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Which system is right for me?

• I have a projector. eBeam Projection will turn your regular whiteboard into a fully featured interactive whiteboard. You can take notes, annotate PowerPoint presentations, and share ideas online for free.
• I do not have a projector. eBeam Whiteboard will record all of your dry erase marker notes in real time straight to your computer. You can then save, edit, print, or broadcast them online.
• I have a projector, but don’t want to use it all the time. eBeam Complete gives you the interactive whiteboard functionality of eBeam Projection and the copyboard functionality of eBeam Whiteboard in one “complete” package.

I have an eBeam Complete system. What software do I need?

You need the latest versions of eBeam Interact and eBeam Capture. Once both are installed, pick up either the interactive stylus or marker sleeve and the right software will launch automatically.

What is eBeam Capture?

eBeam Capture is brand new software for eBeam Whiteboard. It saves every stroke that you make with your dry erase marker on your board and allows you to save, edit, or share these notes online. 

What happened to eBeam Software 2.4?

eBeam Software 2.4 has been given a well-deserved break. If you require a copy of this software, please contact technical support.

Do I need to uninstall 2.4 before installing Capture?

Yes. We recommend doing a complete uninstall of 2.4 before installing Capture. The quickest way to do this is to go to Start > All Programs > eBeam Software 2.4 > Uninstall. 

What type of whiteboard should I use with my eBeam system?

eBeam was designed to retrofit existing whiteboards, so it is compatible with all types of boards.  If you're starting from scratch, though, and are looking for a new board, the most important decision-maker is your own personal preference.  Think about how you are going to use the board and what is important to you, then speak to a whiteboard professional who can make sure all your needs are met.

The most important thing to keep in mind regarding the eBeam is to make sure that your whiteboard isn't too recessed into a frame.  The system works by picking up ultrasonic waves emitted from the pen, so if the frame of your board is too thick, the waves will bounce off of it and will send intermittent signals back to the receiver.    The second most important thing is to have a surface rigid enough to activate the pen.  It requires about the same amount of tension as a ballpoint pen, so we don't suggest using a projection screen.  They allow too much give, and you could risk creasing the screen.

There are so many whiteboard products on the market that there is one for almost every preference.  If you're looking for a board to project on without a hotspot from the projector, there is the Projection Plus from Best-Rite:  http://www.bestrite.com/edu_multimedia.phtml.  For new installations, there are some projection surfaces that can be rolled or painted on and tailored to your room:

• http://www.mywhiteboards.com/polritiiipro.html
• http://www.admatechnologies.com/products/products.html
• http://www.goosystems.com/cgi-bin/ic/goosystems/index
• http://www.rightergroup.com/product_info/walltalkers.asp

Again, please contact these manufacturers directly to make sure these products can meet all of your requirements.

How do I set up eBeam Projection?

See the eBeam Projection Setup Guide (PDF, 7.5M).

How does the eBeam Meeting feature work?

See the eBeam Meetings Guide (PDF, 380k).

How do I annotate a PowerPoint presentation?

See the eBeam and PowerPoint Tutorial (PDF, 2.9M).

What’s new in Interact 1.3?

See the Interact 1.3 New Features Guide (PDF, 4.3M).

What’s new in Capture 1.0?

See the Capture 1.0 New Features Guide (PDF, 270k).

How can I extend my eBeam's connection to the computer?

• The eBeam Bluetooth product line (available with Interact, Projection and Complete) has a range of up to 33 feet (10 meters) when used with the included USB Bluetooth Adapter.
• USB Extender Cable. The first, and most straightforward, way is to use an "active" USB extension cable. An active cable has special electronics to sustain the data signal, so you won't lose any capture speed from the eBeam receiver back to your computer. A single extension will offer 16 additional feet. Most manufacturers, such as Belkin, claim that you can connect up to four active extension cables, plus the original device cable, for a total of approximately 80 feet.
• USB Hubs. The second way is to use passive USB cables with USB hubs. You may wish to use this approach if you need to attach other USB devices to the bus. There are two types of hubs " powered and unpowered. The powered hubs have a power cord that needs to be plugged in, while the unpowered ones run using power supplied by the computer. The computer - or a powered hub - may only power a maximum of one unpowered hub, so you would need to alternate between the two as you go. In general, it's recommended that only powered hubs be used wherever practicable. There is an overall limit of five hubs.
• Put your eBeam on your network. The most complex option, but the only one that will allow you to extend the reach of the device beyond 80 feet (to any location within your network), is the Keyspan USB Server. This server will allow you to put a USB device on a network, which can then be accessed by any computer on that network. It plugs into your network with a standard network cable and provides four standard USB ports. When you plug the eBeam into one of the ports, the receiver becomes available on the network and can be connected to any computer with eBeam software on it. There is a driver you will need to install on each of the computers for the USB server, but it is a small file (0.84 MB) and has a Quick Connect function accessible from the system tray. It will also be necessary that each user close the connection to the eBeam before another user can open it.

Is eBeam compatible with Windows Vista?

Yes! eBeam Interact and eBeam Capture are compatible, and have been fully tested, with Windows Vista. However, please note the following:

• If you have an eBeam Bluetooth system, connected with an Iogear GBU-221, you will also need Iogear's updated driver for Vista (ZIP, 44M). (Users of the D-Link DBT-120 and Iogear GBU-211 can use Vista's built-in Bluetooth drivers, without any additional driver installation.)

• In certain cases, Windows Vista will not automatically start the installer (i.e. autorun) after you insert the disc. Please open Windows Explorer, navigate to your CD/DVD drive, and double-click Setup to install the software.

• If Interact is launched via the "Launch Interact now" checkbox after installation, drag-and-drop of PPT, PPTX and JPEG files will not work. You can fix this problem by launching Interact from the Desktop or Start menu.

• Currently, the eBeam Interactive Stylus cannot be used in User Account Control prompts. If you have User Account Control (UAC) enabled, please use your mouse to respond to messages from UAC, instead of the eBeam Interactive Stylus.
  • Also note that some UAC prompts require a user name and password to be entered. Currently, neither the on-screen keyboard nor RitePen handwriting recognition can be used to enter text in UAC.

• ritePen versions 2.0.22 and 2.5 will not work with Interact 1.3.1 on Vista. Please use our Technical Support Request Form to obtain a link to download a new version of ritePen software. Put the serial number, located on the back of your receiver, on the technical support request.