Microsoft has killed its Surface Hub line of collaborative PCs. According to sources familiar with the matter, the company has ended production on its latest generation Surface Hub 3, and the company has scrapped any plans to deliver a Surface Hub 4 in the future.

I'm told that although production has ended, Microsoft and third-party retailers still have stock available to sell through, but once that's gone, that will be the end of it. Of course, Surface Hub is a device that was only ever sold to commercial customers, and were often purchased in bulk by enterprises looking to fill meeting rooms with large collaboration displays.

Surface Hub 3 was available in both 50- and 85-inch sizes, starting at $8,000 for the smaller model and $20,000 for the larger model. The device was unique in that the display and compute components were separate, meaning the entire computer could be upgraded without replacing the display.

Microsoft only ever took advantage of this design once. The Surface Hub 2 and Surface Hub 3 share the same displays, with the Hub 3 compute cartridge being made available to buy standalone for Surface Hub 2 customers who wanted to upgrade to a Surface Hub 3 without paying for a new display.

The Surface Hub 3 could also rotate, supporting both portrait and landscape orientations. Unfortunately, it seems these alluring features weren't enough to keep the product line alive, as the company has now ended development on any future models.

For customers who own a Surface Hub 3, the product will remain supported with OS and firmware updates until the end of 2030, so the devices won't become unusable anytime soon. With that said, if you were interested in grabbing a Surface Hub for your home office or small business, you might want to act fast.

The death of Surface Hub joins the many other experimental and unique Surface form factors that have been left behind in the last couple of years. In 2023, Microsoft killed its dual-screen Surface Duo smartphone, which was quickly followed by its 28-inch Surface Studio AiO and 14-inch Surface Laptop Studio.

These days, the Surface portfolio is focused primarily on Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, with variations of both product lines reaching different price points. Gone are the days of wacky form factors, with Microsoft now focused on delivering laptops and tablets that rival Apple and appeal to commercial customers.

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What you need to know

• Microsoft Whiteboard added support for over 40 additional languages.
• The app allows users to work together across platforms on a digital whiteboard.
• The app is available for free on Windows 10 and iOS.

Microsoft Whiteboard gained support for over 40 additional languages through its most recent update (via MSPU). Microsoft Whiteboard is a digital canvas that allows users to collaborate across devices and platforms. Now, with the most recent update, users can also collaborate across languages.

The app supports pen and touch and has built-in tools such as a shape recognition tool to make taking notes easier. Microsoft Whiteboard is available for free on both Windows 10 and iOS.

The Microsoft Teams app for Surface Hub is now available for all, coming just a few months since first entering preview with Windows Insiders. In a post on its TechNet blog today, Microsoft announced that Teams for Surface Hub has reached general availability, releasing it into the Microsoft Store and Microsoft Store for Business (via OnMSFT).

To make sure your team can use the app, you'll want to make sure you're running at least Windows 10 Team Edition 1703.15063.1292, released August 30 as KB4343889, on your Surface Hub.

While Microsoft is gradually moving businesses and organizations over to Teams as a replacement for Skype for Business, the company says that the Teams app for Surface Hub is able to run in three different modes to accommodate organizations that haven't yet made the jump or are in the process of migrating.

• Mode 0 - Keep as is. Use this mode if your organization still uses Skype for Business primarily, but you want the ability to join Microsoft Teams meetings from Surface Hub.
• Mode 1 - Microsoft Teams Hybrid. The Microsoft Teams 'Call' tile will appear on the Welcome Screen. The Microsoft Teams tile on the Start Menu will replace the default Skype for Business tile and will show the Microsoft Teams client when launched. You will also see the one-touch 'Join' button to join scheduled Microsoft Teams meetings. Scheduled Skype for Business meetings will launch the Skype for Business client when you hit the one-touch 'Join' button for Skype for Business meetings. Use this mode if you're transitioning to Microsoft Teams from Skype for Business and/or your organization uses Microsoft Teams primarily, but you want the ability to join Skype for Business meetings.
• Mode 2 - Microsoft Teams. The Microsoft Teams tiles are displayed on the Welcome Screen and Start Menu. All Skype for Business functionalities are disabled. Use this mode if you're only using Microsoft Teams.

Given that Surface Hub is primarily meant as a collaboration tool for organizations, Teams is an important piece of the puzzle as Microsoft courts potential users in the business world. Further, it comes ahead of the release of the Surface Hub 2, the next iteration of Microsoft's conference room behemoth.

See at Microsoft Store

Microsoft is preparing to bring Teams to a much bigger screen: Surface Hub. As first spotted by Italian blog Aggiornamenti Lumia (via Petri), Microsoft Teams for Surface Hub is now available in preview on the Microsoft Store.

But even for companies that have a Surface Hub handy, they'll need to be enrolled in the Insider program to check out Teams ahead of release. From the description:

If you're already familiar with teams, it doesn't look like there's anything out of the ordinary here. You'll still have access to the communication and meeting tools that Teams normally includes. But the whole experience has been built for the Surface Hub's bigger screen with conference rooms in mind.

