAE. The offer excludes China and India.

Offer excludes Windows 10 S devices (i.e. Surface Laptop) since Adobe CC requires Windows 10 Professional.

Source: Microsoft blog. The Surface and the Surface Dial (left) in use together with Adobe CC.

Microsoft's Surface Book 2 is a laptop, tablet and a portable studio, too

Microsoft has announced the latest member of the Surface family, Surface Book 2 – a powerhouse laptop with enhanced graphics and up to 17 hours of battery life that can handle mixed reality, artificial intelligence and immersive gaming.

Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate VP, Windows and Devices Group, Microsoft said in a blog post: "We are building Surface to be the ultimate laptop, infusing versatility, performance, and design into every product we make and creating a stage for the best of Windows and Office. More than ever there is a need for a class of high-performance devices that don’t compromise the versatility and style of a laptop customers want."

Available in 13” and 15” options, Surface Book 2 is built to offer the power of a laptop, the versatility of a tablet and the freedom of a portable studio. It has up to five times the graphics performance of the original Surface Book and is twice as powerful as the new MacBook Pro.

Sporting the latest 8^th Generation Intel Dual-Core and Quad-Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 and 1060 discrete graphics options, Surface Book 2 can easily run compute-intensive software from Adobe, Autodesk and Dassault. The 13" model weighs about 1.5kg and the 15" model, about 2kg. 

"The 15” Surface Book 2 delivers almost seven million dazzling pixels – 45% more than the MacBook Pro – giving artists and professionals alike amazing pixel density on an even larger creative canvas," observed Panos Panay, Corporate VP, Microsoft Devices in a blog post.

Panay shared that the detachable display and hinge of Surface Book 2, has been redesigned to provide a smoother, faster detach into tablet or studio mode. The device also has USB-A and USB-C ports as well as a full-sized SD card reader.

Source: Microsoft. The Surface Book 2.

Explore:

Watch the video introducing the Surface Book 2.

Surface Book 2 starts at US$1,499. Pricing and availability for the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions are not yet released.

Microsoft Surface family grows in popularity

Source: Microsoft. The Surface family.

From Surface Pro, to Surface Book, to Surface Studio, to Surface Hub, the Surface family is enjoying its "best holiday ever', says Brian Hall, CVP, Microsoft Devices Marketing, wrote in a blog post. November was the best month ever for consumer Surface sales, Hall said.

The Surface Studio was introduced in October, and 10+ million people have viewed the Surface Studio launch video since, Hall noted. He announced that the Surface Studio is now shipping.

Microsoft’s trade-in programme for Surfaces in exchange for MacBooks is at its best ever, which Hall attributed to "the combination of excitement for the innovation of Surface coupled with the disappointment of the new MacBook Pro – especially among professionals".

In Asia Pacific, Surface Book with Performance Base will go on sale in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan early next quarter, and is now available in Australia and New Zealand, Hall added. The Surface Book with Performance Base laptop, also introduced earlier in the year, has twice the graphics power and 30% more battery than the previous model.

By the end of 2016, nine months since launch, Surface Hubs will have shipped to over 2,000 customers in 24 markets, Hall disclosed. "The average deal size we see in the pipeline is approximately 50 units, but we’ve seen orders as large as 1,500 units to a large car manufacturer. This makes our team so, so proud," Hall said in the post.

Surface Hub production has been ramped up and it is available worldwide. "To help meet the demand for Surface Hub, and to provide a great experience for customers, we’re adding more value-added partners who will resell Surface and provide five-star service to our customers," Hall promised.

A Surface Hub Try-and-Buy Program is rolling out as well, where selected resellers will provide customers Hubs for 30 days before they commit to purchasing a large set of devices. The This Asia Pacific launch date is not yet known, however.

"In a February 2016 study, Forrester estimated that the ROI of integrating a Surface Hub into an organisation was 138%. They measured meeting time saved per meeting to be 15 to 23 minutes and sales as a result of the Surface Hub were up 20% with a payback period (of) nine months. We believe our momentum in just nine months proves the study correct, and we’ve added some features that our customers have asked for most upgrade executive offices and conferences rooms around the world – with the power of a software-driven product," Hall said.

Other new Surface Hub capabilities announced after customer feedback and observing how customers use the Surface Hub include:

+Inking support across Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
+Saving and recalling Whiteboards directly through OneDrive.
+Support for more third party peripherals like BiAmp TesireForte CI, Jabra 810, Logitech PTZ Pro and Polycom CX5100.
+Preloaded PowerBI, OneDrive, and Photos apps.

