Forum Discussion
MicrosoftWelcome to the Surface Hub Community!
Tami_Moore While Cezar as a Microsoft representative has to be mindful of his responses, thankfully I don't.
First and foremost, if you expected Surface Hub to just be a big Windows PC, you clearly haven't done your research on the product. There is plenty of information out there and on Microsoft Docs that clearly outlines the differences and limitations of the product. It's geared towards meeting room environments, and there are strict security implementations on the product as a result, such as no win32 support, UWP store installs only, and limited functionality for the key things usually undertaken in meetings (VC, Whiteboarding, and screen-sharing).
This is what allows it to be a communal device where multiple people can use it as a shared device, while ensuring it is left in a ready state for next use.
If you honestly dropped $30k on the device without knowing the specifications in advance, that is frankly poor management! I have to justify every penny spent at my workplace and be very, very careful to deliver on those promises. I need to know, in advance, what I am delivering. Any quick search would have shown that running such applications like Unity, Photoshop, Illustrator etc. wasn't going to be possible.
Now, onto some better news. As Cezar has said, you can put Surface Hub into replacement PC mode and connect up a PC. This will let you use all the functionality of the hardware (touchscreen, pens, speakers, cameras etc.) while leveraging a standard Windows 10 environment.
Microsoft have also already indicated that they are planning to release a Surface Hub 2S that will run Windows 10 Enterprise, so at that point you can run win32 apps. Many industries require this (medical for one, education as another) so this will be possible soon, but will require you to purchase a new Surface Hub.
Frankly, if all you wanted was a giant touchscreen connected to a standard PC, you should have bought a giant touchscreen and connected it to a Windows 10 PC. Surface Hub is a very targetted device for a very specific scenario.
You can't hate on a product that doesn't fulfil your purposes when you clearly don't understand the product before putting the money down for it. The fault for that lies with you, not Microsoft.
As much as I love my 84" Hub, I equally despise it. The inability to download and install software is absurd. For example, Skype is blocked by my school district other than within the district. I bought the Hub to collaborate with industry representatives in my curriculum area.
Near to none of the software I use in class can be installed on it. No Unity game engine. No Photoshop. No Substance Painter. No Illustrator or any creative cloud items. No 3dsMax. No Mudbox. No Zoom. No ANYTHING.
Other large devices are far more compatible. I am disappointed that the $30,000 we spent was wasted on a device that for the most part is used to display PowerPoint presentations. It sucks as a teaching tool. And with Remote/Virtual learning it would have great to teach from it.
MicrosoftHello Tami_Moore,
The concept of the Surface Hub is a bit different as you intend to use it. It is a collaboration device designed to be used by different users/teams in common areas. To ensure the users data is not at risk of being left over, some security restrictions were put in place, including the ability to install win32 applications.
However, you can still run the applications on your computer and take advantage of the screen and peripherals using the replacement PC mode.
In regards to Zoom, since there is no Modern App in the Microsoft Store, this can be done from Edge once the Windows Team 2020 update will be released for general availability. You can test it today using the Preview Build
Thank you,
Cezar
Thank you for your comments. I do use the Hub via mirroring my Surface Book. It is the conferencing that is so important now with remote teaching.
My frustration also comes from being assured by Microsoft personnel (prior to the purchase) the Hub would do what I needed/wanted it to to. And the capabilities would grow and surpass my needs.
Thanks again for the comments and the preview!
- cezarcretu
Hello Tami_Moore,
I believe there was a misunderstanding here. Microsoft cannot control 3rd party software development to UWP apps (Microsoft Store). I'm not sure which Microsoft employee said this but we can investigate further by opening a support ticket. I will take ownership of it and involve the right team for this.
Mirroring these applications to the Surface Hub would be the solution but since you are already doing this, can you expand on why this is not working for you? We can also address this in a support ticket
Thank you,
Cezar