With Surface Hub being primarily geared towards businesses and organizations, Teams is a natural fit for the device. And as Microsoft gears up for the next iteration of the big screen device, Surface Hub 2, Teams will be an important piece of the puzzle for companies looking to give it a shot.

In March, Microsoft gave a surprise preannouncement for the Surface Hub 2. The news was little more than a heads-up that refreshed hardware was planned, but more info was expected during "first half of this year."

Today is that day. Microsoft officially gave us the first preview of Surface Hub 2, and while there are still many details to be determined later this year, the video revealing the collaborative office PC is impressive.

The all new Surface Hub 2

The Microsoft Surface Hub 2 features a 50.5-inch "more than 4K" display with a familiar 3:2 aspect ratio. There is also a 4K video camera, built-in speakers, a new Surface Pen (more like a marker), far-field microphone array, and a near bezel-less screen.

The secret mojo though is that the new Surface Hub 2 can now rotate on an ingenious new hinge that lets users quickly switch the giant computer from landscape to portrait orientations. The large Surface can be mounted to a wall or on a new roller cart to make it more mobile.

Companies with deep pockets can splurge for two Surface Hub 2's placed side by side in landscape, or up to four Surface Hub 2's mounted adjacently in portrait mode. The PCs can then operate independently or together.

The Surface Hub 2 also features a thumbprint login system for Windows Hello, and in a new twist, the OS lets two users simultaneously log into the PC to share information in real time between accounts.

Windows 10 PCs and those using Microsoft Teams on any device (iOS, Android, or Windows) can interact with Surface Hub 2 directly and in "dynamic collaboration" using apps like OneNote, Teams, and Whiteboard in the office or across the world.

The other modification from the original Surface Hub is there is now only one size available versus the initial choice between 55-inch and 84-inch. Microsoft gave us the following rationale for the change:

Early testing with select Microsoft partners for Surface Hub 2 will begin later this year, and general purchasing and shipments should start in 2019.

Pricing has not been determined, but Microsoft tells us it is in line with "similar devices" (the last-gen 55-inch Surface Hub costs $8,999, so it won't likely be cheap).

What we don't know about Surface Hub 2

While there is much more to talk about with Surface Hub 2, especially with that new sizzler promo, there is plenty we do not know, including:

• Exact cost and local availability.
• If there is an internal battery for when mobile (on a cart).
• If the 4K camera will be sold separately.
• Processor, ports, and full specifications.

Those details are coming, and we expect a hands-on experience soon with Surface Hub 2.

First glimpse of Windows Core OS?

Windows Central Senior Writer Zac Bowden noted in February that Microsoft "is building an army of devices that are designed to work together" focusing on "collaboration, productivity, and 3D/Mixed Reality" with callouts to Surface Hub 2, HoloLens 2, and the rumored "Andromeda" foldable PC

Today's announcement from Microsoft seems to fall in line with that reporting.

Looking more closely at the Surface Hub 2 video the OS is a variant of Windows 10. We have long reported that C-shell and Windows Core OS would ship with Surface Hub 2 (codenamed "Aruba"; see also "Polaris") and we still believe that is the case (especially with the dual-login feature and general UI changes).

When asked, Microsoft would only say that the OS seen here is "built from Windows 10 with a focus on a collaborative environment." This is likely how Microsoft will publicly talk about Windows Core OS versus announcing something new and causing confusion.

Also spotted in the Surface Hub 2 is dynamic wallpaper that moves in the background, another feature we have heard is coming to Windows Core OS.

Microsoft informs us that the original Surface Hub will get "the same great features and updates that were built for Surface Hub 2" through a software update for current Hub customers.

Who is Surface Hub 2 for?

Microsoft sees the future of the office as collaboration. Speculating that future Surface devices – even unannounced ones – will participate in this new mode of working is not a stretch.

More to the point of Surface Hub 2, Microsoft references that millennials and Generation Z are quickly becoming the dominant age group in the workforce. These users are "digitally native" and expect to work together, while also being creative on the job. With Surface Hub 2, Microsoft is simply responding to that by asking "how can we help people be creative ... and share their ideas."

Surface Hub 2 lets users create and share while also allowing the device to exist in meeting rooms, huddle spaces, or even private offices. With a single thumbprint login, the OS pulls in your documents and information for the cloud for a glimpse of what "edge computing" actually means.

Why announce Surface Hub 2 now?

Businesses and institutions that plan long term around information technology (IT) and hardware need a long on-ramp. Microsoft knows this process can take some companies up to 18 months to switch over after initial planning and budgeting, making the enterprise space vastly different from the immediacy of the consumer market.

Presumably, companies will start to plan out for Surface Hub 2 – including the high price tag for budgets – now with anticipation to roll it out in 2019 and 2020. Microsoft is also giving companies a nod that they should likely pass on buying a new Surface Hub, or any other competitor in the market, as something better is on the way.

