Google adds digital whiteboard to expanding device lineup

Google’s approach with the Jamboard “is far cheaper, but it leaves out a ton of features, like videoconferencing, which are necessary to make a current-generation connected board make sense”, he added. For now, it is possible to create the equivalent of 20 whiteboard screens; a virtual surface area deemed enough, but it’s not a hard limit. The screen’s touch display can tell the difference between markers and fingers.

The user interface is very intuitive. An HD camera above the screen lets you snap pics or selfies, while HDMI inputs and built-in Chromecast let you Netflix and chill in the comfort of your boardroom. Today, however, this changes, as Google unveils something of a Surface Hub competitor.

Software is the arguable draw of a device like the Jamboard, and it doesn’t disappoint.

However, Google’s Jamboard is an expensive commitment for companies, thought the company has not yet revealed the final price of this appliance. There are two distinct use cases here.

The Jamboard is not your typical Android tablet. The device is designed as an office tool and is targeted at corporate customers.

As for why Google went with 4K here, beyond the occasional video watching, it says that the high res is necessary so as to avoid pixelation when you’re up close to the board. Joining via Hangout should work too.

It’s a hassle when you use a whiteboard, reach the end of your meeting and have to quickly scramble to snap a picture of your work. The “pens” and “eraser” have no batteries and no charging, and the entire thing rolls around and only has one cable.

The overall user experience was stellar. And Google expects cloud and services revenue to surpass the revenue it makes from web advertising, which now represents 90 percent of its revenue, as soon as 2020.

Jamboard is the right piece of hardware to tie together Google’s G Suite services.

Google has been getting serious about making hardware recently, what with a couple of new phones, a smarthub, and a wireless router. That may seem steep – and it is, compared to the cost of most standard dry-erase boards, tablets, or 4K televisions – but Google insists that the Jamboard is “competitively-priced”.

Google’s announcement page said that Jamboard will be available sometime in 2017, and BenQ will help with the initial sales and reseller distribution.

“The organizations that have already committed to Google, and have not found a sufficiently useful digital whiteboarding solution that works well with Google, will be quite satisfied”, Preset said in an interview.