Microsoft's huge touch screens - Made in America

Redmond, Washington

THERE is nothing ordinary about Surface Hub, a gargantuan touch-screen computer that Microsoft is about to start selling to companies as a high-tech replacement for conference room whiteboards.

The largest Surface Hub, measuring 84 inches (213 centimetres) diagonally, looks like an iPad that has gone through a growth spurt. The 4K resolution of the screen produces dazzling images. At US$20,000 apiece, a price Microsoft announced on Wednesday, it should.

Just as unusual is where Microsoft is building the Surface Hub: Wilsonville, Oregon, just outside Portland and…