Microsoft To Launch MASSIVE Touchscreen on July 1

The touchscreen industry is about to take a major leap towards bigger, much bigger devices.

Measuring at 84 inches (diagonally), the Microsoft Surface Hub is one of the largest touchscreen devices on the planet. While it looks like an ordinary flat-screen TV from afar, it features a fully functional touchscreen display, allowing users to open apps, issue commands, and more using their fingers.

Microsoft first announced the Surface Hub earlier this year, revealing some key specs of this highly anticipated touchscreen device. At the time, however, it didn’t announce an official release date. Well, we now know the Surface Hub will be released on July 1 — just weeks from now. But you can expect to pay a pretty penny if you want to get your hands on this massive-sized touchscreen. Microsoft reports that the 84-inch Surface Hub will cost a staggering $20,000, which is more than enough to buy several dozen iPads.

Being that it’s so large, shipping the Surface Hub may prove to be a challenge for Microsoft. Reports indicate that it weighs roughly 200 pounds! Assuming these numbers are correct, buyers can expect to pay several hundred dollars extra just to have the Surface Hub shipped.

Microsoft is producing the Surface Hub at a factory in Wilsonville, Oregon, on the outskirts of Portland. Why is this important? Well, most of Microsoft’s physical products (e.g. the Xbox and other Surface devices) are made overseas, as this cuts down on production costs. But Microsoft has opted for a different route with its upcoming Surface Hub, designating an Oregon-based factory for the job.

Microsoft Device’s corporate vice president Mike Angiulo said the Surface Hub is designed for a “group of people to use” rather than just a single individual. The market is flooded with a countless number of small touchscreen devices, but this is really the first large, group-based device. Whether or not companies actually take the bait and buy/use it, though, remains to be seen.

“While there are a number of devices designed to improve our productivity as individuals, there has yet to be a device that is truly optimized for a group of people to use together — designed not just for what we need to do, but how we want to work. Until now,” said Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president, Microsoft Devices. “Just as the PC revolutionized productivity for individuals, Surface Hub will transform the way groups of people work together.”

What do you think of the Surface Hub?