Smartboard Supplier

[Vegas]

First post and very new to this fantastic site.

 

I would like to recommend 'Smarter Solutions' for supply, installation, support and training on Smart Boards.

We have 28 smart boards here and previously have had 4 different suppliers that were all crap and most are now infact bust but have been using this company for nearly 2 years now and they have been absolutely superb. As you are all aware teachers are the worst bunch of people to actually educate but after various trainging sessions with Smarter Solutions all our boards are in use every day and the project has been a big success.

 

I would be very interested in any experiences of Interactive Whiteboards from you all.

 

Thanks

[StuartC]

i hear that smartboards carry various std's, and beat up little children in back alleys to steal their shoes*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*this is probably not true

[Kilas]

You dont want a smart board. We have found that touch resistive Techn ology in a class room is pointless. The class room is a high impact world and the boards just don't cut the chase.

 

Try a hard board like the Interwrite (cheaper with no content) or the promethean (Expensive with content).

 

Steve

[tarquel]

We've had our Smartboards for what must be about 4 years perhaps? Not one problem.

 

I've had far more problem with promethean boards personally - but we have gone for them because everyone makes resources in the promethean software [yes, i know theres a viewer now] and basically, the staff "seem" to perfer them for some reason lol.

 

Cheers

Nath

[Kilas]

Possibly becuase they are a little easier to use. I found that I would rest my arm on the smart board to steady my hand when doing really fine detail, which of course made the cursor jump from place to place.

 

Although not a function on the Promethean , the Interwrite boards can actually be used as a dry erase board and a copy board as well. From what I understand about both hard boards, teacher like to stick things to them with blue tack....you cant do that one a smart board.

 

Interested forum this anyway....get good feedback on the mine field known as educational AV solutions.

 

Steve

[LostCorz]

thats a good point about bluetac, not all teaching materials are electronically kept, seeming more information is now available than ever before, but the old fashioned 'write on the board' scenario wont ever dissapear 8O

 

Roll on holagraphic displays?!? whats next .. (so long as you dont have to wear the red and green glasses!!)

[john]

I love my smarts over my prometheans, sounds nasty, but die promethean, I miss my smarts (goes to cry in the corner....) The staff love the smart software, and despite telling SMT they don't want any more promethean boards as they don't like them, we still get them as SMT says we cannot swap to another make as that would be stupid, so they are getting less and less use now, we have got 3 that have had a standard white board fixed over them on a slide, and its rare the IWB sees the light of day.

[StuartC]

why?

[LostCorz]

quote:

 

''The staff love the smart software''

 

So if you was to put the smart software with either a promethean or GTCO board they would like it? I can see why they may like the software, but the board .. thats beyond me

[TechMonkey]

quote

 

''The staff love the smart software''

 

So if you was to put the smart software with either a promethean or GTCO board they would like it? I can see why they may like the software, but the board .. thats beyond me roll

I prefer them as we can keep the pens out of harms way in those 'interesting' classes and they just use their fingers, when the pens have been lost it has been no great loss. The only high impact incident we have had was with one during delivery so we got a replacement, never had one go down in a class. Yes writing on them is a knack but we have now got our MFL department to become almost the most IT literate departement through one SMART board being installed. Now OK that isn't a great accomplishment here (consists of being able to turn on a PC really) but after being very hessitent (this is a department that is still holding on to a few OHPs) and saying they can't use them as you have to write funny to them loving it!

 

I admit, I've not used anyother sort but I can not imagine how many problems we would have with the pens here. We have a hard enough time getting headphones looked after and collected in!!

[john]

Yes, I do run a promethean board with Smart Software on it to help solve the issue of general IWB courses now only catering for Smart users, but you won't change my views, I am Smart Trained and will stay that way.

[NetworkGeezer]

What's wrong with Promethean boards as hardware? Afterall, interactive whiteboards little more than giant touch pads.

[john]

Except a promethean (and other solid surface boards), as its not a touch sensitive board, which is the reason I dont like them, also those pens! AARGH, given 4 out today already! and term doesnt start for another week!

[NetworkGeezer]

Except a promethean (and other solid surface boards), as its not a touch sensitive board

 

They're not the ones that rely on infra red proximity detection?

[LostCorz]

no they are electro magnetic technology, the ifa red one your proberbly thinking of could be for example a memio device or a sahara clever touch board. Both not as good as each other, again im more for the hardboards that are electromagnetic (doesnt mean that when you touch it your hair will stand on end! .. shame :? ) because little grubby and heavy handed people arent a problem.

[drjturner]

Not being biased on this one

 

 

Benefits of Electromagnetic board over touch sensative.

 

 

1. Hardwearing - You cannot damage it easily when kids hit it with things

 

2. Higer resolution - because the circumference of the end of your finger is about 1-1.5 cm rather than 1-2mm of a pen, there is resolution loss on touch sensative boards.

 

3. You can lean on the electromagnetic board with 1 hand while writing with the other. If you do that on a touch sensative board the pen will jump between the 2 points.

 

4. You do not have the hover function on the touch sensative boards so you cannot use tooltips in software

 

5. You do not have a right click button for selecting menu's

 

Personal one - When in life do you use your finger to write? On windows when they steam up!!

[TechMonkey]

Not being biased on this one

 

Benefits of Electromagnetic board over touch sensative.

