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Sunday, May 25, 2008
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A computer edge for the classroom blackboard

Sandeep Joshi

Panaboard marries PC and Internet

It allows display of screen contents onto the board
Users can run their own software applications

New Delhi: First there was the blackboard, used by generations of teachers for classroom instruction. Then came the whiteboard, which said goodbye to chalk and dust. Now it is ‘Internet inside’ as white boards become interactive, latching on to a PC and a Net connection.

Last week, Panasonic brought to India the “Panaboard’, an interactive whiteboard that allows direct display of the contents of a computer screen onto the board — actually a 77- inch-diagonal screen for high-impact presentations.

It enables users to run their own software applications for school lessons or even business presentations. Windows applications like PowerPoint and Excel, or educational software, can run on the Elite Panaboard. It also features book software to write or draw onto the screen, add notes, diagrams, text and images.

The Elite Panaboard comes with an electronic pen, which allows smooth mouse-like operations. The bundled Panaboard book application enables easy lesson preparation and contains Panasonic’s tools for creating and editing teaching materials.

Panasonic Asia Pacific’s Business Head Ajay Madan says: “It is a challenge in itself for any presenter to engage an audience.

Elite Panaboard offers a helping hand to such users and provides them with a solution to enhance their presentations and make them more effective and engaging.” The made-in Japan product is priced at Rs.1.35 lakh in India. It was developed and extensively tested with help from teachers in Australia.

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