SMARTBoard and Tablet

[DSapseid]

In our library we are looking to install a SMARTBoard and projector, only thing is that there is no space for a computer to run it without it looking odd and being in the way.

I have thought about using a tablet pc to use it but was wondering how that would work with the smartboard connections for vga and usb.

I know acer/asus (cant remember which one) do the netbook/tablet thing that you can undock, does the tablet still talk to the rest of it once its been unplugged?

Also the library is used for governors meetings and with us becoming an academy in septemeber they will be doing video conferencing at the meetings so the webcam and auid owill need to tie into it somehow as well.

Big ask i know but ive never even thought about a situation like this!!

Dan

[TechMonkey]

Does it have to be a whiteboard? Our library had a projector installed and we got one of the SMART air tablets. A glorified Wacom graphics tablet that has the smart toolbar on it. That way you can have the PC anywhere (no usb limit) even screenless mounted to the wall if you use a small form factor, and can carry on regardless.

Issue with a Tablet PC would be that you loose the functionality of a tablet once you have to plug in the USB cable for the SMART connection.

Hope that makes sense.

[dhicks]

In our library we are looking to install a SMARTBoard and projector, only thing is that there is no space for a computer to run it without it looking odd and being in the way.

RM's tablet computer has VGA and USB connections and runs Windows 7. Can't you just get a £200 Acer Veriton and screw it to the wall somewhere, or even on the ceiling with the projector?

[DSapseid]

ive seen the smart airtablets but there not quite what i want.

@dhicks ive just seen your post here and this may well be what i do! iPad or windows tablet with a acer veriton in the ceiling void or on the wall. with vnc will it still 'draw' on the smartboard? or not.

I can then set up a camera and speakers from the veriton for video conferencing! Jobs a good'un!

[dhicks]

with vnc will it still 'draw' on the smartboard? or not.

It rather depends on the individual VNC app if you're on the iPad - the one's I've seen don't seem to remap the standard point-and-drag gesture, so they respond as you'd expect (i.e. with a plain left mouse click) when you just touch the screen, but when you try and click-and-drag somewhere on the screen the whole remote display moves around the iPad's screen, which isn't what you want. You might need a better VNC app or simply stick with a Windows-based tablet PC (which tend to work better with syluses, anyway, which might be more appropriate for remote control of a screen).