Major software updates coming for SurfaceHub 1 and 2 but Hub 2X upgrade is cancelled for now.

Microsoft has announced that they are no longer planning to release the Surface Hub 2X processor upgrade cartridge originally planed for released this year that would have allowed existing SurfaceHub2S owners to upgrade the processor and Graphics Processing Unit through a special cartridge upgrade that would enable a host of new cool features including advanced tiling, multi device tiling and fluid device rotation, essentially turning the Surface Hub 2S into what they called the SurfaceHubX

For the record, Microsoft has said they will still be developing the promised tiling and rotation features which “might not require an upgrade for Surface Hub 2S customers, or they might not require a paid compute cartridge swap,”. “We don’t have plans to release a compute cartridge in 2020, because the best way to release those capabilities — tiling and rotation – may not require us to take that path.” Microsoft have said in a leaked partner webinar.

Is not all doom and gloom though as there is actually some long awaited good news still coming for all existing SurfaceHub owners.

Huge software coming instead for SurfaceHub 1 and 2S

Microsoft are planning to release a “major software update” for Surface Hub 1 and Surface Hub 2 customers which will be based on the first 2020 release of Windows 10. This will include much needed deployment, and manageability features as well as new features for users. Microsoft have said they will be releasing this update free of charge for all Surface Hub v1 and Surface Hub 2S devices, whereas the (un unnouced) price-tag 2X processor cartridge upgrade would have only been available for Surface Hub 2S devices.

No Windows 10X OS upgrade though yet

While this update will be based on the latest Windows 10 release, it will not get (for the time being at least) Microsoft’s upcoming modern Windows Core OS platform that will power new Windows 10X devices like the upcoming Surface Neo and other manufacturer mid form and fold devices.

Microsoft’s plans to release both Surface Hub 2S display monitor for other devices to connect to is still planned for 2020, though as is the release of a new 85″ Hub 2S

Reaching out to Microsoft for an update yesterday we have been told that “The top two priorities for Hub in 2020 are deploying the 85” device and rolling out an OS update that includes many top features customers have been requesting since Surface Hub 2S launched, including improving IT integration, deployment and management capabilities at no cost for all version 1 Hubs and Hub 2S devices. We’ll have more to share in the coming months

That’s it for now.. . What are your thoughts? Do you use Hub1? What updates do you hope for the most?

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