5 Key Features Of The Google Jamboard

Better Collaboration

This week, Google is making its digital whiteboard product, the Jamboard, available for sale after announcing it in October. Aimed at enabling workplace collaboration -- particularly with the assistance of the cloud -- the Google Jamboard has a starting price of $5,000 and also requires an annual management and support fee of $600. Is the Google Jamboard a good fit for your office? In the following slides, we've got the details on five of the key features to know about with the Google Jamboard.

Purpose

Google says its Jamboard product is designed for scribbling and sketching (with the special marker-sized stylus) and also for pulling in content from the web. That can include images and notes that your team has been working with, for instance. And all content from the Jamboard can be saved in Google Drive.

Display

The Google Jamboard features a 55-inch display with 4K UHD resolution, and Google touts the display as "incredibly responsive and accurate" for users that are working on it with the stylus. "It feels natural to draw and sketch the way you would on a traditional whiteboard," the company says. Jamboard can recognize different contact surfaces against its display, meaning that users can wipe work off the screen by using their fingers, for instance. The display can also recognize handwriting and shapes, and Google says that resizing objects feel just as natural as on a tablet or phone.

Collaboration

Features that Google has built into the Jamboard include the ability to project the Jamboard screen directly into a Google Hangouts session. Organizations can also bring together multiple Jamboards from different locations and have users join in via tablet or smartphone (Android or iOS). Users can work collectively within documents from G Suite apps -- such as Docs and Sheets -- on the Jamboard, with progress updated in real time the same way it would be on the desktop version of the apps.

Other Specs

The Google Jamboard includes a wide-angle HD camera for enhancing the collaboration process, as well as down-firing speakers and built-in microphones. For connectivity, the product offers WiFi (802.11ac 2x2) and 1-gigabyte Ethernet. And for ports, the Jamboard comes with HDMI, one USB-C port, and two USB-A ports.

Usage

The Jamboard can either be mounted on the wall (a mount is included) or used with a stand (which adds $1,199 to the price). The $5,000 price also includes two styluses and one eraser. Google hasn't disclosed the weight of the Jamboard, but the company says it is "light, stable and on wheels with a single cable for power. Everything else is wireless so you can plug it in, flip it on and start jamming right away."