The original Surface Hub was one of Microsoft's most successful businesses Surfaces to date with more than 5,000 customers across 25 markets, according to the company. Microsoft looks to continue that momentum with Surface Hub 2 and working closely with current customers first.

We can assume Microsoft will share more about Surface Hub 2 in the coming months. The Microsoft Ignite conference is in September, making it an excellent opportunity for a more extensive public reveal, but Microsoft has not yet committed to any such plans.

Microsoft first revealed the Surface Hub in January 2015, although it didn't start shipping the mammoth collaborative toolset until March 2016 after initial delay.

Despite the fact that the last significant Surface Hub news came five months ago, Microsoft today is building momentum around version two in a surprise pre-announcement:

This announcement is one of the first times Microsoft is not only acknowledging a new version of the Surface Hub, but it's also well ahead of any planned press-event or shipping details.

Coming in two sizes – 55-inch and 84-inch, priced at $6,999 and $19,999 respectively – Microsoft is giving current companies a small heads-up that a new version is on the way so they can begin planning around the tools and ecosystem (and budgeting).

There is no word on what specifically will be new in Surface Hub V2, but refreshed hardware, improved display, inking and things like Microsoft Teams support on the software front are expected.

So far so good with Surface Hub

Microsoft was quick to tout the success of Surface Hub, noting it has now sold Hub to more than 5,000 customers across 25 markets. That's double the amount sold as of December 2016 when the company revealed it had sold Hub to 2,000 customers, which Microsoft said at the time exceeded expectations. (There's no firm number on actual units, sold, but Microsoft has mentioned companies on average buy 50 units).

The company also noted that over half of the Fortune 100 corporations have purchased Surface Hub and 60 percent of Surface Hub sales come from large enterprise customers.

Update: This article originaly noted that "more than 5,000 units" have been sold, but it has been corrected to "more than 5,000 customers".

Microsoft is promising on a Surface Hub OS upgrade for existing devices to try to keep parity with Surface Hub V2 and that more in-depth integration with Microsoft Teams and Office 365 will continue.

Collaboration has been a significant focus of Microsoft lately with Teams, Whiteboard, Skype, and Office 365. Surface Hub serves as the primary hardware for that initiative and Redmond appears to be having success with it.

Expect to hear more about Surface Hub V2 "in the first half of this year," which could hint at a Microsoft Build's May 7 timeframe.

Microsoft's massive Surface Hub is now available in Hong Kong. The company has announced Hong Kong customers are first in Greater China to get their hands on the office collaboration tool. And in addition to the Surface Hub, Microsoft is also launching Microsoft 365, a subscription bundle of Windows and Office, in Hong Kong as well.

Speaking on the launch, chairman and CEO of Microsoft Greater China Region, Alain Crozier, said:

Surface Hub is a massive touch-enabled conference room device available in both 55-inch and 84-inch models. Packing a slightly modified version of Windows 10, the Surface Hub that combines digital whiteboard and conferencing features into a massive display.

Despite its large price tag, Microsoft revealed in December 2016 that Surface Hub demand had exceeded expectations. At teh time, Microsoft said it had shipped Surface Hubs to more than 2,000 customers in 24 markets, with the average deal landing at 50 units.

Lots of new Windows 10 apps have been making their ways into the Windows Store thanks to Microsoft's Centennial app development bridge. Unfortunately, many developers who are bringing their Win32 programs to the Windows Store aren't making truly universal Windows 10 apps.

The Centennial bridge is great, but for the most part it doesn't benefit Microsoft's universal platform of devices. Windows phones, HoloLens and Xbox can't run those apps. So I thought it would be a good idea to shine the light on a few of my favorite true universal Windows 10 apps.

When I say true universal, I mean apps that run across PC and Mobile at the very least. My selection of apps run on most of Microsoft's universal platform products. Let's dig in.

Unigram

Telegram is a chat service like WhatsApp, and as a Telegram user, I've always wanted a universal Windows 10 app that I can use across devices. Unfortunately, Telegram hasn't delivered, but Unigram is an excellent third-party alternative. Unigram is the universal Telegram client I've always wanted.

Built by the Telegram community, Unigram features a Windows 10 design that's easy to use. It has a light or dark mode, and has most of the core Telegram features already built in, including phone call support and group chats.

It's worth noting that the app is currently in alpha, so if you're a die hard Telegram user it may not have all the features you need. It does have most of the important stuff, however, and I have yet to come across something Unigram doesn't have that I need.

Price: Free

Platforms: PC, Mobile, Xbox and HoloLens

Get Unigram from the Windows Store

ReddPlanet

I know most Windows users choose Readit as their Reddit client of choice, but I much prefer ReddPlanet. Yes, it's another Reddit client, but it's a damn good one. It's customizable, with the ability to favorite subreddits for quick access.

