Although they’ve been putting a lot of focus and attention towards touting their new HoloLens and Windows 10, Microsoft has also been busy developing their gigantic touchscreen Surface Hub – which was first announced back in January.
The device – which can best be described as a gigantic Microsoft Surface (literally) – was designed with the connected and smart business conference room in mind.
While it will surely make for a great digital whiteboard, its ability to run Windows 10 also means that for those willing to fork over the dollars, it’s also perhaps one of the craziest ways of interacting with today’s CAD programs – not unlike how we’ve seen in multiple science fiction movies including the most recent example, Oblivion:
But as fun as the novelty of designing your next assembly on an 84-inch touchscreen device while listening to techno would be, the Surface Hub will perform best when it’s used for what it was intended for – collaboration.
“When a problem is identified with a component coming off the line, two teams can now look at a detailed CAD file in real time and use the Surface Hub to write directly on the image to clearly communicate what needs to change – eliminating the need to put someone on a plane,” says the company.
“Businesses will also be able to draw from a wide variety of Windows 10 apps to put real-time data and business tools at the center of meetings, helping them gain insights and reach decisions faster.”
The device is the result of over three years of development by the team at Perceptive Pixel, who Microsoft acquired in 2012.
Previously, the company had been working on their own multi-touch interfaces before Steve Ballmer announced that they would be shifting their focus to Microsoft devices. The resulting Surface Hub devices include 4K multi-touch displays that are powered by an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor (dependant on screen size) and inking support.
https://youtu.be/FRLDRQePY1o
Starting at $6,999, the Surface Hub 55-inch is ideal for huddle spaces, small conference rooms and small offices or design studios whereas the larger Surface Hub 84-inch is designed for large meeting rooms and is priced at $19,999. The company will begin taking orders starting July 1st and will begin shipping the devices in September.
