A better (and pricier) whiteboard
We'll admit that Microsoft's Surface Hub seems pretty slick. There are two versions, a 55-inch model and ginormous 84-inch model, both of which are essentially fancy digital whiteboards with plenty of tricks up their respective sleeves. It's all about collaborating in the conference room, but if your company has aspirations of owning one, it'll need a decent sized budget.
Microsoft revealed pricing information for the Surface Hub, noting that the 84-inch model will run $19,999. If that's too rich for your company's blood, the 55-inch model can be had for $6,999. Businesses that can afford either device can place their order starting July 1, with shipments scheduled for September.
The Surface Hub is powered by either a Core i5 (55-inch) or Core i7 (84-inch) Haswell CPU, 8GB of RAM, Intel HD 4600 or Nvidia Quadro K2200 graphics, and a 128GB solid state drive. Other specs include two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and GbE LAN. It's a little disappointing that Wireless-AC isn't utilized, especially given the price point.
Each Surface Hub has a pair of wide-angle 1080p cameras for video conferencing, along with depth sensors so that it knows where to pick up audio. Two pressure sensitive pens are included for manipulating 100 points of touch. And when someone draws or manipulates objects on the Surface Hub, it will be shown in real-time on computer screens around the conference room. Likewise, employees can send their visuals to the Surface Hub.
Pretty neat. As for the cost. Microsoft says it's not that bad compared to alternative technologies that quickly add up.
"As a complete, all-in-one solution, Surface Hub delivers incredible value. In an average conference room, Surface Hub replaces a number of disparate tools and technologies, including the audio-video conferencing system, display, projector, wireless receiver, and the analog or digital whiteboard at a lower upfront cost," Microsoft says. "And when you look at ongoing management costs, the story gets even stronger. Rather than having to manage multiple components separately, as a Windows 10 device Surface Hub can be easily and centrally managed by IT."
The U.S. and Canada are two of 24 markets the Surface Hub will available when it ships in September.
From maximumpc
from http://bit.ly/1Gev18e
