Microsoft's giant Surface Hub touchscreen Windows 10 PC finally starts shipping

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:

"For example, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will be using a Qwaltec developed application on Surface Hub as a command-and-control center for doctors and medical staff, to manage scheduling and replace outdated whiteboards. The hospital is calling it a "game changer," not only because it will help the hospital save time and money, but also because Surface Hub helps connect the entire care team to their patients with up-to-date information."

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.

John Callaham
25 Comments
  • I'll have one of the large ones at $21,99 please
  • Lol they missed one 9 in the article
  • Would you like some ketchup, too?
  • How about support Ontario's farmers and get French's Ketchup? Posted via Universal Windows App on W10 in Canada
  • Catsup only, ketchup, Blech.
  • Sure! Dine in, or take away?
  • Man, never knew this exists. Windows 10 is going places.
  • Does that mean the 55-inch is 19,99,9?
  • Yeah me too
  • Bout time. I have a dinner party coming up and charades isn't gonna cut it. Two please, thnx.
  • Hopefully the apps exist for Windows so the hub isn't just used to communicate with staff iDevices.
  • iDevices are limited. No apple devices could compete with windows 10 devices
  • yet people go for apple products saying they are unique and ****!! they don't know anything about it ~DheeraJ~
  • Have to say I'm a bit surprised. Ballmer bought hardware shop making not just any hardware but huge hardware assembled in US. This is stuff right out of Nadella's nightmares.
  • Slightly modified version of windows 10.
    Modified how? I thought we were getting 'one eco system'?
  • How people still don't get this is beyond me. One system with modifications based on how you use the device for each platform (mobile, tablet, laptop, xbox, huge expensive screen).
  • It is one OS core (Windows OneCore).... with multiple OS Layers (e.g. PC/Tablets, Mobile, Surface Hub, Band, Xbox, etc.).  So yes, it's one ecosystem.  That's the beauty of UWP... it can scale to all these OS layers.
  • It is a shell for a conference room experience (calendar, screen sharing, skype call) vs other shells for gaming (Xbox) and personal computing (pc), etc.
  • Makes no sense at all. If anyone tries to use a 55 inch touchscreen let alone an 84 inch one, he r she will soon lose his /her orientation . Also expect serious eye discomfort.
  • Well clearly there are other ppl who don't agree with you...besides this isn't windows phone sized apps filling up the screen...
    You should try it before you knock it...
  • That's a clavicle fracture right there
  • ...wait, is that a spider on the ceiling?
  • eventhough I will be having no use with it, I would love to have one! :D ~DheeraJ~
  • It's a dream device for gaming.  Companies that allow people who wear hoodies to make IT investment decisions will order them.  The value to cost ratio does not appear favorable.  It appears to bring nothing to the table except a touch screen and pen support.  Am I incorrect, or isn't all it's other functionality years old with generic flat panel displays equipped with HDMI ports for PCs running Win-whaterver (7, 8, 10...)/MS whatever (Skype, Exchange, Office 365, yammer, delve, sharepunt)? There is no denying the wow factor.  After all, here we are talking about it more than a year after the announcement when no one outside of Microsoft has ever owned one.  The question in my mind is whether the wow factor will persist once the novelty has worn off.  I would not personally be willing to invest $17,000 to $21,000 to find out.
  • It's a dream device for gaming.  Companies that allow people who wear hoodies to make IT investment decisions will order them.  The value to cost ratio does not appear favorable.  It appears to bring nothing to the table except a touch screen and pen support.  Am I incorrect, or isn't all it's other functionality years old with generic flat panel displays equipped with HDMI ports for PCs running Win-whaterver/MS whatever? There is no denying the wow factor.  After all, here we are talking about it more than a year after the announcement when no one outside of Microsoft has ever owned one.  The question in my mind is whether the wow factor will persist once the novelty has worn off.  I would not personally be willing to invest $17,000 to $21,000 to find out.