If you have been salivating about buying an 84-inch Surface Hub, today is the day when you can put your money down on the table. Microsoft has officially opened up pre-orders for the device that the company hopes will streamline the conference room, and priced at $6,999 for the 55-inch model and $19,999 for the 84-inch, it"s clearly targeted at the enterprise.
If you are not familiar with the Surface Hub, the device is a computer, whiteboard, and web-conference tool that is built to live in your meeting rooms. Running Windows 10, it works with all the apps you would expect like OneNote, Office and Skype. Microsoft is bringing its productivity and hardware expertise to try to make your next meeting worthwhile.
According to the company"s internal research, when determining the price for the Hub, they noted that the average amount spent on audiovisual equipment for a conference room for 8-12 people is around $38,000 - and that does not consider the cost of installation of the hardware. For a conference room of 3-4 people, the average AV cost can reach up to $21,000. If you look at these figures and then compare them to the price of the Hub, Microsoft believes it is actually a strong-value proposition to purchase the Hub.
If you are looking to buy one of these devices, you can check out the Surface Hub partners list here (pdf) who will be able to assist you with buying the device. The Surface Hub will start shipping this September.