New PENS,activarena, firmware [Archive] - Promethean Planet Forums

dcsherwood

29-08-2009, 12:30 AM

I tried to look at the information on Arena (after looking at Expression Self-Paced Learning) and it is a blank area. In some of the informaiton about V1.2 it says it supports dual users which I am assuming to mean Arena. If we are interested, do we have to buy pens AND upgraded software or just pens? I am curious because if it is just pens and download, I can possibly buy it myself for my board depending on the cost.

I go back to work Monday and can't wait to play with some of the features on the board for Inspire although I am still waiting to be told when I can download new version on school computer.

Dawn

LisaD

29-08-2009, 12:41 AM

ActivInspire 1.2 supports Dual User. But dual user also requires an Activboard that supports dual user. If your Activboard doesn't have that already, then you would need to purchase the ActivArena upgrade kit which would include the new pens as well as a firmware update to your Activboard.

Read more about ActivArena here:
http://www.Prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.16891

Lisa

srchlc

29-08-2009, 12:45 AM

ActivArena came today! I haven't opened the box yet, but I'm chomping at the bit....

Holli

mwallace

29-08-2009, 01:21 AM

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=nav.19248#

Hello Dawn,

Curious to hear that you saw a blank area of the page when you clicked to find out more about ActivArena. Did you use the link above? What OS were you using?

Mary

brycep

29-08-2009, 06:10 AM

I've already placed my order for ActivArena and the cost through my vendor was $149 a set. I was told that the ActivArena(dual pen) is not due to ship until September 30, 2009.
It would be great if they came earlier.:D

jvines

29-08-2009, 06:44 PM

I got mine on Thursday... it is loaded and ready to go Monday morning. My class was so excited. We are doing a Technology Night at our school in a couple of weeks, I can't wait to show off Arena and Expressions to parents. Not sure what I am going to show them yet, I need to go out to school and build something that will wow them. My friend and I were playing with it on Friday afternoon, he installed his Thursday. We ordered as soon as we got back from NECC, so when they brought them to us we were jumping around so excited to have them finally.

jvines

29-08-2009, 06:56 PM

One more thing.... the fold out quick direction sheet is not so friendly. I had to go to the PDF file and make it bigger just to read it and see what I was supposed to do. If my coworker had not already loaded his, I would have had to call and have someone walk me through the installation process. Luckily my buddy is intutive about computer stuff.
Janet[clap]

dcsherwood

03-09-2009, 03:55 AM

was this for JUST pens/software or any updated hardware for older boards? I don't know what I have - I have had it for the past year.

Dawn

Lee Nelson

03-09-2009, 11:00 AM

There is no hardware upgrade, just the pens and the new board firmware. If your board has a flame in a little circle in the top left of the board you can upgrade.

cmansell

04-09-2009, 04:57 PM

There is no hardware upgrade, just the pens and the new board firmware. If your board has a flame in a little circle in the top left of the board you can upgrade.

Where can my tech-support guys get the firmware upgrade from? I have the board with the flame, and we can have V1.2 as well.

Thanks

Craig

LisaD

04-09-2009, 06:37 PM

I think this comes in a set called ActivArena which will include the two dual user pens and the firmware updater.

Lisa

Frisk

07-09-2009, 10:22 AM

this ActivArena and dual pens
does it also work for activ studio
or only with inspire 1.2

Lee Nelson

07-09-2009, 10:24 AM

Only Inspire.

Frisk

07-09-2009, 10:35 AM

ah to bad we havent migrated to Inspire yet

srchlc

07-09-2009, 03:12 PM

My pens arrived, I installed, angels sang....

Just a comment: The instructions for installation that consist of very tiny pictures....Not very user friendly. Too small, no words whatsoever. That may make it cheaper because the same box can go to many different languages. I am not 100 years old and do not have reading glasses, yet I struggled to see what to do next.

Holli

jrandolph

07-09-2009, 03:28 PM

I have my new pens and the firmware upgrade to the board and I LOVE IT!!!! However, I do have a question for anyone who is still (like me) using ActivStudio and ActivInspire. When I open a chart in ActivStudio my old pen and my wand will not work. If I open the same chart in ActivInspire, my old pen and my wand work fine? This only started happening after I installed the upgrade for the board. Any suggestions?:confused:

cmansell

11-09-2009, 09:06 AM

Hi,

My Tech guys have some of the new style pens which were delivered with a couple of new IWB's we've had installed. Can these pens work on my original board, with Inspire installed? At the moment they don't seem to work.

Or, do the new pens only work with ACTIVArena, in which case, why did we get them when we haven't ordered ACTIVArena?

Ta.

