interactive whiteboards

[NewOrder]

Has anybody looked at the interactive software that means only a projector, no board only a wand and pen!

[JA_Gonzalez]

we have 20 smartboards (teacher´s love it) and 5 polivision 600.. There´s a new cheaper smartboard named VULCANO ,here in Mexico there´s a special prize right now 3x2 for $1,500 dlls.. we only had one problem with one mothercard of polivision

the correct prize is $3,000 for 3 vulcanos (SMART) boards.

TRAINING is the key for technology investment

[markzilla]

generally people did not opt for Hitachi Starboards in the past because they felt that they may not have had the support readily available, and have opted for Promethean. If you're familiar with Promethean, they have a monstrous site full of free resources. But Hitachi have upped their game recently and have created a resource ready support website for teachers. You can check that out here:
Interactive Whiteboards - Hitachi Starboard Community Website

I think all three major IWB manufacturers have their strengths, it all boils down to the preference of yourself or the educational institution you're working for, really.

[vikpaw]

Is this completely free? and what is your affiliation to the site and the company? please declare. thanks.

[Dos_Box]

This is a site owned and run by Hitatchi as well as offering and selling products and as such constitutes as using the forum for commercial purposes. Please respond to the queries Vik has raised or else we shall have to pull your posts.

[dhicks]

I think all three major IWB manufacturers have their strengths

I think the sudden explosion in the number of tablet computers available makes equipping a new school with IWBs rather pointless - just buy all your teachers a tablet, make sure you have a decent wireless network, then use the tablet to control each classroom's front-of-classroom display. For resources, I'd stick with third-party content capable of being used accross multiple hardware, avoiding anything that can only be used on one particular brand of hardware (Powerpoint is still about the nearest we have to a universal IWB format).

--
David Hicks

[markzilla]

haha... forum police. I like it. Just spreading the word, not selling the product - I have joined and it is free. The site is actually there for hitachi users, like promethean... from what i've read, there need to be more resource websites made available for IWBs. but hey, feel free if you want to pull it.

and Dos_Box... how are they "selling" products? I believe that constitutes 20% of the site's general purpose, don't you think? I think the company has run it as an initiative... by no means am I trying to make them sound saintly. Check the tech support page, mate!

anyway, it's there for anyone who needs it. that's all.

[psydii]

Hitachi/GTCO pens can be got much cheaper than stated above, you've just got to convince one of your regular suppliers to give them to you at cost.

[bodminman]

We've started to use Eno boards and they're great. Software independent so we have teashers using whatever IWB they're comfortable with.

[Jay_Jay]

We stopped buying promethean boards and now use Ebeams which have been great, the pens are very hard wearing but can cost £60.00 to replace, which I would charge to the department.

[dhicks]

We've started to use Eno boards and they're great. Software independent so we have teashers using whatever IWB they're comfortable with.

Most IWB hardware is software independent - you can actually use SmartBoard on Promethian hardware (or Eno hardware, etc), it's just that Smart's license restricts you from doing so. Check your license agreement (you can pay a license fee to use some IWB software on other's hardware) or use something platform independant - PowerPoint, RM's EasiTech (I think), or Sankore.

[HodgeHi]

Or buy a cheap 2nd hand Smart board and I think this then covers you for use of their software in School. IIRC you only need to have one piece of hardware to be entitled to use their software, unless the license agreement has changed?