[wanted] Interactive Whiteboards

[OllieC]

In a predicament with our IWBs.. majority are TDS Activboards circa 2004 and the Windows 10 functionality is already poor and soon-to-be completely crippled. I've got three departments that "rely" on these boards so probably need to replace around 20-30 boards and wanting to keep it as consistent as possible.

 

Wondering if anyone's offloading any newer boards? Happy to do SMART as long as they're USB/W10!

 

Can collect West Mids, Staffs, East Mids easily enough I reckon.

 

Cheers

[localzuk]

To be honest, these days, the way to go is to migrate to interactive touchscreens. If you're not using something like SMART Notebook, then you're pretty much wide open with device choice. You can get 65" screens from about £1300, or 75" from around £1900.

[OllieC]

That's the dream but we're skint - touch panels solve so many problems in addition to the old boards (dying projectors, poor ceiling installation, incorrect cabling, no speakers) *and*we are extensively using ActivInspire - migrating from this to SMART Notebook is no bother but gets restrictive outside of the two brands.

[ITBadger]

CC Communications (Home - CC Communications) are offering screens at vastly under the prices that most of their competitors offer. I had a quick look at them at the Schools and Academies Show in Birmingham in November, and they looked decent enough. They will be at BETT offering special pricing of £895 for a 65" model. They are also releasing a 75" model at around £1300 (but don't quote me on the 75" price, it wasn't confirmed when I spoke to them). I'll be testing a 75" screen in the coming months, so my suggestion doesn't bear the Official ITBadger Seal of Approval ™ yet, but i'll update this thread (if someone reminds me to do so) once we have tested them out properly. Be sure to mention my name if you speak to them, I might get a discount if I decide to buy one after my trial!

[localzuk]

That's the dream but we're skint - touch panels solve so many problems in addition to the old boards (dying projectors, poor ceiling installation, incorrect cabling, no speakers) *and*we are extensively using ActivInspire - migrating from this to SMART Notebook is no bother but gets restrictive outside of the two brands.

Ah, with ActivInspire, you're basically locked to using Promethean boards then I think - as you have to buy licenses to use it on non-Promethean boards last I checked. I was given a price of £800 a license to get licenses for the teachers who wanted it here. The "free" version is only usable on personal machines from what I was told.

 

ActivBoard 10T78's (78") are about £1170 each also.

[localzuk]

CC Communications (Home - CC Communications) are offering screens at vastly under the prices that most of their competitors offer. I had a quick look at them at the Schools and Academies Show in Birmingham in November, and they looked decent enough. They will be at BETT offering special pricing of £895 for a 65" model. They are also releasing a 75" model at around £1300 (but don't quote me on the 75" price, it wasn't confirmed when I spoke to them). I'll be testing a 75" screen in the coming months, so my suggestion doesn't bear the Official ITBadger Seal of Approval ™ yet, but i'll update this thread (if someone reminds me to do so) once we have tested them out properly. Be sure to mention my name if you speak to them, I might get a discount if I decide to buy one after my trial!

Beware of second hand screens - we've had one of our SMART touchscreens die about a year after purchase from CC Communications. Ended up having to replace it entirely.

[ITBadger]

Beware of second hand screens - we've had one of our SMART touchscreens die about a year after purchase from CC Communications. Ended up having to replace it entirely.

 

These aren't second hand screens they are made by a Turkish company (Vestel?) and come with a 5 year warranty. As I said, i'm not in a position to reccommend them yet, just trying to make people who may be looking to save some money aware of their options.

[localzuk]

These aren't second hand screens they are made by a Turkish company (Vestel?) and come with a 5 year warranty. As I said, i'm not in a position to reccommend them yet, just trying to make people who may be looking to save some money aware of their options.

Interesting. Vestel are basically the go-to company for licensed manufacturing of other brands of TV. I had a Hitachi TV at home which was made by Vestel. Pretty solid TV too, for the price.

[mthomas08]

We get new Smartboards around £800 and we rely on the software.

 

All our old ones that are 10-15 years old are slowly falling over. Some classrooms we managed to persuade them to take standard whiteboards.

[ITBadger]

To be fair, I've said exactly the same for years, but these are far more rugged than a domestic TV.

[DavR]

If it were me, I'd really try and use this as leverage to get touchscreens in. For the time and money you'll spend getting second hand boards in, and still investing in projector maintenance after that, it's a false economy. A school will always find the money if it's a case of this, or letting it fail.

 

Buuuuuut, if you really must...... these guys do refurb Prometheans at about £300-400 a go - Refurbished ICT Store - I've not used them myself, but I've had them saved as my last resort.

Edited January 16, 2020 by DavR

[OllieC]

If it were me, I'd really try and use this as leverage to get touchscreens in. For the time and money you'll spend getting second hand boards in, and still investing in projector maintenance after that, it's a false economy. A school will always find the money if it's a case of this, or letting it fail.

 

Buuuuuut, if you really must...... these guys do refurb Prometheans at about £300-400 a go - Refurbished ICT Store - I've not used them myself, but I've had them saved as my last resort.

 

I do my budget, it's me I'd be leveraging with. if I had my way, there'd be a touch panel in every room - there's absolutely no chance of getting more money to fund this; far higher priorities expanding right in to my long-term plan first haha. Cheers for the link, might still be a bit steep as I can currently get a job lot of 10 on ebay for ~£900 but good to know it exists and is certainly a viable option!

[OllieC]

We get new Smartboards around £800 and we rely on the software.

 

All our old ones that are 10-15 years old are slowly falling over. Some classrooms we managed to persuade them to take standard whiteboards.

 

the dream is to just rip them down (well the dream is touch panels but $$$). I teach 80% of the week and I literally never use mine but some departments are quite attached to them and I don't want to upset anyone!

[FN-GM]

CC Communications (Home - CC Communications) are offering screens at vastly under the prices that most of their competitors offer. I had a quick look at them at the Schools and Academies Show in Birmingham in November, and they looked decent enough. They will be at BETT offering special pricing of £895 for a 65" model. They are also releasing a 75" model at around £1300 (but don't quote me on the 75" price, it wasn't confirmed when I spoke to them). I'll be testing a 75" screen in the coming months, so my suggestion doesn't bear the Official ITBadger Seal of Approval ™ yet, but i'll update this thread (if someone reminds me to do so) once we have tested them out properly. Be sure to mention my name if you speak to them, I might get a discount if I decide to buy one after my trial!

 

I have been using that company for many years (before I left the UK) and I cannot fault them. It’s one of only a few companies that I have t ditched over the years. I highly recommend them.

[MYK-IT]

@OllieC Are you still after some SMART Boards?

 

I have a quantity of SMART SB680 (hopefully, with pens somewhere!) that were taken out when we had Interactive TouchScreens installed and saved for spares for our remaining SMRT Boards. However, we are short on storage space and have more spare than what we are actually using!

 

We are based in the North West, and their (working) condition would be 'as seen' - i.e. no guarantees!

[OllieC]

@OllieC Are you still after some SMART Boards?

 

I have a quantity of SMART SB680 (hopefully, with pens somewhere!) that were taken out when we had Interactive TouchScreens installed and saved for spares for our remaining SMRT Boards. However, we are short on storage space and have more spare than what we are actually using!

 

We are based in the North West, and their (working) condition would be 'as seen' - i.e. no guarantees!

 

I'll drop you a PM

[dan_lumbard]

Did you get sorted with this? We have some SB660 and SB680 units going spare.... Near Mansfield.