 

1. Hardwearing - You cannot damage it easily when kids hit it with things

Well we haven't had one wrecked yet as I said but if you have heavy things flying around in a classroom then yes, get a hard board.

2. Higer resolution - because the circumference of the end of your finger is about 1-1.5 cm rather than 1-2mm of a pen, there is resolution loss on touch sensative boards.

You do get pens with them, but I doubt high resolution are a benefit of either technologies. If you want high resolution you are looking at a graphics tablet. But saying that i have demonstrated to the Art Dept some software to a high degree, got a very nice tree if I remember correctly. A mixture of finger, knuckle and a light touch. From what I can find they have very similar resolutions (in the XGA range)

3. You can lean on the electromagnetic board with 1 hand while writing with the other. If you do that on a touch sensative board the pen will jump between the 2 points.

You can but why? I can't see any comfortable position that would entail leaning on the board with one hand while writing with the other. Admitedly when starting out to start with I find teachers rest their writing hand on the board but that soon goes after the first few uses.

4. You do not have the hover function on the touch sensative boards so you cannot use tooltips in software

You can hover with smart boards. Move the cursor over the area you want and remove your finger, or hold finger over the area. Don't forget a click is a definite tap, not just having touched an area.

5. You do not have a right click button for selecting menu's

There is a hardware button on the bottom of the boards for right-click. Possibly not as convienient as on the pens but stops accidental pressing by kids as they use them

Personal one - When in life do you use your finger to write? On windows when they steam up!!

On touchscreens and smartboards I enjoy using my finger and I know alot of the kids do as well, possibly because it is different. Takes me back to finger painting the living room wall with out the hefty yelling after

[Face-Man]

Personally I prefer smart... though I found out 25% of the company is now owned by Microsoft. That's why they are tightening up on there software licence which makes it illigal to use it unless your school owns a smart board and you are using it to create resources for that board see

http://www.smarttech.com/support/software/takeHome.asp.

which stop you usinging on a different IWB.

The new version of the software is a lot better (eg Gallery search) you can get that at

http://www.smarttech.com/support/software/index.asp

[drjturner]

Personally I prefer smart... though I found out 25% of the company is now owned by Microsoft. That's why they are tightening up on there software licence which makes it illigal to use it unless your school owns a smart board and you are using it to create resources for that board see

http://www.smarttech.com/support/software/takeHome.asp.

which stop you usinging on a different IWB.

The new version of the software is a lot better (eg Gallery search) you can get that at

http://www.smarttech.com/support/software/index.asp

 

Where did you find the info about Microsoft?

[CM786]

I have used CDN Networks in most of my schools and they have been great. Very good tidy installs, highly competitive prices and great customer service.

 

http://www.cdnnetworks.com

 

Ring Don Wilson direct on: 07976931007

 

Much better then certain suppliers used by the LA

[witch]

"teacher like to stick things to them with blue tack....you cant do that one a smart board. "

 

Oh yes they can, or rather they think they can!! Fun and games for me, as they often tell me there is a problem and then remove the blue tack before I get there!

 

I have Smart boards in one school and Promethean in the other. There are no particular usage issues - none of the teachers seem to pine for the other sort of board. BUT it has to be said that the Prometheans take far more maintenance - they are forever losing their grip on the laptops and the pens and power supplies go wrong fairly often.

All I can say about suppliers is - DON'T get Promethean to do it, because whoever they use are useless - I had to have the engineers back 6 times to solve problems caused by squashed wires or bad connections or speaker prblems!

[webman]

We have grown to about 17 Promethean ACTIVboards now, with more planned later in the year. The staff and pupils love them here with departments virtually fighting for the money to have them. Each "one" costs just over £2000, which includes projector, IWB, software, installation etc. Only two have needed an engineer visit (replace controller board) since we've had them as well. We also use serial port connections on all of them, USB is just too unreliable. The only thing that annoys the teachers (and eventually, us.. ) is the quality of the plastic pens. In the last batch, the majority of them had cracks in the casing and fell apart easily around the orange band. Apparently the new pens are better and have a soft-touch nib that doesn't click.

[ChrisC]

We have3 used Smart boards at this school for about 3 years, no problems whatsoever.

 

Promethian boards have been at the primary school i support for about a year, and have had 2 gone down with dodgey boards (where the circuit underneath has gone dodgey)and nibs from the pens stolen. In terms of the resources they offer for primary is great, everyone loves it, but for secondary, i'd say smartboards are better.

 

Chris

[john]

Apparently the new pens are better and have a soft-touch nib that doesn't click.

Yup they do, and staff are not keen on them as they feel very different to use, I hate them, fine I am not a big promethean fan (anybody in NY want a Smart techie ) but the old pens, pre teletubby pens IE the black ones with a white end were the best pen ever, they have gone stupid with the fat pens, they just are pointless in Sec Ed as a lot of staff find them to fat and have less control, a lot of staff are getting the thin normal whiteboard pens by berol, the hand writing type over the chunky style as they far prefer them over the other types, but if I had to have chunky IWB pens, the old gen ones were better with the click helped you know if you had clicked or not, this one just is useless to know if you have or not.

[webman]

but the old pens, pre teletubby pens IE the black ones with a white end were the best pen ever

 

Absolutely, totally agree, as do most of the teachers who were the first to get IWBs back in 2003 when they had black pens. Over the the years they've been replaced with the fatter ones, but we do still have a small handful left in existance