eBeam Frequently Asked Questions

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The following FAQs have been provided for your convenience.

If you have additional support questions, please feel free to contact Keepad Interactive Customer Support on 1800 463 279 (within Australia) or +61 7 3440 8000 or fill in our Support Email Form.

The eBeam Pod is 15cm (width) x 15 cm (height) x 4cm (depth).

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Windows:

Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 or Vista Pentium II, 400 MHz processor or better

Mac:

Mac OSX 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6

Linux:

Ubuntu 9.04 / OpenSUSE 11.1

General requirements:

Available USB Port

Screen Recording Requirements:

Pentium IV, 1.4 GHz processor or better 512mb memory available

eBeam Data Conferencing:

All users wanting to share or participate in an eBeam meeting must be on an Ethernet network using TCP/IP protocols and each computer must have a valid IP address.

Users on a network can participate in a meeting by downloading the free eBeam software, even if they don't have their own eBeam systems. They can also log in through the web using the latest version of Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer on PC or the latest version of Safari on Mac OS X.

If you experience any trouble using the web-based meeting feature, please get the latest version of Sun Java for PC, or run Software Update from Mac OS X's Apple Menu and install any applicable updates to Java.

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Keepad Interactive offers 60-day support from the date of purchase. Keepad also offers extended Support Packages for eBeam. The hardware warranty provided with eBeam is 24 months – warranty up-lifts are also available on request. If you require more details on extended warranty or support packages, please contact sales@keepad.com or fill out the Contact Us form for more information.

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Handwriting recognition is provided with every eBeam Projection and Complete Kit.

Handwriting Recognition does not work with eBeam Capture (Whiteboard).

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Yes – the eBeam Pod can simply be mounted to the front side of a rear projection system.

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Yes, the eBeam Pod can be firmware upgraded as new releases become available. Please contact support@keepad.com for more information.

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Currently, eBeam Bluetooth systems are only one to one (e.g. One PC to One Pod).

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eBeam is designed to work with any existing whiteboards, however if you wish to start from scratch we recommend using a “low-gloss” whiteboard (minimal reflection and glare from the whiteboard) which will also allow the easy removal of dry-erase marker annotations. For best results a size of 2.4m across or longer is recommended. Keepad will happily recommend and supply a whiteboard to suit your individual circumstances.

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Yes, eBeam will work on a variety of flat rigid surfaces. Generally, if you don’t have a whiteboard you will not be able to use dry-erase markers, so in most cases we recommend using eBeam Projection and a data projector to create digital ink. In that scenario, eBeam will work on various glass surfaces such as the type commonly used in boardrooms with coloured backing (also known as “glass whiteboards”). You can even get good results on a standard flat wall!

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This is not a recommended surface, as it is not rigid – each time the stylus touches the screen it will ripple and make operating quite tricky. For drop-down screens we recommend a Wacom Interactive Pen Display, which allows you to perform all the annotation & control functions of an Interactive Whiteboard using a PC-monitor-sized touch-screen which is then projected onto the drop-down screen.

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The eBeam Bluetooth has a range of 10 metres if using the included USB Bluetooth Adapter. Other Bluetooth Adapters may have a different range. In some cases, your physical surroundings can also have an impact on Bluetooth performance.

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The easiest way to extend the cable is to add in an “Active USB Extender Cable” which Keepad is happy to supply. Generally, you can double the cable length using this method.

If you need to cover a very large distance, we recommend the use of a “USB over CAT5 Booster” which uses a standard computer network cable to cover distances up to 60 metres.

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Unfortunately, the eBeam USB Pod cannot support Bluetooth technology.

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The dry-erase marker sleeves and the interactive eraser use C-Cell watch batteries (CR2032) and the Interactive Stylus uses AA.

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Yes. Using other pens can damage the dry-erase marker sleeves and will most likely cause the system to not function correctly. Keepad can supply replacement markers along with eraser replenishments and other “consumable” part replacements. They are usually also available from general office supply outlets if preferred.

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Unfortunately, this is expected behaviour. The User Account Control mechanism has been built-in to Windows to reduce the ability of remote attacks to control a system. Only a standard mouse or keyboard connected directly to the computer can be used on UAC dialog boxes.

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A number of important considerations need to be addressed as follows:

A. The mount will need to be a ceiling mount rather than a wall mount as the more portable range of DP’s are longer throw projectors which will need to be positioned several metres from the whiteboard to generate a sufficient sized image for viewing by the students. Due to the central positioning required for the DP being several metres back from the whiteboard, the only mounting position is from the ceiling. This will generally require a mounting plate being attached to the structural ceiling with a pole extending down to the required DP mounting height. The DP will be generally attached via a mounting plate connected to the pole. There are many brands of ceiling mounts and they come in sets that can have fixed pole lengths, adjustable pole lengths of different spans and individual meccano type applications. The mounting solutions may have cable management systems of varying standards. A word of caution with mounting solutions is that you generally get what you pay for and many cheap alternatives are just plain nasty and difficult to install often resulting in false economics or sub-standard finishes.

B. Wall Mounts are generally utilised for short throw projectors as these projectors can be mounted extremely close to the whiteboard with the mounting plate affixed to the wall above the whiteboard. This elevated and short throw distance therefore minimises the shadow effect that is experienced by longer throw projectors. Short throw projectors can be bulky (3.5 to 6.5KG) and cannot really be utilised unless mounted.

C. Ceiling mounted projectors can provide some challenges if the roof line is too high or angled like with cathedral ceilings etc. Wall mounted short throw projectors are easier to install but can hit hurdles such as glass panels or vents above whiteboards etc.

D. The issue of the portable DP is one that also needs clarification as what really constitutes a portable DP. The answer is different depending on use. For the corporate trainer that is travelling extensively including by air, the portable projector will need to have a small form factor and ideally weigh less than 1.9KG. For school classroom use, however, we would still consider a desktop DP of say 3.2KG as portable as the unit can be placed on a desk or AV trolley and the larger form factor is still easy to lift and carry. Despite the ultra-portable projectors (< 1.9 kg category) having mounting holes, I must say that I am not in favour of mounting them due to the smaller form factor and inferior cooling and air flow capacity. The portable desktop variety, however, in my opinion are fine to mount and will generally provide a better more robust solution , increased longevity and also save you dollars.

E. For whiteboard use you should also target WXGA (16:10 wide format) aspect DP’s to better match the wide screen aspect of the whiteboard. Many DP’s on the market are XGA (4:3 aspect) which is not as suitable for whiteboard use due to its squarer image. Recommended DP’s to go with the eBeam IWB would be the Epson EB-826W (Longer Throw WXGA) and the Epson EB-410W & EB-450W (Short Throw WXGA).

F. For classroom use we also recommend 3LCD DP over DLP as they offer a better compromise between text & video and colour brightness.

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