TeachBox Tablet

The optional tablet computer for use with the TeachBox system

Our work with communities across Africa and Asia has identified a number of barriers related to computer hardware. In most low-resource environments, desktop and laptop computers are both too expensive and complex for effective use. Equipment, spares, maintenance and repair skills are either rare or expensive, and it has made ownership unsustainable.

Most new computers and tablets are produced for highly-developed environments and as such, they are designed with little regard for compatibility with the older technologies which are still common in low and middle-income countries. For example, most tablets cannot be connected to older projectors. We found that most organisations have been prevented from using tablets because of these compatibility issues and the prohibitive cost of replacing their existing projection equipment to meet the requirements of recent tablet designs. At the same time, there is an increasing number of younger technology-aware populations uniformly expressing an eagerness to embrace recent technology to advance their educational needs.

For some, the TeachBox Tablet will not be essential hardware, because the TeachBox suite can be used on any android device. Many have found, however, that the TeachBox Tablet is the most cost-effective and reliable device that overcomes all of the barriers outlined and more. It works with almost all existing presentation hardware and its features include:

HDMI for universal video and audio connection to projectors
3.5MM Audio out for connection to existing audio systems/speakers etc
Bluetooth for data transfer and audio and live play sound to Bluetooth speakers
USB for data transfer
Micro USB for charging and data transfer
GPS for use with all automated TeachBox passive data collection methods
Android operating system
5MP camera
3GB RAM
64GB removable storage (expandable to 128GB)
10” touchscreen display
Wi-Fi and hotspot connectivity
Supplied in a protective case