
Jamboard is now available - happy-go-lucky
https://blog.google/products/g-suite/lets-jam-jamboard-now-available/
======
casca
The Jamboard is a collaborative whiteboard that costs $5k for a 4k 55" screen
plus $600/year ($300/year for early adopters). It's similar to Microsoft's
Surface Hub[1], Cisco's Spark Board[2] and SMART Technologies SmartBoard[3].

Pricing seems about normal for products in this space, even a little low. I'd
think that the big question that anyone considering buying this should be
asking is around Google's history with hardware support and service. This kind
of product will often be expected to be used for 5+ years and the dependency
of a non-core service from Google could affect that.

As I'm looking to purchase one of the products in this space, here is a little
more comparison info in case anyone else finds it useful. Only Google will
sell you one of their devices, everyone else goes through resellers with
opaque pricing and unpublished RRPs.

Microsoft Surface Hub 55": 1920x1080 @120Hz, 4th Generation i5, Intel HD 4600,
2x HD cameras. Windows 10 + MS Office

Microsoft Surface Hub 85" 3840x2160 @120Hz, 4th generation i7, NVIDIA Quadro
K2200, 2x HD cameras. Windows 10 + MS Office

Cisco Spark Board 55": 4k (4096x2160?) display, unknown hardware and software,
4k camera. Cisco Spark and SIP protocols supported, requires Cisco
Collaboration Cloud service.

Cisco Spark Board 70": same as 55"

SMART Board 8055i 55"/8065i 65"/8084i 84": 3840x2160, 4k available. Doesn't
seem to have cameras for videoconferencing, comes with SMART Meeting Pro 4.0
software to "collaborate in the 4th dimension", whatever that means.

Google Jamboard 55: 55" 4k (4096x2160?) @60Hz. Unknown hardware, software
probably Android? Costs $5000. Requires Google's G-Suite subscription, uses
Hangouts and $600/year annual management and support fee. EOL is May 2021

[1] [https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-surface-
hub](https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-surface-hub) [2]
[http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collaboration-
endpoint...](http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collaboration-
endpoints/spark-board/) [3] [https://home.smarttech.com/interactive-displays-
for-business](https://home.smarttech.com/interactive-displays-for-business)

~~~
and0
I'm sort of confused about the annual management / support fee. Sounds like
this would be a cool accessory that would require G Apps and therefore bring
startups into the ecosystem. Why charge support for something so expensive
that also requires G Suite for every user in the first place? Why isn't the
functionality just linked directly into some G Suite OneNote equivalent?

I feel like that fee would really kill the appeal, if I were hunting for
something like this. Also, I'm assuming there would be a support fee for each
device?

~~~
casca
Any form of collaboration like this requires something server-side that needs
to be maintained so an annual fee is not unreasonable. The Microsoft Surface
Hub uses Skype for Business so would be backing into an Office365 SAAS account
and the Cisco one requires a Cisco Collaboration Cloud one which the only
price I can find is CAD3547.99[1]

[1] [https://www.cdw.ca/shop/products/Cisco-Spark-Board-
subscript...](https://www.cdw.ca/shop/products/Cisco-Spark-Board-subscription-
license-1-license/4547717.aspx)

~~~
chiefalchemist
But I think the point is you need a Google suite account. So how much more
server-side are we talking about here? Enough worth killing sales for?

------
accountyaccount
This will eat SmartBoard's lunch and I'm all for it — existing stand-alone
collaborative whiteboard technology is shit.

I'm guessing this originated as a tool for Google's internal teams? The market
for it isn't all that big outside of startups (but it exists).

~~~
habosa
Interestingly I work at Google and I haven't seen or used one yet, but maybe
it just didn't make it to my building in testing.

------
morinted
What am I missing that makes this so expensive? Is it just a "Google
Glass"-syndrome kind of thing?

This is a $5,000 whiteboard with an annual SAAS fee.

~~~
tinco
Comparable digital whiteboards go for similar (or larger) amounts. $5000 is
actually not that expensive.

The real question, is why isn't it free? As in, why can't we just download
this from the Play store and use it on whatever we device we already have,
like everything else in the G suite?

Microsoft is already moving in this space, not sure about Apple, but I guess
there's just a _lot_ of money here.

~~~
and0
They do actually mention there being a Jamboard app being rolled out this week
for iOS and Android, but there are no details that I could find.

~~~
tensafefrogs
Here's the Play store app link:
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.jam&hl=en)

------
jtraffic
I'd love to hear from anyone who is planning to buy one.

It feels as if collaboration tools are made for a type of collaboration that
people don't really do. Consider this delightful gem of marketing copy:

"Jamboard breaks down barriers to interactive, visual collaboration across
teams everywhere"

Whenever I've engaged in "interactive, visual collaboration," the visual
content has been super context-specific. This meant there was usually a
purpose-built tool for that kind of collaboration (e.g., wireframe mockups for
websites, storyboards for videos).

