Vosa iBoard

I met the salesman for the Vosa iBoard at the CESI conference and I ended up speaking with him for about 45 minutes.  This guy was really really passionate about his IWB and he spent most of this time trying to convince me that his product was the greatest IWB in the world.  He believed his software was better than any other software available in the world.  In short, MRP, a Dublin-based company, are very proud of their board.  But how will it shape up against the competition?

The Technology

In a nutshell, this IWB is based on eBeam infrared technology.  Basically, it’s a whiteboard with an eBeam stuck to its corner and you use a “magic” pen to interact with the board, in pretty much the same way as an eBeam.  It’s pretty much a carbon copy of the Rainbow IWB and the 3M (which I haven’t reviewed yet for some reason)

The Software

Vosa iBoard’s native software is ok.  It’s better than eBeam’s at least but sadly that’s not saying much.  Some nice touches include the ability to record all your actions including your voice.  This would be excellent if you wanted to podcast your lessons after teaching and I can see how this would be quite good for 2nd or 3rd level.  However, it suffers the same problems as most native software in that it doesn’t look well and has limited resources.  Obviously, one can use Promethean ActivInspire or Easiteach software for a better interface.

The Price

Well, this is the very good news.  This is by far the cheapest height-adjustable (see quirks) IWB on the market.  In fact, it is the cheapest IWB overall in the market at only €1,900, which is incredible value.

The Quirks

Aside from the ability to podcast your notes using the native software, the Vosa iBoard’s best quirk is its height adjustability.  Oddly, this was not something the salesperson was bragging about, but in my opinion, this makes it the very best value product for any children who require a height-adjustable solution.

The Verdict

A pen based, height-adjustable IWB for €1,900 is incredible value and the 3-year service warranty is quite impressive too.   This is a good value Interactive Whiteboard solution and if you are a fan of eBeam technology, you won’t get better value from any other company.