Microsoft revealed the Surface Hub, an interactive whiteboard and collaboration device, in January 2015, and it has been available for businesses since July 2015. Google has also recently revealed a collaboration device called Jamboard — an answer to the Surface Hub.
Here is what the Google Jamboard and Microsoft Surface Hub have to offer.
Hardware Specs
The Surface Hub is available in two sizes: 55 and 84 inches. The Google Jamboard will be available in a 55-inch model.
The Google Jamboard will support 4K display resolution. However, only the 84-inch Surface Hub supports 4K resolution, while its 55-inch model has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.
Both digital whiteboards sport a touchscreen display that supports a stylus.
"Now people can use both hands to edit content on the fly, or use a mixture of pen and touch when multiple people are collaborating with the Surface Hub. This is possible even while several apps are open simultaneously," says Microsoft.
The 55-inch Surface Hub includes a fourth-gen Intel Core i5 processor, while the 84-inch model comes with Intel Core i7 processor. Both the variants have 8 GB of RAM. Google has not disclosed the Jamboard's processor or RAM capacity.
Both the Jamboard and the Surface Hub support Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectivity options.
The 55-inch Surface Hub weighs 105 pounds or 48 kilograms, while the bigger model weighs 280 pounds or 127 kilograms. The Jamboard's weight remains unknown for now.
Software Features
The Surface Hub runs on a custom version of Windows 10 and offers custom versions of OneNote, Skype for Business and Microsoft's Office apps. Users can also download custom apps from the Windows Store for Business.
"You can also connect apps from your personal device and drive them from Microsoft Surface Hub," says Microsoft.
Meanwhile, Google will use Android to power up its latest giant whiteboard. Unlike the Surface Hub, users will not be able to install third-party apps on the Jamboard.
However, the Google offering will come with a companion app for Android and iOS that'll allow users to work on the whiteboard in real time.
The Surface Hub is a standalone touch-computing device. On the other hand, the Jamboard is a touch display that can be connected to other devices.
Movability
Microsoft claims that the Surface Hub is easy to mount on a wall. As for the Jamboard, a stand will be available to make it easy for users to move the digital whiteboard from one place to the other.
Price And Availability
The Surface Hub is currently available in more than 20 countries. The 55-inch model has a price tag of $8,999 while the 84-inch has a steep price tag of $21,999. The Google Jamboard will be available starting 2017 onwards for $6,000.
Microsoft says that the demand for Surface Hub is strong. The company claims to have shipped more than 600 units of the Surface Hub in 24 countries and the numbers are growing. It remains to be seen if Google Jamboard is able to attract digital whiteboard customers and give competition to the Surface Hub.
