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Microsoft’s Surface Hub 2 can be upgraded with a CPU cartridge

But you'll have to wait until 2020 for the cool rotating screen.

Microsoft's Surface Hub 2 will officially arrive in the second quarter of next year -- but not in the way you expect. During its Ignite conference today, the company revealed that it'll offer two models of the collaborative display: the Surface Hub 2S, which runs the current Hub software in a slimmer 50.5-inch display, and the Hub 2X, which will offer the intriguing ability to rotate and tile multiple screens together. The 2X won't arrive until 2020, but 2S owners will be able to turn their displays into a 2X with a processor cartridge upgrade.

Microsoft has plenty of competition in this arena, including Google's $5,000 Jamboard, so it makes sense for it to hustle with a new model before its most transformative features are ready. Given how slowly many companies upgrade their collaborative displays, and their high cost, the ability to improve them over time with CPU upgrades should give IT departments some peace of mind. Unfortunately, Microsoft still hasn't revealed the Surface Hub 2's price, but hopefully it'll be competitive with Google's offering and below the $9,000 price for the original Hub.