It also has notification support, so when someone replies to your comments or threads, you know about it. It's also super customizable, with the ability to change everything from the color accents, to whether the navigation bar is blurry or not.

I really like how this app is designed, and I particularly enjoy its mobile experience. This is an app I use on phone more than my PC, because it makes browsing Reddit so much easier when on my Lumia 950.

Price: Free

Platforms: PC, Mobile, Xbox, HoloLens and Hub

Get ReddPlanet from the Windows Store

myTube

myTube is possibly the best YouTube client for Windows 10. Its developers recently launched a brand new updated design that makes the app far easier to use and better to look at. It's fully featured, allowing you to watch 1080p video, reply to comments and see channels.

It has a built in save video feature, which allows you to download your favorite videos for offline viewing. You can also save just the audio, which is great if you want to listen to music. It can play video and music in the background too.

This is another one of those apps that I use on my phone more than my PC. The app has a beautiful UI for both platforms and is even available on Xbox, which is superb.

Price: $0.99

Platforms: PC, Mobile, Xbox, HoloLens and Hub

Get myTube from the Windows Store

Appy Text

Appy Text is a lightweight text editor that's great for writing articles on the fly. If you like writing in dark apps, Appy Text features a great dark mode that looks beautiful on OLED screens. Appy Text is also a great looking app.

The app has a number of built-in features, including a word count, font changer, markdown support and more. I generally use it for writing quick articles on the go, where I know Word 2016 is a bit overkill. The app is free, but it has a paid option.

You can actually get away with using this as your only text editor. It's essentially Notepad, but better. It has a few additional, needed features, including tabs, and is a nice simple way of writing.

Price: Free with paid option

Platforms: PC, Mobile, HoloLens and Hub

Get Appy Text from the Windows Store

Your thoughts?

So that's our list. There are plenty of other truly universal Windows 10 apps out there, and this is just a small taste of some of the apps you can find. Let us know what your favorite Windows 10 apps are in the comments.

A little over a month after the Windows 10 Creators Update began its general rollout, Microsoft has announced the update is now rolling out to the Surface Hub. In its wake, the Creators Update is also bringing a whole bunch of new features to the Surface Hub, focusing on team collaboration, speed, and security.

Following the Creators Update, Microsoft says that the new Whiteboard experience it showed off at its recent Shanghai event will make its way to the Surface Hub in mid-June. Essentially, Whiteboard will let team members easily collaborate and brainstorm on a blank digital canvas.

Sign-on has also been enhanced, allowing for a single sign-on experience that lets users quickly access their Office 365 content and applications after signing in via the welcome screen or start menu. The goal here, Microsoft says, is to make the Surface Hub more like a personal device after signing in.

Security has also gotten a boost in the Creators Update with the following:

• The ability to set Surface Hub to wipe all data at the end of each session by default;
• The option to require BitLocker encryption for USB ports to prevent malware and other security threats;
• Support for additional Mobile Device Management (MDM) features, so IT administrators can change settings remotely; and
• Support for two-factor authentication, to enable users to approve an authentication request easily on their companion device.

Other tidbits include Dolby-tuned audio optimized for human speech, improvements to Miracast projection, and simplified Skype controls. For businesses and organizations that rely on the Surface Hub, that's a handy batch of changes. For more, you can check out a detailed list of changes and updates at the Surface Hub Update History page.

While Microsoft's gigantic Surface Hub is a solid tool for businesses, it's also an expensive piece of tech. To take the sting out, Microsoft has launched a new Surface Hub subscription program, a follow-up to its "Surface as a Service" program launched last summer.

From Microsoft:

On top of the new subscription program, Microsoft is also making it a bit easier to see if the Surface Hub is a good fit with a new Surface Hub Try & Buy Program. The program is exactly what it says on the tin, allowing resellers in the U.S., UK, Europe and Asia to let their customers try a Surface Hub for 30 days before requiring a commitment to buy. The Try & Buy program is set to kick off with multiple partners starting February 15.

Back in December, Microsoft revealed that Surface Hub demand was exceeding expectations. As of December, for example, Microsoft said it had shipped Surface Hubs to over 2,000 customers in 24 markets. Even more impressive, the average deal was for 50 units, but Microsoft said it had sold upwards of 1,500 Surface Hubs to a "large car manufacturer." That's good news for the company's massive slate, and with these latest changes, it looks like it'll be even easier for businesses to get their hands on one.

Most of us will likely never get a chance to actually interact with one of Microsoft's huge (and expensive) Surface Hubs, but that doesn't mean we can't admire from a distance. Thanks to a new "engineer's tour" of the Surface Hub posted on the Microsoft Mechanics YouTube channel, you can now ogle to your heart's content with a dive into the hardware and design of the massive work-focused slab. Take a look below:

The business-centric Surface Hub initially started shipping out to buyers in March 2016, and the giant Windows 10-powered machine has already been a pretty big success. In fact, Microsoft reported in December that it had already shipped Surface Hubs to more than 2,000 customers in 24 markets thus far. And those numbers are certainly nothing to scoff at, considering the Surface Hub starts at a whopping $9,000 for the 55-inch version, and runs up to $22,000 for the 84-inch model.

