Different versions of Promethean boards

[beeswax]

We have a problem at our school in that we have different versions of the Promethean IWB in various classrooms. The teachers come in with their laptops, plug in and find that they don't have the right software for that board.
When you try and install the correct version, it uninstalls the previous version, which means that as soon as they go into another classroom with a newer or older IWB. Is there any way round this? (I don't want to go inot the politics of why staff have laptops rather than a fixed machine in every room, thankyou)
beeswax

[Geoff]

Doesn't just having the latest version on all the laptops work?

[beeswax]

no

[andy]

Doesn't just having the latest version on all the laptops work?

no

Hmmm....

We have quite a range of Promethean boards like yourself. All are on fixed machines, but they all have the same software on. Ie. the latest ActivDriver and the latest ActivStudio 2.

Andy

[budgester]

Same here, just using the latest driver and studio. And this is on promethean boards and TDS boards. (Which are the same thing)

[Geoff]

no

please elaborate.

[nawbus]

We had some laptops running both ActivStudio 1 & 2 side by side for a while no probs. I believe ActivStudio 2 & the primary version will run side by side as well.
We also have a variety of different versions of the drivers installed (if it ain't broke...) which work on the different versions of the boards.

[plexer]

I have a board installed with activstudio2 and activprimary for training sessions to the primaries.

All the boards use the same driver except for really old ones where the usb connection is actually an embedded keyspan serial to usb converter in the board itself so you need the driver for that.

All the others just have the same driver installed from the current cd wether they are usb or serial connected ones.

Ben

[mullet_man]

Doesn't just having the latest version on all the laptops work?

That seems to work here, am using driver version 3.05 and it works on both the newer and older boards with have. Where as previous drivers would work but how much you calibrated the pen it would still be way out on the newer boards.

[mitcheln]

in my experience, if the board uses USB for its connection, when attaching that board to another computer, despite this computer having previously been attached to a USB board, you will have to manually choose the driver in device manager from those available on the machine.

[plexer]

Which should become less of a problem once the M$ signed driver is released.

Ben

[john]

I have the latest Active Driver on my laptop for training purposes and it works with all my boards (we have some which are from 1998 right through to the current day), but I ensure that my boards only connect with Serial Connections as I never liked them on USB. It also allows me to send the signal over Cat5 so the board can be at the front of the room and the PC at the back without trailing leads, its a neat solution and looks good.

[plexer]

We run our boards mainly from laptops which now don't have serial and I hate the usb/serial converters.

Ben

[CyberNerd]

It also allows me to send the signal over Cat5 so the board can be at the front of the room and the PC at the back without trailing leads, its a neat solution and looks good.

@ John. I'm intrigued. Can you spare some more detail on your setup.

[bossman]

Beeswax you don't say if they are usb connections or serial?
could you be a little more specific
also have you updated the firmware on those boards to match throughout the school. I have a mixture of IWBs throughout the school but the firmware is the same on all and i use the latest drivers, no probs here.