Ibid, the Latest Word In Whiteboards
A new entry into the electronic whiteboard field is Ibid, a workgroup-sized unit whose features are only outclassed by its low street price -- $499.
Sized for personal and small groups, Ibid has a 2x3-ft. writing surface plus a strip of control icons down its left side. Learning how to use it takes two minutes. Ten icons handle printing, erasing (various widths or all), choice of four pen colors, system sounds and the Snapshot file system.
Snapshot commands freeze an image of the board's multi-colored drawings and/or text as a bitmap (BMP) or Windows MetaFile (WMF). Save a successive series for a record of any meeting, brainstorming session, workshop or collaboration.
On the PC, snapshots can be viewed and reordered, then dragged and dropped into e-mail messages, word processors, faxes or presentations. Users can zoom in or out on the Ibid's images for more detail or an overall view, plus toggle between multiple views or snapshots of Ibid sessions. They can also control the whiteboard functions from the PC.
Ibid weighs 18 lbs. and connects via standard serial port to (at least) a 486 PC as well as a printer, if desired. Mounting hardware and software are included. MicroTouch Business Products Division, Tewksbury, MA, (800) 642-7686, www.microtouch.com.