Thanks to Tanzim for the tip!

Microsoft's impressive Surface Hub is "exceeding expectations" as demand increases and production ramps up. There's even going to be a 'try before you buy' scheme, but don't get too excited if you think you're going to trial one!

Today's news comes from Microsoft's Brian Hall who shared the details on the Windows Blog earlier this morning:

Given the price of the Surface Hub, that 1,500 unit delivery is a pretty amazing sell for Microsoft, and production of the Hub is now being ramped up. Resellers worldwide have stocks and Microsoft is introducing a try and buy scheme where companies can try out the Hub before committing top a large order. The US and European markets will be first to get the chance to try one for 30 days with Asia to follow at a later date.

Good news to close out the year on for Microsoft for sure!

InFocus has announced the Monopad Ultra, a new version of its large whiteboard PCs for businesses. It could be a competitor to Microsoft's Surface Hub as it runs on Windows 10 Pro and has a 4K capacitive touchscreen.

Here's what InFocus has to say (via Neowin) about the Monopad Ultra:

InFocus will sell the Monopad Ultra for $13,999 and it will be released in October. By contrast, the 84-inch Surface Hub from Microsoft, which also has a 4K screen, sells for $21,999.

Microsoft says that sales of its big Surface Hub touchscreen Windows 10 PCs for business customers have 'exceeded initial forecasts'. The company added that it is "ramping up production" to meet demand.

The big 55-inch and 84-inch PCs began shipping in March, for the price of $8,999 and $21,999, respectively. However, Petri reports that some potential customers have recently been unable to purchase Surface Hub models. In a statement sent to the site, Microsoft stated:

Microsoft has not offered any specific sales or unit shipment numbers for the Surface Hub.

Outside those who physically own a Surface Hub, not many have had the chance to try out the edition of Windows 10 that the Surface Hub is shipped with. It's an altered SKU of Windows 10 designed for the big screen, with productivity in mind and hooks up directly to business domains and azure.

If you've been looking to try out a build of Windows 10 for the Surface Hub, today's your lucky day. A partner build of Windows 10 for Surface Hub has leaked online in ESD format, meaning it'll need to be converted into ISO format before being install-able. The leak appears to have originated from Microsoft's own Windows Update servers.

The build in question is 14371, which isn't exactly the newest of builds. It's from the 'rs1_release_prs' development branch however, which builds usually don't come from for Insiders. The leak includes pretty much everything Microsoft has demoed regarding Surface Hub so far, including the altered Start Menu, UI and apps list.

We recommend you do not install this 'leak' as it is pre-release, and you probably don't own a Surface Hub anyway. Although this can be installed on normal hardware, you may encounter issues as expected. And of course, don't install this leak over your primary machine.

Microsoft is developing a new Surface all-in-one (AIO) PC running Windows 10. The information comes from a reliable source who has confirmed the news with Windows Central and it follows an earlier report by Digitimes.

While Digitimes claims a Q3 2016 release for the alleged Surface AIO, our sourcing suggests such details are undecided at this time. Like other next-gen Surface products the timeframe for a Surface AIO will partially depend on availability for Intel's new Kaby Lake 14 nanometer processor, the successor to Skylake.

We can also add to the original report that the company is positioning the Surface AIO for the living room. The device is evidently targeting a "modern and elegant" design and is meant to be something akin to a premium appliance or furniture.

Unfortunately, any details about specifications and the Surface AIO design are not known at this time.

Our last report claimed that Microsoft is aiming for an early 2017 launch of new Surface tablets, and a planned "Surface phone", all linked to Windows 10 Redstone 2 general availability. Bringing the Surface AIO into that launch window would seem to make sense.

All-in-one PCs are an exciting development in modern computing. By combining a display with high-end hardware into a single device, the experience is similar to an appliance rather than a traditional PC tower, external peripherals, and messy wires connecting them all together.

Currently, Apple's iMac and Lenovo are the market leaders in AIO devices. Lenovo recently launched the Yoga Home 900 PC (seen above). That device features a 27-inch Full HD display running Intel Core i5 or i7 Broadwell CPUs. The device weighs 16 pounds but is a single, large tablet that can run on an internal battery for up to three hours. The Yoga Home 900 can be propped up on a Surface-like kickstand or laid flat as a table-top tablet, which is ironically reminiscent of the original Surface (now called Microsoft PixelSense).

While bringing Windows 10 and modern computing to the home's congregation area seems like an obvious market, no one has fully cracked it yet with any success.

Is this the consumer PixelSense?

Putting all the pieces together and it appears that Microsoft is combining its original PixelSense table-PC concept from 2005 with its new Surface Hub. However, instead of being marketed at large institutions this device is destined for consumers in the living room. This claim is complete guesswork on our part, but the dream of PixelSense for consumers has always piqued people's interest.

