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Digital electronics has pervaded classrooms and meeting rooms, with electronic whiteboards being just one of the several gadgets to become an integral part of these venues.

There are several types of electronic whiteboards that one can choose from. These products differentiate themselves based on the writing surface, the writing device used and how the movement of the writing device is detected and tracked.

For example, several interactive whiteboards follow the touch technology where users use their fingers to write on the board. On the other hand, there are others that use pens or markers to write on the boards.

These days both fixed as well as portable whiteboards are available. So are systems that can convert non-interactive whiteboards to electronic whiteboards. The advent of wireless technology enables more devices to be used along with the whiteboards without creating a clutter.

Some common interactive whiteboard types are discussed below:

Sonic whiteboards

Attaching a listening / sound gadget to a regular whiteboard can result in a sonic digital whiteboard. Since the special pens used for these whiteboards emit ultrasonic sound waves, the listening device can detect the location of the pen. As these whiteboards effectively use an existing writing surface, sonic whiteboards are relatively inexpensive. One of the advantages of such boards is that they are portable.

Resistive membrane whiteboards

Featuring a soft and flexible surface akin to writing on vinyl, the resistive membrane boards detect pen movement by monitoring the pressure applied by the marker on the surface of the board.

Considering the nature of the writing surface, these boards not only require users to write with greater pen pressure but are also more likely to be easily damaged.

Magnetic pick-up boards

The key elements of magnetic whiteboards are the magnetic pick-up that are embedded within the boards and the special pens that give out a magnetic field which is sensed by the board to track the location of the marker.

Laser scanner boards

These whiteboards use laser scanners embedded onto a frame around the board. Markers used on these boards have bar codes that can be used to detect their location. Laser scanner boards are the most expensive among the different types of digital whiteboards described above.

There are a few other simple points to remember before buying the digital whiteboards:

• Evaluate the features and functionality of the software that come with the purchase of the boards. There is no point in going for software that boast of unwanted features.
• Try the whiteboard before buying: test out the writing surface, the feel when using the gadget or the output generated from the whiteboard.
• Ensure the product comes with reasonable warranty for the writing surface and the electronics.