Cat_Jam148

Made the jump from Chrome to Edge here not too long after it became chromium based. Haven't really looked back. Integrates with Windows nicely, most of the bloat can be disabled, and is updated fairly often with new features (for better or for worse). One less app to be installed and maintained. Staff really didn't care that it was different, most of them just call it the internet anyway... Surely if you're worried about having a backup browser in case of issues, you'd install something running a different web engine like Firefox?

VeryPC here too. John knows his stuff.

While I've never been a fan of the software, it had its uses. Only just redesigned the school newsletter in it so looks like that'll have to be done again in something else. There are a few Teachers in school who won't be too pleased with this announcement.

Just wondering if SMART have given you any kind of response to the tickets you had open? We are encountering a lot of the same issues now...

What problems have you had with Lenovo recently out of interest? We run ThinkPad E15s & E14s here and they are great machines, fairly accessible when it comes to repairs. Lenovo support has always been top-notch for us, especially when compared to the disasters we've had with Dell support in the past.

The Connect the Classroom project made the decision for us. We were meant to be all done by now but due to equipment delays, we're still running on our WiFi 5 UniFi system. Once it's in we will be WiFi 6 across the board, nearly all of our devices fully support it and WPA3 so be interesting to see what difference it makes, if any!

We use Classroom Cloud here. Works well enough - got a few quirks, but is updated with new features fairly often.

Recommend it 100% We self host it and since setup, its never had an issue - as Todd Howard would say "It just works" 3CX often run training sessions which go in-depth on pretty much all you need to now about 3CX. Can't see anything running atm, but they pop up every now and then. I set up a test 3CX and got everything working with a temporary number, before going ahead with the full install. https://www.3cx.com/3cxacademy/basic/

FYI AOE 2 can be played on the Xbox with a keyboard and mouse https://support.ageofempires.com/hc/en-us/articles/12855382336404-Xbox-Keyboard-and-Mouse-Setup Doesn't help with your search for a machine, but thought you'd like to know! Time I reinstalled AOE2 I guess....

Sort of glad to see it's not just something with our Windows setup then! Fingers crossed SMART push a new release with a few bugfixes soon.

Hi all, Running the latest version of SMART Notebook across the site 23.2 Has anyone else noticed how often it seems to crash or hang over the previous releases? Getting a lot of reports from staff regarding how error prone the software is now since updating from Notebook 22. Simply copying a pasting an image onto a page can cause it to crash. Just want to make sure whether it's just us or an issue with the program.

Could anyone post a copy here for us non-Bromcom folks (if allowed)? Even though we aren't in the Bromcom ecosystem, I like to keep up-to-date with things such as these, and I'd like to see what their response was.

Attempting to plug the holes in their sinking ship. Seems they're definitely troubled by the amount of schools that are moving away from them and trying to restrict that movement any way they can. Glad we moved.

FYI - new section added regarding digital accessibility standards https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/digital-accessibility-standards

Make sure your procurement is squeaky clean! Wouldn't want you to get sued by Bromcom...

THE SOCKS HAVE LANDED! I REPEAT, THE SOCKS ARE ON THE SCENE!! Thanks VeryPC - Wishing you all a Merry Christmas & New Year

We had 10 mins of downtime around 9:05 We still had internet access, but no web pages were loading. I did get a glimpse at one of the messages and it looked like an issue with one of their filtering policy servers. I will say since Wavenet have acquired Atomwide (The people who did all networking for LGLF), the service has been a little bit more sporadic and downtime seems to happen more often. For a time, cases raised on the portal were taking days to get a response.

Never did manage to get that trial we wanted set up - decided to go with NetSupport & Classroom Cloud which does the job for us. It's got some odd quirks compared to Senso Cloud but I'm more than happy with it.

We purchased a couple of Proofvision 43" outdoor TVs about 5 years ago - they were expensive but still working well. Have them running a firestick with Xibo https://www.proofvision.co.uk/outdoor-tvs/

(of) Mars Seeing as it's the 60th of Doctor Who

We moved in February and wouldn't go back. It did take our office team a while to properly settle in with Arbor, but if given a choice, I don't think they'd go back. Performance is leagues ahead of SIMS, UI is well designed, and day-to-day operations just seem to flow smoother. Most users require very little training, and often can navigate their own way through the system. There are still the odd mutterings 'oh this was easier in SIMS' but as mentioned above, its about changing that SIMS mindset and method of doing things. Just because SIMS did it one way, doesn't mean it was the best way. Overall it's a pretty reliable system, very little downtime and issues tend to be dealt with fairly quickly. Teachers and SLT love it and definitely wouldn't go back to SIMS. There were a few doubters among them but they have gone silent. The onboarding process is nice and easy, providing an easy to follow step-by-step guide.

I've thought the same thing...an awful lot of advertisement posts in a technical forum. I do understand that the bills need to be paid though and these forum sponsors are a key part of that.

We've been running 30 Dynabook C40 here for a year and a half in our laptop trolley. i3, 8GB RAM, SSD They've held up so far, being used by all year groups in a primary school. Not had one issue or any damage I found them to be fairly good value for money when we purchased them. My only gripe with them is their charging connector, although I believe it has been upgraded to USB-C on the newer models.

Primary here Still have one. Last updated in 2019 with 33 new machines (i5,8gb RAM, SSD etc.) Staff here like the convenience - not having to deal with a laptop trolley, batteries not being charged, updates applying etc. You also can't beat a good ol' wired connection for log on speeds IMO. Pupils look forward to a lesson in the IT suite, maybe because its different than their usual learning environment and feels 'special'? They treat it more like a library, where there is barely a whisper while they're working away. I still feel its important that pupils get exposure to a proper keyboard and mouse setup. We're lucky here that we have a very healthy IT estate, so our pupils get access to every form of tech (iPad trolleys in every class, whole school Laptop trolley and an IT Suite) and I think it prepares them much better for the future.

Three weeks ago we had a demo with them and asked if we could get a trial setup...we're still waiting. Seems like nothing has really changed since we moved away from them in 2018 on both the support and features side.