Costs, Performance and Brightness
Interactive Classroom Comparison | Price | Smart Classroom Comparison | Price | ||
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Epson BrightLink 485wi w/ mount | 1,699 | Smart LightRaise 60wi Projector | 1,999 | ||
Lumens | 3100 Lumens | Lumens | 2500 Lumens | ||
Resolution | WXGA 16:10 | Resolution | WXGA 16:10 | ||
Lamp Life | 3000 | Lamp Life | 3500 | ||
Cost of New Lamp | $79 | Cost of New Lamp | $129 | ||
Inputs | HDMI, 2 VGA and USB | Inputs | HDMI, 1 VGA and USB | ||
Software | RM Easy Teach | Smart Notebook | |||
Warranty | 3 Years | Warranty | 3 Years | ||
Total | 1,699 | Total | 1,999 |
So this will be a good comparison between two great interactive projectors. The Epson Brightlink comes in with great best selling brand name Epson with a world class warranty and proven track record selling and supporting projectors. Although Epson is fairly new to the interactive projector market (2 years and counting) pretty much everybody is new to the interactive projector market.
Smart's entry this year with the Smart Lightraise has added a whole new market leader in interactive technology to the market. Smart is know for their interactive software Smart Notebook and they have come up with a ground-breaking new projector to pair with that software. Smart is not know for being a projector manufacture but rather a innovator in interactive technology. They have had interactive LCD podiums and electronic white boards for over a decade now but never a interactive projector until now.
Epson is using it's manufacturing powerhouse to create projectors that are cheaper and brighter than the Smart LightRaise. But they fall short in one important factor: Software. The Epson Brightlink ships with RM Easy Teach which is a basic set of tools that is getting better with every release. The last release I saw has basic white boarding tools such as pen colors and shapes.
The Smart Light Raise is taking the best known interactive software for whiteboard Smart Notebook and including a license with every projector. This allows for a great all in one ready to go "Smart Classroom".
Overall I would say that the Brightlink is a great tool for schools on a budget and in lower grade levels. Also a good choice if your school isn't already using Smart Technologies. The lightraise is a easy choice for only a few hundred $'s more for what you get. The software is amazing and it's an even easier choice if you already have Smart Technologies in your school that your teachers are used to using.