

Microsoft’s 7 Foot Surface Hub Wall-Computer Will Set You Back a Cool $19,999 - Errorcod3
http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/10/microsofts-7-foot-surface-hub-wall-computer-will-set-you-back-a-cool-19999/

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distantsounds
$20k for something like this isn't exactly astronomical, I don't see how the
pricing is absurd. Does anyone here even do hardware purchasing? Do you know
how much a 1U or 2U pizza box can cost? Hint: Depending on specs, at least
$10k USD, if not more.

If companies can find an application that fits their needs, the cost is
justified.

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mey
We have a few Cisco TelePresence MX Series so this price range for that
functionality is not absurd and with even better functionality (on paper).

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Someone1234
How much ballpark does a Cisco TelePresence MX cost?

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mey
5-40k (USD) per room depending on configuration. Not sure how much the backend
servers cost. Under the hood it's XMPP basically. I will say they are solid
and work very well compared to our previous home built solutions or Mondopads.
Downside is they really are presentation/video solutions. (Edit: also cost)
Whiteboarding is not something they do.

Edit2: Also they are not self contained computers like the Microsoft Surface
Hub solution (which is good and bad)

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ChuckMcM
I found the reporting wanting (but this is techcrunch :-) but lately have been
thinking about this sort of application. Sort of an office view screen. Now
that I've got a bunch more people I interact with regularly all around the
world this sort of thing is more useful. But $20K isn't the price point where
I expect these to take off. Especially given that a 4K 84" TV
([http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-84LM9600-84-Inch-LED-
LC...](http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-84LM9600-84-Inch-LED-
LCD/dp/B00B10UAAS)) is about $8k and a really nice machine to drive it and to
OCV vision for knowing where you are touching it is less than $2K, the "make
it" seems to be so much less than the "buy it" choice I wonder if it loses on
that basis.

From a practicality point of view having a "whiteboard" that you can bring
from meeting to meeting seems like a win, and if you can share it with someone
else's screen in a remote location even better. And since you're probably
replacing a projector set up in your conference room ($3K for a 1080p
projector, $1.5K for a more modest one) that is a benefit.

I wonder if they will have these in their stores, it would be interesting to
see one operate.

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wlesieutre
$7,000 for the 55" version. I'd expect a lot of businesses could get by with
that.

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VOYD
I've been working with these for the last couple weeks, and I must admit it's
pretty well done and incredibly useful for whiteboard brainstorming. Just the
ability to have shared documentation updated in real time is very productive.

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josteink
If you can afford Cisco's equivalent stuff you can afford this.

Still: probably not a product they expect immense amount of orders for at this
point.

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kyriakos
The price point is good for enterprise but don't expect to see them around.
Surface Hub is huge opportunity though for other applications in markets that
can't afford it.

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bitwize
So their market is large corps that want to show off, and set designers for
James Bond movies and police procedurals. (Can definitely see this on the
likes of CSI: Cyber.)

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sremani
You can whiteboard for people in the office and simultaneously screen-cast for
those not in office. I can see how this can be used, especially since many of
us have distributed teams.

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rektide
Surface Hub == Big touchscreen TV, computer, MS Windows, true or false? Is
there more to it than the packaging, and is this the only way to get that
"more"?

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ourmandave
Aw come on! I gotta make my app look good on screens from 5" to 7 feet?

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agentultra
I wonder when we'll get to the wall-screens of Fahrenheit 451.

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coldcode
Why are expensive things described as cool?

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dpark
It provides emphasis. It's been used for centuries (literally).

[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=cool](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=cool)

> _Applied since 1728 to large sums of money to give emphasis to amount..._

Also used in Great Expectations.

[http://literature.org/authors/dickens-charles/great-
expectat...](http://literature.org/authors/dickens-charles/great-
expectations/chapter-57.html)

> _leaving a cool four thousand to Mr Matthew Pocket_

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higherpurpose
I assume you're going to hear the fans on those things?