Creating a device with advanced 3D touch sensors, a high-resolution display with Windows Ink, and other technology could result in an amazing AIO experience. With the larger size, Microsoft could have more space to add newer hardware as well.

Microsoft specifies PixelSense as having four main features, which could be related to this Surface AIO project:

1. Direct interaction or the ability to "reach out and touch" the interface
2. Multi-touch contact similar to tablets that have at least 10-points of touch recognition
3. Multi-user experience where multiple users can use the surface at the same time
4. Object recognition or identifying things like you placing your phone down on the surface.

Microsoft has demonstrated placing your phone on the PixelSense surface and transferring photos and documents instantly to the computer. Users could then interact with the photos similar to the famed Minority Report sequence from the hit 2002 film.

Some of the technology and theory behind PixelSense can be seen in a 2012 video posted by Microsoft on the ongoing project. The Microsoft PixelSense blog went dormant in June 2013.

The original Surface based on PixelSense was commercially unveiled in 2007 by then Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. It would be very interesting if exactly ten years later in 2017 the device becomes a consumer reality. Of course, like all projects in development at Microsoft things could change when determining final product viability. For now, continue to watch this space.

Would you want a large Surface for your living room? If so, what would it need to have in order to be different?

Microsoft posted a new series of official videos showing its big Surface Hub touchscreen PC in action. The clips include how it is being used by the Royal Academy of Music in London.

The clip, as posted on the Surface YouTube channel, shows how students at the Royal Academy were asked to change a piece of music on the Surface Hub with the StaffPad music composition app. Then they used the Surface Hub to share their changes with an orchestra remotely, who had the new changes posted on their Surface tablets. Finally, the class conducted the orchestra, again via the remote connection features of the Surface Hub.

The other videos show how the Surface Hub can be used with a variety of Windows 10 apps, including PowerPoint, the PDF document markup and collaboration app Drawboard and the sticky note and index card app Stormboard.

Thanks to Tanzim for the tip!

Microsoft has posted a new series of videos showcasing the recently launched Surface Hub touchscreen PC. It also shows how it works with first and third-party apps.

The video clips, which are available on the official Surface YouTube channel, show how owners of the Surface Hub can write on the PC's included Whiteboard app with its massive screen, along with using apps like PowerBI and Skype for business. It also shows how users can access third-party apps from the Windows Store such as the Mural note-taking app and the Siemens JT2GO 3D modeling app.

The Surface Hub, which is assembled directly by Microsoft, is currently priced at $8,999 for the 55-inch version and $21,999 for the 84-inch model.

Thanks to Tanzim for the tip!

A small number of Microsoft employees, including the head of its Surface Hub team and some people from its HoloLens division, have left the company to form a new San Francisco-based start-up called perceptiveIO.

The new company was formed quietly in May (via WalkingCat on Twitter) and was co-founded by Jeff Han, who also created Perceptive Pixel, which made massive touchscreen PCs. Microsoft acquired Perceptive Pixel in 2012 and Han stayed on to lead the development of the successor to his big touchscreen PCs, the Surface Hub, which began shipping to customers earlier in 2016. It's unknown how Han's departure from Microsoft will affect the Surface Hub division.

The other co-founder of perceptiveIO is Shahram Izadi, who worked on the HoloLens team. Izadi gained some fame earlier this year when he was the subject of a video demoing "Holoportation", a way to use the HoloLens to view a full 3D holographic video of a person for both real-time and recorded chats.

The LinkedIn page for perceptiveIO shows eight former Microsoft team members that are now part of this startup. Exactly what these folks are working on is a mystery, but its website says that it is hiring people to help "build user experiences that radically shift the way people can interact with computers". It adds:

Microsoft is helping Seattle's KING 5 News cover the Washington state U.S. presidential primary tonight. The TV station will use Power BI and the large Surface Hub PC to display the data about the primary results.

KING 5 was the first local TV station to begin using the large Surface Hub PC back in February and used it, along with Microsoft's Power BI data analytics tools, to offer viewers details of the "Super Tuesday" primaries on March 26. For the local Washington state primary, Microsoft says it is helping KING with some additional Power BI features:

In addition, the Power BI app recently added a Surface Hub presentation mode that KING 5 will use on the air:

Several months after Microsoft first started taking pre-orders for the big Surface Hub touchscreen PCs, the first units are finally shipping out to customers. The 55-inch and 84-inch models, which target business and enterprise customers, have a slightly modified version of Windows 10 installed.

Microsoft's announcement did not state how many pre-orders the company had received for the Surface Hub. Instead it concentrated on how businesses will use the PCs to communicate and also to save time and money:

Microsoft first revealed the Surface Hub in early 2015, and originally the plan was to start pre-orders in July and shipments in September 2015. While pre-orders did start in July, Microsoft delayed shipments of the Surface Hub until January 2016 and then that date got pushed back again to the end of the quarter. In December, Microsoft boosted the prices of all new Surface Hub pre-orders, from $6,999 to $8,999 for the 55-inch version and from $19,999 to $21,99 for the 84-inch model.

