Microsoft is introducing the next generation of giant screens for conference rooms today: Surface Hub 2. While the original Surface Hub was shipped in 2016 with 55-inch 1080p and 4K 84-inch options, Surface Hub 2 will use a 50.5 1-inch screen with a resolution greater than 4K and an aspect ratio of 3: 2 with extremely fine bevels. That's the same ratio as all the other Surface products, and Microsoft clearly chose this to complement the fact that its giant screen now rotates to a vertical position.
The new vertical orientation allows Surface Hub 2 to rotate in place with an intelligent mechanism that resembles the muscular latch of Microsoft's Surface Book. Microsoft does not provide many specifications for the new Surface Hub 2, not even a release date or exact prices, but the new device will be available in 2019. Today's preview is more about informing companies that normally request devices well in advance that this device is on the way.
The hardware of the Surface Hub 2 looks impressive, but Microsoft is also improving the software that runs on the new device. Although it is still based on Windows 10, Microsoft is working on a new dynamic collaboration scenario that will allow several people to walk to Surface Hub 2, log in to the device using the built-in fingerprint reader and then each of them make their own I work in a single collaboration document. Most of the software will be optimized for Microsoft teams, and far field microphones and 4K cameras will allow you to make video calls in vertical mode that will make you feel like you are next to a colleague.
The Surface Hub 2 is designed to be flexible and lightweight so workers can move it through an office, although Microsoft is not detailing the exact dimensions or the current weight. Microsoft is also working with Steelcase to produce wall mounts and mounts for Surface Hub 2, and you can even mount four of them together on a wall and have them link together as multiple monitors. Microsoft calls this "mosaic" and allows users to display different content in parallel. In the Microsoft promotional video (above) you can see this mode in action towards the end, and the 4K webcam is removable (connects via USB-C) so that multiple Surface Hub 2 devices are stacked together in portrait or landscape. [19659008] https://fdmania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/microsofts-surface-hub-2-is-designed-for-an-office-of-the-future.com "data-chorus-optimize-field =" main_image "data-cid =" site / dynamic_size_image-1526390649_9132_28634 "data-cdata =" {"asset_id": 10837545, "ratio ":" * "} “/>
Microsoft's promotional video for Surface Hub 2 really feels that vision The company's future is becoming reality Microsoft has been obsessed with giant touchscreens for years, but this new Surface Hub 2 brings together many of the dream scenarios we have seen for this type of screens. It is clear that Microsoft is also far ahead of the competition in this market. Google launched its own $ 5,000 digital whiteboard last year, priced at $ 4,000 below Microsoft's 55-inch Surface Hub. Google's Jamboard is not as clever or as well integrated with typical Office applications as Microsoft's Surface Hub, and this latest hardware and software pushes Microsoft even further.
Microsoft says that the price will be in line with similar competitive devices, which could mean that we will see a more aggressive price point to counteract Google's own digital whiteboard. Microsoft has already sold Surface Hubs to more than 5,000 businesses in 25 countries. More than half of the Fortune 100 companies already have a Surface Hub, and it is the most popular Surface device for business customers. By simplifying to a single screen size (50.5 inches) with Surface Hub 2, the hardware should be easier to manufacture. Microsoft has had trouble making Surface Hub devices to meet demand, and the company closed its manufacturing facility in the United States last year, presumably to cut costs and speed up production elsewhere.
Microsoft will be willing to avoid some of the delays we saw with the original Surface Hub, and the company is launching an early adoption program later this year. Selected business customers will be able to test Surface Hub 2 before it becomes available more widely next year.
