Another important feature is that the ActivTable can run six different browsers simultaneously. This is obviously quite handy for the sorts of activities just suggested.
Connectivity is another vital issue. The ActivTable can be hooked up to an interactive whiteboard using DVI, although you can’t control it from the whiteboard. Meanwhile, its four USB ports should be ample for connecting other devices, such as a visualiser or a video camera. Its Ethernet port will allow you to connect it to the school network, but there’s also built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi if you want a more flexible link.
Set up and go
The table is extremely easy to set up: all you need do is switch it on and follow the prompts. There are built-in teacher guides, and the calibration is easy to do as well, requiring touching six points. We were assured this won’t require doing again for several months.
The screen is excellent, with vibrant colours, a sharp image given the 1080p resolution on a 42in display, and the kind of viewing angles you need when many children might be crowding around it. It’s also a very responsive touchscreen, coping well with several users with nary a pause.
Our only complaint about the display is that it’s extremely reflective, meaning that its placement in the classroom in terms of lighting will need to be carefully considered. As with all such devices, the surface also becomes festooned with fingerprints very quickly, so it will need to be cleaned after each lesson.
Sound is, if anything, a little too loud. In the average classroom you’ll be happier if the pupils are wearing headphones (with the sound turned right down, of course).
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