Smart not free any more from today?

[SimonWindisch]

Hi there,

 

My teachers are telling me that they can't get past this screen.

 

I'm not in school at the moment, but I think it's Smart V19.

 

We don't have Smart licenses, but they've always been able to use the limited function version by logging in with their school (Microsoft) accounts.

 

Is anyone else experiencing this?

 

Thanks - Simon

[m_m]

Same issue here this morning.

[SimonWindisch]

Oh dear!

[Timetable]

Not much help to you, but, they did this a while back with our version of Smart 16. They turn off the license service for the version and you can't activate the license. We only had two staff who used it by that stage so just stopped using it. They don't offer any support apart from a nice invoice to upgrade, they did offer a bit of discount, but no backtracking.

[Aprice]

Same here with one of our schools.

[SimonWindisch]

Smart basic is free according to https://support.smarttech.com/docs/software/notebook/notebook-basic/en/about/about-notebook-basic.cshtml

 

maybe they just turned it off for version 19, and maybe an upgrade to version 22 will fix this?

 

Simon

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Are you version 19?

[Koldov]

We don't use it much here, but one or two teachers are on 19 Basic (always used the 'free' version) and most of the others are still on 11 (which we had a license for back in the day) because either they don't use any newer features or they just don't use it at all.

 

Anyway, I just fired up my old laptop with ver. 19.1.2790.0 and it opens fine with no prompt...

 

However, I've just noticed I'm not even signed in to it (we use Google), there is a watermark notice to tell me to attach it to a SmartBoard and it says 'You're using SMART Notebook basic version'...

 

Previously I didn't think it even let you open SMART Notebook without signing in...?

 

So, that's confusing... maybe it's the opposite.

 

How about getting your teachers to sign out?

[StevieM]

Anyway, I just fired up my old laptop with ver. 19.1.2790.0 and it opens fine with no prompt...

 

However, I've just noticed I'm not even signed in to it

Same here. We did have Smart Learning Suite licences that came free with the panels. They have expired, but we can still use the basic version of Smart Notebook.

 

Open SMART Product Update and check the activation status. What does it say?

[Mimir]

Version 19 doesn't work but 22 appears to be fine (and free).

 

19 just stopped working today it seems but I can't find anything on SMART about them deprecating it for the free basic 22 version.

[Oaktech]

I've just tried a fresh 22 deployment and it's fine - doesn't even show the watermark! Must just be 19.

[SimonWindisch]

In answer to the licencing status question

[Koldov]

Could be that's the issue then...?

 

I see ours is still activated...

 

 

Then I clicked on 'Manage'...

 

 

Just the 'Premium Features' have expired.

 

EDIT: The serial number quoted isn't our 'ver.11' one (so nothing special going on there), I guess it came with the 'free/basic' version of 19 - which doesn't explain why some people are having it 'expire' and some aren't... maybe it will catch up with us all at some point...?

Edited March 7, 2023 by Koldov

[StevieM]

In answer to the licencing status question

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68241[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]68242[/ATTACH]

 

So what happens if you click on activate?

[SimonWindisch]

You get this

[Lcornwall]

Be careful with updating from v20 to v22 as if you look at smart documentation any version above v20 will not have smart watermark but does limit touch if you are not using a smart board.

[Oaktech]

Be careful with updating from v20 to v22 as if you look at smart documentation any version above v20 will not have smart watermark but does limit touch if you are not using a smart board.

 

Has anyone tried this - does it mean reduced touch functionality, like to a single touch rather than multi, or does touch just not work at all unless connected to a smartboard?

[StevieM]

@SimonWindisch - Do you have access to the Smart admin portal?

[Mimir]

Seems all ok for our staff here now - started working again last night

 

Might as well update to 22 as it's ready to roll out......

[Lcornwall]

Take a look at the touch functionality section

 

https://support.smarttech.com/docs/software/notebook/notebook-22/en/about/notebook-plus-features.cshtml

Edited March 8, 2023 by Lcornwall

[Oaktech]

Take a look at the touch functionality section

 

https://support.smarttech.com/docs/software/notebook/notebook-22/en/about/notebook-plus-features.cshtml

 

That's interesting - I've just tried it on a BenQ, a Tango and a random old ELO all touch functionality seems completely normal?

 

You can add, raise and lower screen shades, you can annotate using pens in notebook using touch, the server copy of the gallery from Notebook 2013 still works, lined paper backgrounds still work - that's about all our staff use!

 

Going to install it manually for a select group of users and see what happens.

[Lcornwall]

That's interesting - I've just tried it on a BenQ, a Tango and a random old ELO all touch functionality seems completely normal?

 

You can add, raise and lower screen shades, you can annotate using pens in notebook using touch, the server copy of the gallery from Notebook 2013 still works, lined paper backgrounds still work - that's about all our staff use!

 

Going to install it manually for a select group of users and see what happens.

 

Are your staff using the trial as it would allow the pro features for 180 days?

[Oaktech]

Are your staff using the trial as it would allow the pro features for 180 days?

 

I've made an MSI that turns off allowing staff to sign up to the free trial, and certain things - activities, assessment buttons - prompt to 'Please sign in to see if this feature is available to you'. Under 'Account' 'Start Trial with Full Features' is greyed out so I'm pretty sure we aren't using any of the plus features based on this behaviour?

[SimonWindisch]

Updated to V22, so far so good...

 

I installed via SCCM, added the .MST file created from the following settings

 

   
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Edited March 8, 2023 by SimonWindisch

[Oaktech]

I've made an MSI that turns off allowing staff to sign up to the free trial, and certain things - activities, assessment buttons - prompt to 'Please sign in to see if this feature is available to you'. Under 'Account' 'Start Trial with Full Features' is greyed out so I'm pretty sure we aren't using any of the plus features based on this behaviour?

 

I've also made an intunewin of it if anyone cloud based wants a copy I can pop it into OneDrive.

[Scott_Mcdogg]

Please could I have a copy of you intunewin file, Does it work on Interactive displays that aren't smart still? thanks