Interested?

Watch the video introduction to Microsoft Surface Studio

Microsoft launches new Surface Pro model in Singapore

Microsoft has announced the retail availability of Surface Pro 4 in Singapore. Surface Pro 4 is the thinnest, lightest Surface Pro, yet powerful  enough to run full Microsoft Office and brings Windows 10 features to life - including Windows Hello, Surface Pen and Microsoft Edge.

“Surface Pro 4 brings together the performance of a laptop and the full power of Windows 10 with the portability of tablet,” said Arthur Huang, Director, Consumer Channels Group, Microsoft Singapore. “Surface has transformed the category by focusing on productivity, creating a highly versatile device that people love to use.”

Huang showed some numbers related to Windows 10. 

At just 8.4 mm thick, Surface Pro 4 features Windows 10 Pro, a 12.3" PixelSense Display and 6th Generation Intel Core m, Core i5, and Core i7 processors. Surface Pro 4 is not only 30% more powerful than Surface Pro 3 but also quieter, runs cooler and also longer, with up to nine hours of battery life*.

“The 6th Generation Intel Core processor family sets a new standard of computing with enhanced performance, graphics, and battery life, making possible the remarkable performance and power-efficiency you see in ultrathin devices like Surface Pro 4,” said George Chacko, Director, Pricing & Product Marketing Group, Intel Asia Pacific & Japan.

“Together with Microsoft, Intel is constantly pushing the limits of personal computing with state-of-the-art experiences, and we’re very excited to bring these innovations to market with Surface Pro 4.”

A recent survey** conducted by Microsoft with 1,200 Asian consumers under the age of 25 years of age found that 42% of respondents wished to get a new 2-in-1, tablet or laptop device this festive season. Fifteen percent of respondents already have a 2 in 1, Huang shared, while 59% want a touch surface on all their devices. Additionally, 43% want a digital assistant, while 41% want a digital pen.

"Millennials hate passwords," said Huang. "51% thought 'too many passwords' is an issue in their everyday digital lives. Seventy percent would be willijng to pay to overcome security and privacy challenges, and 52% identified privacy and security as their top concerns with digital lifestyles."

Surface Pro 4 is perfect for people who place a premium on portability, yet require significant productivity and performance – mobile professionals or people in business environments who need high levels of corporate access, data security and central manageability.

New Surface accessories, such as the new and improved Surface Pro 4 Type Cover***, take Surface Pro 4 from tablet to laptop in an instant. The Type Cover features a redesigned mechanical keyboard with optimal key spacing for fast and fluid typing. The redesigned Surface Pen packs 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, letting you write, draw and mark documents with precision 'ink'  on one end. A new feature is an 'eraser' on the other end.

The Surface Pro 4 features as musical support.

The Surface Pro 4 as an artist's tool. 

The Surface Pro 4 renders 4K video with ease.

With Surface Pro 4, Microsoft’s commitment to business continues with the largest set of early adopters of a Surface device in business ever. Already, customers from a variety of industries including mobile field sales, professional services, energy and the public sector have purchased Surface Pro 4 to help streamline operations and help employees maximise productivity.

The Surface Pro 4 is powerful enough to run Autodesk software.

Additionally, Microsoft will double the commercial reseller channels in Asia Pacific to 300 partners by early next year, including 20 commercial resellers in Singapore, so businesses can more quickly and easily incorporate Surface into their environments.

Interested?

The Surface Pro 4 Intel Core m, Core i5, and Core i7****  models are available at microsoftstore.com, more select Singapore retailers - not just Challenger, Courts, and Harvey Norman but also at Newstead, a total of 70 stores, as well as via authorised commercial partners.

Surface Pro 4 starts at an estimated retail price of S$1,399.

Hashtag: #DoGreatThings

*For video playback, testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2015 using s preproduction Intel Core i5, 256GB, 8GB RAM device. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except Wi-Fi, which was associated with a network and Auto-Brightness, which was disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

**An online survey was conducted with YouGov with 1,200 youths under the age of 25 in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, mainland China, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan. 

***Sold separately.

****The i7 models begin shipping from 10 December 2015.

Optional NVIDIA GeForce GPU drives heavy graphics on Microsoft's Surface Book laptop

Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Book, its first laptop. Unveiled by Microsoft Devices CVP Panos Panay in New York on October 6, the 13.5" Surface Book features an NVIDIA Maxwell architecture-powered GeForce GPU option.

The detachable keyboard base can be folded flat against the screen, like a laptop, tucked against the back of the screen, or detached. Panay showed the Surface Book running Adobe Premier Pro.