Craig

Lee Nelson

11-09-2009, 09:42 AM

Hi Craig,

Your new boards will be the newer models which have the dual pens as standard. The older boards need an upgrade to work with dual pens. As they use different technology the pens for the new board will not work with the old board, and vice versa.

cmansell

11-09-2009, 10:08 AM

Lee Nelson

11-09-2009, 10:10 AM

Craig, I'm confused. Your NEW pens will work on your NEW board. No upgrade required. Is that not what you meant?

cmansell

11-09-2009, 10:18 AM

No, I want to use a NEW pen on my OLD board. :-/

Lee Nelson

11-09-2009, 10:20 AM

No, sorry, can't do that. It uses different technology.

cmansell

11-09-2009, 11:39 AM

?

I am confused, now.

If we PAY for ACTIVarena, we can upgrade the board firmware to use the new pens, but we can't get the upgrade without buying the ACTIVarena?

You appear to be saying that the pens won't work on the old board at all due to different technology?

I have the board with the flame in the circle at the top - Someone said this can be upgraded?

??

Craig

??

Lee Nelson

11-09-2009, 11:43 AM

The dual pens for the old board (this is the ActivArena upgrade) are different pens to those supplied with the new boards, which come as standard with the new boards so no upgrade required. You can't use new pens on old boards and vice versa.

cmansell

11-09-2009, 11:49 AM

Ahhhh! [clap]

Didn't know there were TWO different new pens!

Ta.

Craig

LisaD

11-09-2009, 11:50 AM

I may be incorrect but here's what I THINK.

Some of the new boards (Activboard 300 Pro, for example) comes with dual user functionality built in (updated firmware and a new set of pens.)

Some of the new boards (Activboard 100 or 300) do NOT come with dual user functionality but are less expensive. If you want to make them dual user, you can upgrade by purchasing the ActivArena 50 kit, I think.

But if you have an older board (with flame) you need to purchase ActivArena (not the "50") to upgrade to dual user. This will include the firmware and new pens.

The pens for the newer boards use a different technology than the older boards so in fact there are TWO different types of Dual User pens, one set for the newer boards and one set for the older boards that are upgraded. They cannot be interchanged.

While I agree, it is a little complex, I will give Promethean hats-off to even having an upgrade path to dual-user for the older models. I've checked around with other vendors who have some sort of dual input and haven't found any that actually offer an upgrade at all. It's "buy a new board."

PLEASE, if I have any of this wrong, correct me.

Here is a link to Promethean's marketing site with a downloadable brochure covering the new range of board in comparison with each other. There are also links to information about ActivArena as an upgrade.
http://www.Prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.15

Lisa

Lee Nelson

11-09-2009, 11:55 AM

Lisa has explained it very clearly. Sorry I wasn't clear about there being two sets of dual pens, that would have avoided confusion! They are different colours so that if you have old and new boards you can tell which goes with which.

sbrusnock

16-09-2009, 01:02 AM

There is no hardware upgrade, just the pens and the new board firmware. If your board has a flame in a little circle in the top left of the board you can upgrade.

Will I need to purchase ActivArena or ActivArena50 if I have an older board with a flame? I just got permission to buy ActivArena50. Is there much difference in price?

THANKS!

LisaD

16-09-2009, 01:58 AM

The 50 is not for the older board. I think the price is the same.

You can find details here.

http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.16891

Lisa

cmansell

17-09-2009, 01:33 PM

Hi All,

I posted this elsewhere, but wondered if anyone here knew - I am upgrading this afternoon, so I need to know...????

I am about to upgrade my ACTIVhub and ACTIVexpressions so that they will work with Inspire 1.2.

Question: Will the expressions and hub still work for those collegues who are NOT updated to 1.2?

Cheers

Craig

Lee Nelson

17-09-2009, 02:11 PM

The people around here can think of no reason why not:)

paul_mc

22-09-2009, 12:48 PM

Lee Nelson

22-09-2009, 12:51 PM

Yes, your old pen work will still work on the board but dual pens will only work in Inspire.

paul_mc

22-09-2009, 01:00 PM

Got another question.
My board would not work via the usb, so our tech guy connected it via a serial cable.
Now when I go thru the control panel the upgrade button is not available.
Any suggestions?

Lee Nelson

22-09-2009, 01:17 PM

You can't upgrade over a serial connection with Activmanager. If you need this contact tech support who can send you a pack to do it over serial. Better still, contact tech support and get them to help you fix the USB!

htemske

22-09-2009, 01:23 PM

Just got ActivArena.
I have got ActivStudio and Inspire installed on my board, but I am not ready to go to Inspire outright, as I think it is still too fiddly to make flipcharts compared to ActivStudio.
I I upgrade the firmware will my old pen work on the board?
Thanx

I found that my old pens only work in studio and inspire. They no longer control stuff on other software or the internet. As a matter of fact only my gray pen controls those.

jrandolph

29-09-2009, 03:01 AM

Me too! My Activwand and my old pen will no longer work in ActivStudio and my wand and my old pen will no longer work on the internet :mad: Please HELP!!! I teach Kindergarten and I need my wand to work on the internet more than on ActivStudio (I don't use it much anymore).

beachteacher

23-11-2009, 04:33 PM

I have an "old" board (PRM-AB1-02). Will ActivArena work with it?