~~~
notatoad
Microsoft's version has apparently been selling like hotcakes, so i guess it
is a type of collaboration that people really do.

~~~
jtraffic
>Microsoft's version has apparently been selling like hotcakes

I was going to ask you for more on this, but found an Ars Technica article
with a bit more info: [https://arstechnica.com/information-
technology/2016/12/micro...](https://arstechnica.com/information-
technology/2016/12/microsofts-surface-hub-sales-surprisingly-strong-its-a-
huge-hardware-hit/)

------
emsy
My first thought upon reading this was: This looks cool, I wonder how long it
will take until they kill it. I wonder if I'm alone with this gut reaction?

~~~
notatoad
I'm sure you aren't alone, but i'm getting very tired of this comment
appearing on every single google product or feature announcement. It's not
interesting or insightful, it adds nothing to the discussion other than
cliched whining.

~~~
jwcooper
Google has an amazing list of discontinued products:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products#Discon...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products#Discontinued_products_and_services)

I'm not saying it's terrible to buy Google products, but maybe wait until it's
a success first. There is very little reason to risk being an early adopter of
a Google product.

The recent Google Home (not a cheap product) advertising snafu is another
recent red flag for buying any Google product.

Edit: Parent originally commented about 'getting over Google Reader being
discontinued'.

~~~
blacksmith_tb
Note that Google is primarily a services company, and many of their services
are free. As a result, lots of people try the services, and complain if
they're discontinued. Compare Apple[1] and Microsoft[2] both of which have
discontinued many more (hardware and software) products than Google - yet the
immediate reaction to new introductions from either is not 'fine, but when
will they discontinue that?'

1:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_products_discontinued_...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_products_discontinued_by_Apple_Inc).

2:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Discontinued_Microsof...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Discontinued_Microsoft_software)

~~~
ClassyJacket
Discontinuing a piece of consumer electronics is completely different to
discontinuing a service. Firstly, your electronics don't disappear when they
stop making them. You just can't buy a new one.

Plus, many of those had direct replacements that were obvious iterations of
their predecessor. Sure, Apple discontinued the iPod Mini, but they released
the iPod Nano. Sure, Apple discontinued MobileMe, but they released iCloud.

Google just quietly abandons services and products and if they ever replace
anything, they appear to have started from scratch.

Plus, the item in question is not a free service, it's an expensive physical
device with a costly subscription service.

------
davidjnelson
The post is light on details. If this is actually a collaborative whiteboard
that would be a huge boon for remote work.

~~~
stevesearer
Here's the spec sheet which has some extra details:

[https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/gsuite.google.com...](https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/gsuite.google.com/en//files/Jamboard_Specs.pdf)

Also the actual product landing page has some info too:
[https://gsuite.google.com/products/jamboard/](https://gsuite.google.com/products/jamboard/)

~~~
davidjnelson
Thanks. The main landing page is much better. Still a little unclear on
whether 16 touch points is spread across all remote locations. So if there's 5
jam boards and three stylus/eraser sets at each, that sounds perfect. Glad to
see someone finally built this, nice!

~~~
trevyn
"16 touch points" is just the spec for the touchscreen hardware -- "Jamboard
supports up to 16 touchpoints at once on a single device."

------
oatmealsnap
Wasn't the idea behind create Alphabet that Google would focus on Search-
related stuff, while the parent company could create all these wild IoT
products?

~~~
dragonwriter
No, it was that Google would focus on the established businesses that weren't
rolled out into other parts of Alphabet.

The G Suite (formerly Google Apps) enterprise offering, which this is part of,
was part of the core business retained in Google. This is not a wild IoT
product, it's a competitive entry in the enterprise collaboration space that G
Suite targets.

------
napolux
Dear Google, Please stop producing cool things you're not able to sell.

Sincerely, World.

P.s. I still can't buy the latest google phone because I live outside US.

------
nevir
Why does the _stand_ cost $1350!? (or a _mere_ $1200 during introductory
pricing)

------
askvictor
I'm curious if the Android app will run well on the touchscreen panels that
I've got that area already running Android; or indeed on an Android dongle/box
connected to and large (tv sized) touchscreen

------
artur_makly
this seems like an evolution of [https://mural.co/](https://mural.co/) \-
which does a decent job, but this is next level stuff. bravo

------
rmac
one painfully obvious missing feature: voice capture.

It seems to so natural to integrate google assistant into this thing. I wonder
when 'Alexa' for meetings will be good enough to commercialize.

~~~
markaius
I don't think it will be hard for them to introduce voice commands to it with
the google home. I understand not wanting to spend more money on another
device but this is their whiteboard, then google home is their voice command
module.

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Stickipete
Thats awesome. I bet Googles been using one of these for years.

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ungzd
"Cloud service" supporting it will probably not last for long.

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lerie
Why not just a webcam and a touch screen? Seems like it won't last, the
pricing is outrageous.

~~~
chickenbane
The Jamboard does way more than that, you can see them demo it at Next:

[https://youtu.be/kwnWfHq2EfQ?t=1h40m33s](https://youtu.be/kwnWfHq2EfQ?t=1h40m33s)

If you've been in countless business meetings whiteboarding, Jamboard is
definitely not outrageous.

------
draw_down
This seems like exactly the sort of thing they won't have the dedication to
support for very long. $5k for this thing is quite risky in that sense.

edit: Oh, it's actually over $6k if you want the rolling stand, which you
will.