“This is for the gamer who plays League of Legends; this is for the architect who is building a building right now; this is for the scientist who is thinking about a cure for cancer,” Panos told his audience. “This is for the developer who wants to compile using the GPU and CPU at the same time and not lose a minute.”

Source: NVIDIA blog.

Interested?

The NVIDIA GeForce GPU variant starts at US$1,899, and is available October 26. Pre-order here

The new Microsoft Surface 3 can be pre-ordered today

Bloggers got to try the Surface 3 and
the Lumia 640 and 640 XL handsets
at a gathering in Singapore in April.

While Surface Pro gained many fans, there were some who wanted more. Surface Lead for Consumer Ian Tan, Microsoft Singapore, shared at a media gathering that some customers asked for a lighter, more affordable device, and Microsoft listened.

The new Surface was announced late March in Singapore, and has the same build quality as the Surface Pro 3. Like Surface Pro 3, it is a tablet that can replace a laptop but is even thinner and lighter. Surface 3 has a suggested retail price of S$748 and is optimised to run full Windows and Office and features long battery life. The ability to run Windows apps and the pen experience¹ — great for taking notes or marking documents — make Surface 3 ideal for educational purposes and those with a productivity focus. 

“Surface 3 brings what customers love about Surface Pro 3 to more people, delivering the premium design and productivity of Surface in a more affordable device,” said Tan. “We’ve taken everything we learned making Surface Pro 3 and poured that innovation into this newest Surface. It’s beautiful, versatile, powerful and productive, and our customers are going to love what it lets them do.”

Powered by the new quad-core Intel Atom x7 processor, Surface 3 is responsive but designed to maximise efficiency with up to 10 hours of video-playback battery life². The 10.8" ClearType HD multi-touch display, stereo speakers with Dolby Audio-enhanced sound, and the magnesium design are some of the features which the  Surface 3 that customers will recognise from Surface Pro 3. The three-position kickstand retains the three most popular angles for the Surface Pro 3 said Tan, and are ideal for using Surface 3 while working at a desk, sitting on a couch or holding in the palm of a hand as a writing surface. 

Surface 3 ships with full Windows 8.1 and can be upgraded to Windows 10 for free when available³. They also come complete with a one-year subscription of Microsoft Office 365 Personal, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, plus OneDrive cloud storage⁴. The full specifications are here.

Surface 3 accessories include⁵: Surface 3 Type Covers in bright blue, red and black, which feature an improved trackpad and responsive keyset for fast, accurate typing, and four Surface Pen colours — silver, black, blue and red. The Surface 3 Docking Station connects the device to an external monitor and other desktop devices, and Surface 3’s full-size USB 3.0 port, Mini DisplayPort, microSD card reader offer connectivity. Tan highlighted the Micro USB charging port, which allows the Surface 3 to be used with a power bank if it runs out of battery. Surface accessories specifics can be found here.

Source: Microsoft.

Surface 3 will be available from retailers and resellers from May 5, and in Asia Pacific, in Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Thailand at launch. 

Pre-orders are accepted at the Microsoft Online Store. Retailers include Challenger, Harvey Norman and Newstead will also accept pre-orders, while commercial customers should contact their authorised reseller. Microsoft Singapore also announced four additional authorised resellers to its Microsoft Devices Programme: Innocomm Technologies, Insight Technology Solutions, JK Technology and Jardine OneSolution (2001). This brings the total number of authorised resellers to seven – including AsiaPac Distribution, SoftwareOne, and UIC Asian Computer Services. In addition to offering Microsoft’s extended warranty and accidental damage, resellers bring a variety of value-added services to the Surface family such as asset tagging, custom imaging, kitting, onsite service and support, device recycling, and data protection. 

Pre-order availability	Available for pre-order at Microsoft Online Store.  Pre-order at authorised retailers Challenger, Newstead,  and Harvey Norman begins in April 2015.
Retail availability	5 May 2015
Surface 3 SRP in S$, with GST	2 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage $748 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage $898
Accessories SRP in S$, with GST	Surface Pen $73 Surface 3 Type Cover $199 Surface 3 Screen Protector $73 Surface 3 Docking Station $288 Surface 3 Power Supply $59

¹ Surface Pen sold separately.

² Testing conducted by Microsoft in March 2015 using 128GB and 64GB units with 4 GB of RAM. Testing consisted of full battery discharge during video playback. All settings were default except Wi-Fi was associated with a network and Auto-Brightness was disabled. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors.

