'Affordability doesn't necessarily mean just cost, it's also about having access to financing,' he said, adding purchasing software via financing, instead of a one-time payment, is not available in some less developed countries.

Citing UNESCO statistics, the Microsoft official said there are 430 million households that can barely afford a PC because the total cost of PCs are still high for them, and many others do not have enough financing options.

Ease of use is another concern, especially for first-time PC users along with reliability where users worry that their PC might break down and it might cost them a lot of money to get it running again, Chebbi said.

'We designed Vista Starter with these points in mind, because we simply want to make genuine Windows PCs more affordable,' he said.

Along with the easier interface that all Vista versions have, the Vista Starter edition will also have localized version available in about 72 languages including Filipino.