Microsoft's big Surface Hub touchscreen PC is once again being shown off to the public. While Microsoft has still not officially announced that it has begun shipping the Surface Hub, one of them was used today as part of Ferrari's 2016 Formula 1 press conference.

The press event was designed to introduce the 2016 F1 racing team for Ferrari and its new SF16-H. The Surface Hub is seen throughout the press event, and is actually used starting at the 5:20 minute mark in the video to point out several aspects of the new car by drawing on an image of the racing vehicle. At the end of the video, the members of the Ferrari F1 team sign their names on the Surface Hub.

Microsoft's latest PC was shown in action earlier this week as part of the revamped news studio for the KING TV station in Seattle. Microsft started taking pre-orders for the Surface Hub in mid-2015. Originally the 55-inch version was priced at $6,999 while the 84-inch version cost $19,999. However, in late December Microsoft boosted the prices for both models, with the 55-inch Hub now priced at $8,999, while the 84-inch version getting a price tag of $21,999.

Thanks to Federico for the tip!

Source: ATAHD (YouTube)

One of Microsoft's big Surface Hub touchscreen PCs is already being used by a local TV station. KING 5 in Seattle debuted its revamped news studio today, which has the 84-inch version of Microsoft's Windows 10 PC installed on its set.

KING 5 is the first local TV station in the world to use the Surface Hub. In a brief video demonstration, the whiteboard features of the PC were used to draw on Windows 10's map app. KING 5 believes that the Surface Hub will allow them to report on news stories in a new and unique manner.

Microsoft started taking pre-orders for the Surface Hub in mid-2015, but the company has not yet officially announced that the PCs have begun shipping to its customers — certainly, being in Microsoft's back yard didn't hurt in helping KING 5 secure one of the early releases. Originally the 55-inch version was priced at $6,999 while the 84-inch version cost $19,999. However, in late December Microsoft boosted the prices for both models, with the 55-inch Hub now priced at $8,999, while the 84-inch version getting a price tag of $21,999.

Source: KING 5

Microsoft has some bad news for businesses who wanted to get the big Surface Hub touchscreen PCs. The company has raised the prices for both the 55-inch and 84-inch versions of the Windows 10 PCs and has delayed the release of the products again as well.

According to Petri:

In addition, Microsoft's plan to start shipping the Surface Hubs on January 1 has been pushed back. Petri was told by a Microsoft spokesperson that the new ship date will be sometime later in the first quarter of 2016, but no other information was revealed. Microsoft began taking pre-orders for the Surface Hubs in July, and this new delay won't make those folks who put their order in early happy.

Source: Petri

Microsoft is apparently getting ready to ship their big Surface Hub business and education touchscreen PCs with Windows 10 installed. The company has posted up the official user guide for the Surface Hub, offering information on how to use the huge 55-inch and 84-inch PCs for the schools and companies that purchased them.

The user guide gives owners of the Surface Hub some tutorials on how to interact with the PC, via the touchscreen, a touchpad, a keyboard or via the Cortana digital assistant. It also shows how the Surface Hub's whiteboard feature can be used in business meetings, and also offers tips on how to maintain and take care of the PC.

Microsoft started taking pre-orders for the Surface Hub in July, and is assembling the PCs in a factory located in Wilsonville, Oregon. The 55-inch model is priced at $6,999, while the 84-inch version has a price tag of $19,999. Microsoft has not yet announced how many pre-orders it has received for the Surface Hub, stating only that it has "seen strong demand out of the gate".

Source: Microsoft (PDF); Via: Petri

While companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft outsource most of these hardware to factories overseas, the upcoming Surface Hub touchscreen PCs will be made in the good old USA. Microsoft has opened a factory located in Wilsonville, Oregon, outside of Portland, to assemble the big Surface Hub PCs, which will begin shipping sometime in September.

According to The New York Times, part of the reason for this move was that the touchscreen devices created by Perceptive Pixel, which Microsoft acquired in 2013, were also assembled in Wilsonville. It stated:

Another reason for this move was that Microsoft could not find any existing factories overseas that would be able to handle the large Surface Hub, which weighs as much as 220 pounds. It would also be expensive for those PCs to ship from overseas to customers in the US.

Source: The New York Times

Microsoft will start shipping its massive Surface Hub touchscreen PCs in September, with pre-orders starting on July 1. The PCs, which will use a version of Windows 10, will come in two sizes. The 55-inch model will sell for $6,999, while the 84-inch version will have a price tag of $19,999.

Sales of the Surface Hub, which has been designed primarily for businesses and education customers, will be conducted via a number of authorized resellers. It will be available in 24 markets at first: The United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Neowin has some additonal information on the hardware specs for each version of the Surface Hub. Both models come with 8GB of RAM, a 128SSD for internal storage, and have a 100-point touch screen with the 55-inch model having a 1920x1080 display resolution and the 84-inch version getting the larger 3840x2160 resolution. The 55-inch Surface Hub will have an Intel Core i5 processor with Intel-based graphics, while the 84-inch version has an Intel Core i7 chip combined with the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 GPU.