³ Free upgrade to Windows 10 for qualified Windows 8.1 devices that upgrade in the first year. More information and additional offer terms available in the coming months. See http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/about?ocid=WIN10_0_WOL_Hero_Home_Windows-10_Null_01 for more information.

⁴ Available on Surface 3 with Windows 8.1 purchased prior to Dec. 31, 2015. While supplies last. Office activation required within six months of Windows activation date.

⁵ Accessories sold separately.

*Some information relates to a pre-release product, which may be substantially modified before it is commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

Microsoft announces availability of Surface Pro 3

Microsoft has announced that the Surface Pro 3 can be purchased at retailers or online in nine markets in Asia Pacific. The Surface Pro 3 enables businesses to deploy a laptop replacement that delivers the power, manageability and security they need to conduct business with confidence, said the company, and equally ideal for consumers who want to streamline their lifestyles as well as people in business environments who need high levels of corporate access, data security and central manageability.

Source: Microsoft*.

In a recently-commissioned survey of 2,900 working professionals in eight markets across Asia Pacific, 50% of respondents in the region said that they are no longer desk-bound at work. In addition, 79% of working professionals in Asia Pacific own three or more types of devices, and 41% of respondents carry both their tablet and laptop with them at all times.

Source: Microsoft*.

More than four in ten (43%) of respondents felt that they would get the best experience for both work and play from a hybrid or laptop than a standalone tablet. In fact, three in ten (30%) of respondents chose a hybrid as their preferred device for their next purchase, which was tied in first place with tablet devices (30%) followed closely by laptops (27%).

“Our research is clear: people want just one device that does everything,” said Alvaro Celis, Vice President, Microsoft Asia Pacific “The next era of personal computing is not just about tablets and smartphones, it’s also about powerful devices that harmonise our digital work and digital life. Our vision is that Surface Pro 3 is the tablet that can replace your laptop — packing all the performance and utility of a fully powered laptop into a thin, light and beautifully designed tablet. You’ll love being able to carry one device for your next class, workday or weekend getaway knowing you have all the power you need and the convenience you want.”

The Surface Pro 3 is now available across nine markets in Asia, including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan, and in 28 markets globally. To support its commercial customers, Microsoft has appointed close to 50 partners in Asia Pacific to support the Surface Pro 3. In Singapore, Microsoft Singapore has appointed four business resellers, AsiaPac Distribution, Dimension Data, SoftwareOne, and UIC Asian Computer Services.

*Results of a survey of 2,900 working professionals in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea and Malaysia. View the full infographic here. 

Microsoft launches Surface Pro 3, a tablet that's also a laptop

Microsoft has launched the Surface Pro 3 — a lightweight 12" tablet with the power and performance of a laptop. 

Source: Microsoft.

"So many people carry both a laptop and a tablet but really want just one device that serves all purposes," said Panos Panay, Corporate VP, Microsoft Surface. "Surface Pro 3 is the tablet that can replace your laptop — packing all the performance of a fully powered laptop into a thin, light and beautifully designed device."

Surface Pro 3 features a 12" full HD display, 4th-generation Intel Core processor and multiple RAM and storage options, click-in keyboards, and a multi-position kickstand that goes from movie mode to working mode and also has a writing mode. The new Surface Pen with pressure sensitivity delivers a precise drawing and note-taking experience. 

A full-size USB 3.0 port, microSD card reader and Mini DisplayPort allow for quick file transfers and easy connections to a range of peripherals. The device runs Windows 8.1 Pro, but unlike other Surface models, Microsoft Office is sold separately.  

Companies such as BMW Group, The Coca-Cola Company and LVMH - Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton have already committed to purchasing and deploying the device as one of the choices inside their organisations. "Surface Pro 3 is a truly innovative device that will replace both a tablet and a powerful laptop," said Mario Mueller, VP IT infrastructure, BMW Group. 

New Surface accessories like the improved Surface Pro Type Cover will take Surface Pro 3 from tablet to laptop. Other accessories include a new Docking Station for Surface Pro 3 and a Surface Ethernet Adapter. A list of the new Surface accessories can be found here.  

Starting at an estimated retail price of US$799, Surface Pro 3 will be offered in multiple configurations featuring the 4th-generation Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro Type Cover and Surface Pen will be available for pre-order^* starting May 21 through Microsoftstore.com, Microsoft retail stores and select third-party retailers. Commercial customers should speak to their authorised reseller.

By the end of August, Surface Pro 3 and select new accessories will become available for purchase in 26 markets outside of the US and Canada, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. 

More information on Surface can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/surface. The specs are available here.
 
*Excluding China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan