SmartBoards ... Unnecessary?

Today, I played around with the SmartBoard. I found it entertaining, definitely. I was confused as I played around with it, and would love to get a lesson from someone who has experience with the board, but my conclusion was that although entertaining, the board seems unnecessary. If the boards were inexpensive, I would absolutely want one. The board connects using the internet, drawing, solving and many other aspects into one, and makes learning extremely interactive - but the cost is the downside.

As Valerie mentioned in class, buying and installing the board can cost upward of $10,000 - a high price for a piece of technology that simply brings convenience. If a school has money to spend on tech, then it is a wonderful option. It makes learning fun and interactive, and technology is often something that draws students in more than just paper or lectures - but is it worth it?

This videos shows some interesting games and activities used with the SmartBoard:

This website states the pros and cons of SmartBoards in the classroom:

http://ezinearticles.com/?SMART-Board---Pros-and-Cons-of-Using-a-Digital,-Interactive-Whiteboard-(In-the-Classroom)&id=1399407

What do you think?

-Jen