The Surface Hubs will come with two Surface Pens and a Microsoft All-In-One Media Keyboard. Both will have two front-facing 1080 cameras, along with a microphone and dual front-facing speakers. The Surface Hub will have support for Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Miracast and Bluetooth connections, along with an NFC reader. Both will also have one USB 3.0 port, but the 84-inch version will have four USB 2.0 ports compared to just two of those ports for the 55-inch version.

Source: Microsoft; Neowin

Microsoft first revealed its massive Surface Hub touchscreen PC in January as one of the devices built to run Windows 10. Now Microsoft Research wants to hear from universities and research institutes to get their ideas of how the Surface Hub can be used in all walks of life.

Microsoft says it is looking for serious academic proposals on how the Surface Hub can be used in the home, at school and at the workplace. It offers some examples of the kinds of things it is looking for:

• Data visualization - Example: using touch enabled tools to manipulate data
• Evolution of pedagogy in STEM, medical, and design education - Example: using Skype-enabled apps for education collaboration (e.g., interactive meetings for medical training)
• Future of communication and distributed collaboration - Examples: remote training and support, and virtual conferences (e.g., use of multiple platforms and a variety of devices toward a common goal)
• Human computer interaction - Examples: human-computer interaction around pen+touch, large displays, and second screen scenarios
• Solving difficult problems and contributing new insights that are specific to the applicant's field.

Microsoft says it plans to reward 10 of the proposals with $25,000 and either a 55-inch or 84-inch Surface Hub. The institutions that receive this award are expected to use them as a basis to continue developing their proposal. Submissions must be turned in by June 12.

Microsoft has not yet revealed a launch date for the Surface Hub, nor a price point for the two models.

Source: Microsoft; Via: Microsoft-News.com

Microsoft used its Windows 10 press event today to show off an all new hardware device for Windows 10. The Microsoft Surface Hub is an 84-inch touchscreen device with a 4K display. The device would seem to be a new version of Microsoft's large Perceptive Pixel products but under the Surface branding

In addition to a Windows 10 computer, the Microsoft Surface Hub contains a number of other hardware features, including sensors, cameras, mics, speakers, NFC, and Wi-Fi. It allows users to do things like placing call, sho open whiteboard, connect personal device.

Owners can use a pen to write directly on the display of the Surface Pro Hub. User can grab and move items on the screen, move around the whiteboard space, open 3D models, zoom in and around that model and more.

The device will allow for sharing whiteboards, presentations, and more. Users can get get content from connected devices, both wireless and wired. They can manipulate content, which is later reflected on their original devices. Unfortunately, there's no word yet on when the Microsoft Surface Hub will be released, nor its price point, which we expect will be pretty high.

Stay tuned as we will continue to post information from the Windows 10 press event. To see it all roll in live be sure to join us in the liveblog!

Earlier this week, Microsoft releases a firmware update for the Surface Pro 3. The update was to enable a forthcoming app that would let users calibrate and customize the unique pen for Microsoft's latest tablet hybrid. Tonight, that app is now live in the Store.

Named Surface Hub, the app looks to be only for Surface Pro 3 owners, although anyone can install it on a Windows 8 machine. However, non-Surface owners are greeted with a 'coming soon' screen, as obviously this week's new firmware is what 'activates' it for the right equipment.

The app itself is modest, although it has growth potential, which is why Microsoft made it an app and not part of the OS. After launching the app, users can pan over to various screens, including an introduction, settings, feedback to Microsoft, and your Surface information.

The settings are perhaps the most exciting, breaking down into two categories for now:

1. Pen Pressure Sensitivity
2. Pen Top Button

The first option allows users calibrate the pen to their liking while the second lets users set the top button for either One Note Modern (default) or One Note Desktop. As of now, users cannot reassign the two lower buttons, although Microsoft is reportedly considering it for a later update.

Although Surface Hub looks promising, at least on our Surface, the pen is not detected. Likewise, for someone else who already left a negative review of the new app. Perhaps Microsoft is still working out some issues, so we will wait awhile longer to see if anything changes.

[Update: after a few minutes, the app finally recognized our pen and we are now able to adjust the pressure sensitivity]

The Feedback to Microsoft screen lets users rate the Surface on how likely they are to recommend it to a friend or colleague on a scale of one through ten. Users can also add an explanation to that score, which can then be sent to Microsoft.

Surface Hub is still very green for Microsoft and the Surface team, but the app has the potential to grow into an interesting configurator for users in the future. In that sense, Surface Hub is more rousing in its potential than its current form.

• Download Surface Hub for Windows 8.1 (Surface Pro 3 only)

Thanks, Anidexlu, for the tip!