Hands-on with Avocor's Windows Collaboration Display (WCD)

Although Microsoft's Surface Hub ii is getting a lot of attention at Ignite 2022, Avocor is addressing a similar market with its first Windows Collaboration Display due in December.

We got to become some hands-on time with the 65-inch 4K touch display on the show floor as well as talk to the Director of Product Management for Avocor Brian Carskadon. Here's what we learned.

What is Avocor WCD (and is information technology different than Surface Hub 2)?

Microsoft is working with Avocor on the concept of "collaboration displays", which are related and like products to Surface Hub 2.

The departure is Avocor runs regular Windows 10 versus the customized Surface Hub 2 experience. Information technology'due south also more affordable at $7,000. That is still expensive for a 65-inch 4K display, and information technology'due south the same cost equally the original 55-inch Surface Hub.

The Avocor device can work with external PCs with a connection through USB Blazon-C (DisplayPort 1.4, power delivery up to 65W, and data) or through traditional HDMI and USB Blazon-A.

Avocor Windows Collaboration Display tech specs

Category	Spec
Diagonal size	65 inches
Backlight	Direct LED
Aspect ratio	sixteen:09
Resolution	4K, 3840 x 2160 @ 60Hz
Response time	370 (cd/m2)
Brightness	178/178
Interface	One USB Blazon C, three USB-B iii.0 hub
Touch	Upwardly to 20-point FlatFrog InGlass, Intelligent Touch Supports upward to four fine-tip stylus with eraser Simultaneous pen and touch
Glass	two mm optically-bonded, anti-glare, anti-fingerprint
Built-in speakers	Two 30W stereo
Microphone array	four beam-forming, linear array, far field, SSP, AEC, ANS, DRC, EQ
Integrated briefing	Six element aspherical glass lens threescore FPS Total Hd CMOS, AE/AWB, AF, AGC, WDR Super-wide 120º FoV
Guest I/O	Type C (DisplayPort Alt mode, 4K 60Hz, USB 3.0, PD Power, Ethernet) One DisplayPort and 1 USB-B 3.0 Two HDMI and two USB-B 3.0 1 USB-A HID
Product dimensions	1568 mm (W) ten 1039 mm (H) x 111.5 mm (D) 61.7 in (W) x twoscore.9 in (H) x four.iii in (D)
Weight	55 kg | 121 lbs

Every bit an option, users can as well attach a PC to the back – such as Lenovo'due south ThinkCentre M910x Tiny to make the Avocor a regular wall PC.

Other features include a total Hard disk front-facing camera that has a larger CMOS sensor to allow panning and zooming. Information technology likewise supports Projection Kinect for Azure to recognize individuals and leverage Microsoft AI.

The Avocor has a bevy of sensors, including presence detection, temperature, eCO2, humidity, and ambience low-cal, to help companies monitor the environment in meeting rooms. All this data is powered by Microsoft Azure'southward analytics in real-time.

Inking is supported on the optically-bonded 4K display (which is likewise anti-glare), but information technology does not support palm-rejection – a tradeoff at this toll signal and size.

Avocor plans to ship the 65-inch version by December. Early in 2022, the visitor plans to announce more sizes – smaller and larger – to continue the line of collaborative displays to meet the needs of all customers, which include schools, business organization, and labs.

Does Avocor compete with Microsoft and Surface Hub 2?

While it'due south easy to draw comparisons – after all both are giant wall displays that support inking, touch, and a Windows experience – Avocor is meant to address different needs than Surface Hub ii. So not actually.

Avocor'southward pick is more affordable. And Avocor brings a more than traditional – and familiar – Windows 10 environment versus the "new" Surface Hub 2 ane, which is specific for that device.

Since Avocor can operate as a dummy display (with touch and pen), it'due south more traditional for environments where users bring their ain laptops to meetings and desire a uncomplicated style to project without a cumbersome literal projector. Alternatively, Avocor can be used as a permanent PC that is modular letting companies determine which configuration is best.

Using Avocor'south WCD

One of the goals of a WCD is ease of use. When yous walk into a room the Avocor "wakes up" and presents instructions on how to begin to use information technology. The most straightforward way is to plug in a laptop with the Type-C cablevision. That connection gives the laptop net (if wired to Ethernet), 65W of power, audio, and powers the 4K 60Hz brandish. Because it uses a Type-C connector (and does non crave Thunderbolt iii) users can even plug in smartphones to the system if they wanted.

If users don't take a Blazon-C connector on a laptop they tin can fall back to HDMI and USB-A. The system is smart, as well, whereby unplugging the HDMI the system automatically goes back to the Type-C connector when linked to a PC.

Inking on the Avocor is not nearly as adept Surface Hub, due to the lack of palm rejection, merely inking on a 4K 65-inch Windows display is even so impressive.

For audio there are 60W speakers on the bottom, which, when combined with the intelligent Project Kinect for Azure camera and Skype, deliver an impressive conference call experience.

There are some hardware buttons on the bottom, too, including a dedicated Windows cardinal.

Overall, the Avocor is impressive. The display is well done. The bonded glass and matte design make information technology easy to stare at, and the touch on responsiveness seems quite expert. Avocor is conspicuously aiming this at businesses and enterprise where such a organization makes sense for meetings and regional workforces to collaborate.

Information technology should be interesting to meet the Avocor ship later this year, and farther iterations of the blueprint are also expected in 2022.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/going-hands-avocors-first-windows-collaboration-display

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