Because launching its own flagship phone, router system, home assistant, and 4K streaming stick this year wasn't enough, Google has announced its upcoming and most expensive project yet: a whiteboard.
Enter the Jamboard, the latest hardware development in G Suite - Google's Microsoft Office-esque series of applications formally known as Google Apps for Work, and home to such tools as Google Docs and Google Calendar.
What is the Jamboard, exactly? It's a 55-inch, 4K resolution smart screen that functions as a combination whiteboard and collaboration tool, allowing up to 16 separate compatible devices to connect to the Jamboard to post drawings, images, sticky notes, reminders, and even web links.
Users can write on the ultra high-def display using a special stylus with the same ease as a regular dry-erase board, all without the need to pair the stylus to the screen or keep them charged - similar to styluses used with Wacom graphic tablets.
The Jamboard also carries the advantages of working in G Suite, such as cloud connectivity, saving to Google Drive so you don't lose your work, and even using the HD camera and speakers for bringing in an absent team member through Google Hangouts.
Okay, let's talk about the price
Aiming for a 2017 release date, Google's Jamboard could be seen as a must-have for any creative or collaborative department - especially any that are already using G Suite. However, get ready to write some hefty checks.
Google says the Jamboard's price will be "under $6,000," (about £4,920/AU$7,850). That may seem steep - and it is, compared to the cost of most standard dry-erase boards, 4K televisions, and/or tablets - but according to Google, the Jamboard is "competitively-priced."
That claim isn't entirely off-base, mainly because the Jamboard's closest competitor is the Microsoft Surface Hub - a similar take on the digital whiteboard with a steep price of $8,999 (about £6,075/AU$12,450) for the standard model, and a whopping $21,999 (about £14,850, AU$30,435) for the massive 84-inch model.
While its competition is asking prices that could buy a car or even a full-time employee for a few months, time will tell if companies latch onto the Jamboard's productivity features and 'economical' cost.
In the meantime, you smaller startups and entrepreneurs out there may just want to kick it old-school with a regular whiteboard and some noxious-smelling markers.
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