e-Beam, whiteboards, proyectors and the like

[i92guboj]

Hello.

 

I am new to the forum and I'd like to ask a question here.

 

A friend of mine asked me to research a bit and put together the pieces for an interactive board on their classrooms. She owns an academy of English.

 

I learned of eBeams today. It seems they have the power to turn any surface (surely not *any surface*, but that's what they sell anyway...) into an interactive touchscreen.

 

The academy already have some regular white boards that they use as traditional boards to write things on them. So, I guess that should be fine to be used as the display surface (I'd like a way to make sure about that, so if anyone knows...).

 

So, my questions are:

 

1. is it ok to assume all I need is an eBeam and a regular XGA proyector?
   
2. are there alternatives to the eBeam?
   
3. what about the prices and characteristics I should be looking for? Bear in mind that I have no previous experience with this kind of equipment.
   

 

Thanks beforehand for any guidance, or just for reading

[dhicks]

The academy already have some regular white boards that they use as traditional boards to write things on them. So, I guess that should be fine to be used as the display surface (I'd like a way to make sure about that, so if anyone knows...).

 

Standard whiteboards can produce a bit of glare when you project on to them, but they're pretty much okay really.

 

is it ok to assume all I need is an eBeam and a regular XGA proyector?

 

You'll need a computer of some sort, obviously, and it's worth planning ahead as to how you plan to connect the eBeam to the PC - USB cable (might need cable trunking put up to avoid loose cables) or wireless (might intefere with your 802.11 wireless).

 

are there alternatives to the eBeam?

 

Lots - Mimio is the most similar direct rival, and there are now all-in-one projectors available (£1,500-ish?) that use infrared to track the end of a pen, letting you just plug a projector in and not have to worry about any other hardware. You can even make your own version of such a projector system out of a Wii camera:

 

Johnny Chung Lee - Projects - Wii

 

There is software available:

 

Smoothboard | Smoothboard.net - The Wiimote Whiteboard

Sankoré

 

and I could have sworn someone had set up to sell infrared-emitting pens, too.

 

My favoured option would be to skip the interactive whiteboard altogether and move straight to controlling the projected display with an iPad or similar tablet computer.

[i92guboj]

Standard whiteboards can produce a bit of glare when you project on to them, but they're pretty much okay really.

 

That will be a good new for her. Thank you.

 

You'll need a computer of some sort, obviously, and it's worth planning ahead as to how you plan to connect the eBeam to the PC - USB cable (might need cable trunking put up to avoid loose cables) or wireless (might intefere with your 802.11 wireless).

 

I am not a fan of wireless connections for many reasons. And much less when we are talking about bluetooth. But, I'll have to hear her opinion on this before I decide. If it were my business, it'd be USB for sure. In a small classroom there's really not that much place for movement anyway.

 

Lots - Mimio is the most similar direct rival, and there are now all-in-one projectors available (£1,500-ish?) that use infrared to track the end of a pen, letting you just plug a projector in and not have to worry about any other hardware. You can even make your own version of such a projector system out of a Wii camera:

 

Johnny Chung Lee - Projects - Wii

 

There is software available:

 

Smoothboard | Smoothboard.net - The Wiimote Whiteboard

Sankoré

 

and I could have sworn someone had set up to sell infrared-emitting pens, too.

 

My favoured option would be to skip the interactive whiteboard altogether and move straight to controlling the projected display with an iPad or similar tablet computer.

 

This is all very interesting, and it will take me some time to research all this info. Thank you so much. Great post

[mb2k01]

Most (if not all) of your questions look to have been answered, but just to add...

The other option for 'interactivity' is an Interactive Projector - Epson 455wi for example. The technology used is pretty similar to e-Beam apart from the e-Beam 'part' of the solution is incorporated in to the projector. This can also be used to make any surface interactive - a pre-packaged solution demonstrating this is the RM/ISIS Ver-Table.

 

(I have no affiliation to either companies, but used both and compared to e-Beam myself so thought I'd add it here!)

[i92guboj]

Most (if not all) of your questions look to have been answered, but just to add...

 

Sorry. It's not because I am new to the forum, but because I am new to this kind of gadget, that I don't know what to look for. I looked for "eBeam" and found only one post without response.

 

The other option for 'interactivity' is an Interactive Projector - Epson 455wi for example. The technology used is pretty similar to e-Beam apart from the e-Beam 'part' of the solution is incorporated in to the projector. This can also be used to make any surface interactive - a pre-packaged solution demonstrating this is the RM/ISIS Ver-Table.

 

(I have no affiliation to either companies, but used both and compared to e-Beam myself so thought I'd add it here!)

 

This is great. Can you tell me if there's any downside to both models? (integrated vs. separated sensors)