Lee Nelson

23-11-2009, 05:03 PM

Can't remember the serial numbers just now, but if it has a black oval in the top left corner then no. If it has a white circle and flame then yes.

LisaD

23-11-2009, 05:04 PM

Hmmm. Maybe not. I did a google search for that part # and a price list that came up was from 2004. Does your Activboard have a black oval eye in the top left corner? If so, that's pretty much an original Activboard for the US (I think) and I don't think that version can be updated to dual user.

Lisa

beachteacher

23-11-2009, 05:43 PM

:( It does have the black oval in the upper corner.

trapp_j

30-11-2009, 08:52 PM

Just got ActivArena last week. Installed/Upgraded firmware no problem!{} However, the pens do not match well with the board and after going through the calibration process there is no improvement.

Suggestions? ????

jgandhi

18-02-2010, 04:03 PM

Ok, which leads me to the question...can I get the firmware upgrade to make the new pens work WITHOUT purchasing ACTIVArena?

I have seen prices for ACTIVArena in the forum (AUS$199 was on), but no UK price, but also, people are saying that that price will upgrade ONE board only. We are a college with 1800 students - we have a lot of boards. I can't see my college paying that sort of money for us all...

Cheers

Craig

I am curious to know if you were able to upgrade multiple boards with one ACTIVArena purchase? We, too are in a similar situation, having many boards, which makes the cost of purchasing multiple firmware upgrades rather prohibitive. In short, is the firmware upgrade good for one board only? Thanks!

Jeanette

dandrews

28-04-2010, 06:37 PM

Where can I find the firmware update for ActivArena? It says that my board needs an upgrade. I have tried to upgrade the board the board through my control panel but it is grayed out.

LisaD

28-04-2010, 06:39 PM

I think it's on the CD that comes with the ActivArena Kit. Do you have that? (It includes the pens and all that.)

Lisa

dandrews

28-04-2010, 09:09 PM

Yes, but it isn't in there (so I think). Logical Choice told me that I needed to go into Activmanager and do the firmware update, but it isn't possible because it is grayed out. The box has the pens and 3 cds (Inspire, and 2 resource disks). Then, it has the Activarena cd. I uninstalled the downloaded Inspire version and reinstalled it using the cd, but it still didn't work after trying to install the Arena. It is the older board with the Activarena software (not Activarena 50). The hub is unplugged to try the upgrade since the board isn't wireless and registered to the hub. What else is there?

LisaD

28-04-2010, 09:45 PM

Here's what I read on the support page. See section in bold and bigger.

Two pens for dual-interface collaboration at the ActivBoard.

In the ActivClassroom, we learn our lessons together. ActivArena makes Dual-User functionality and vibrant group collaboration possible at the ActivBoard. Complete with two newly designed ActivPens (two teacher and two student pens), ActivArena allows two people to use the ActivBoard simultaneously whilst giving the person with the “teacher” pen control. The result is collaboration, connectivity and engagement like never before.

ActivArena 50 Upgrade Pack has been developed for the new 100 and 300 Ranges (requires upgrade to ActivInspire Professional Edition if not already used). ActivArena Upgrade Pack is also available for most* existing ActivBoards. (*ActivBoard 64, 78, 87, 95). Simply choose the appropriate Upgrade Pack. Please note the packs differ for each generation of board, you may also require firmware updates for your ActivBoards.

If you are looking to upgrade the Firmware on your second generation ActivBoard, to allow Dual-User mode, you can achieve this by purchasing ActivArena. This upgrade pack will include: Firmware upgrade for your ActivBoard, Software update to ActivInspire Professional Edition, Dual ActivPens and Resource Pack.

If you are looking to upgrade your new ActivBoard 100 or 300 you should purchase ActivArena 50, this will contain Dual ActivPens and Resource Pack to enable Dual-User functionality, if you have a 100 series ActivBoard you will also need to upgrade your software to ActivInspire Professional Edition

htemske

02-05-2010, 06:32 PM

Everything I needed to do it was in the box.

KristenTHernandez

02-05-2010, 11:42 PM

How can I got about getting the new Dual User programs? I see the Demo version, but I was told that if you bought the dual pens and we have bought tons, that you would get the full version.

Let me know.

Thanks = )

LisaD

03-05-2010, 12:40 PM

It's not programs but templates. You can use dual user on any page not specifically designed pages. There are already lots of templates in ActivInspire with dual user in mind. Usually them have two pens on them. See image below.

I went through the library and pulled out those that I thought looked most appropriate for dual user. See the pages here in this flipchart.

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.21901

Lisa

KristenTHernandez

04-05-2010, 06:37 PM

Will there be more released from this
http://community.prometheanplanet.com/en/blogs/b/blog/archive/2010/01/26/the-activarena-demo-pack-comes-to-town.aspx (http://community.prometheanplanet.com/en/blogs/b/blog/archive/2010/01/26/the-activarena-demo-pack-comes-to-town.aspx) ?

Thanks,
Kristen