Plug Audio Into Your Whiteboard Meetings

Whiteboard capture kits that let you record scribblings done on conventional whiteboards have proved to be a cost-effective alternative to electronic whiteboards. Now they're getting even more useful: New plug-ins for EBeam (by Electronics for Imaging) and Mimio (from Virtual Ink) let you record the comments that you make during a whiteboarding session for later playback as a streaming media file.

By means of special pens and hardware, the whiteboard kits record your scribblings and then transfer the information to your PC.

The $99 EBeam Presenter and $249 Mimio BoardCast both record sound in RealAudio format and create a file that syncs the sound with your whiteboard strokes during playback. Simply connect a microphone to your PC, select a connection speed to determine the file size and quality (the 56-kbps modem setting worked fine for me), hit the record button, and start writing and talking away.

If you operate a RealMedia streaming media server, remote users can observe in real time. Otherwise, such users can download and play back the file for a full audiovisual record of the meeting.

Both products performed well in my tests, but the Presenter has a little more polish. One minus for the BoardCast: It always records the warning beep when you stop the capture. The Presenter's recorded strokes were a little clearer than the BoardCast's, too.

These plug-ins work with the new versions of their whiteboard capture programs. EFI's EBeam Moderator adds several options for sharing meetings--Microsoft's NetMeeting or EFI's own collaboration software.

Mimio, meanwhile, lets you share whiteboard sessions through free downloads of the capture software, or with NetMeeting (also adding full support for its whiteboard feature), or via Mimio.com's online meeting center.

Though EBeam's Presenter is the better value, it's no reason to dump your Virtual Ink hardware, which still is better-designed than EFI's.

SUMMARY

Mimio BoardCast PRO: Captures audio. CON: Expensive. VALUE: Good for Mimio owners looking to capture audio. List price: $249 Virtual Ink 877/696-4646 www.mimio.com

SUMMARY

EBeam Presenter PRO: Less-expensive than the competition, better-quality streaming. CON: None. VALUE: A useful audio add-on for current EBeam owners. List price: $99 Electronics for Imaging 877/463-2326 www.e-beam.com