How to Use an iPad With a Mac for Whiteboard Presentations

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Whiteboard presentations are an easy way to get your point across at a business meeting. You can turn a Mac computer into a virtual whiteboard just by installing an app on your iPad. Apps vary in price, ranging from free to about $10, with different features and layouts, but most work essentially the same way. As you draw on the iPad, the screen is displayed on the Mac's Web browser through your Wi-Fi network, or through the Internet using the app developer's website.

SyncSpace

Download and install SyncSpace from the App Store on the iPad. The free version lets you draw three white boards before requiring you to upgrade to the full version.

Launch SyncSpace and open a new blank whiteboard.

Tap the "Share" button at the top of the screen. This button looks like two curved arrows shaped in a circle. Tap the "Share Drawing" button. Select "Share via Email" to email the link to the Mac computer. Click the link in the email message on the Mac to launch it in a Web browser. Alternatively, select "Copy Sharing Link," then paste this in Notes on the iPad. You can then see the link and type it in a Web browser window on the Mac.

Draw on the whiteboard on the iPad. The drawing is mirrored on the Mac Web browser.

BaiBoard

Download and install BaiBoard from the iPad's App Store. Make sure the iPad is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Mac computer. Launch the app.

Tap the "Create New Board" button. If you want to password-protect the board when you share it, enter a password and your email address in the designated text fields.

Tap the "Canvas Sharing" button at the top right of the screen. The button looks like a TV screen with a Wi-Fi signal on the screen. Tap the "On/Off" toggle to enable canvas sharing. The canvas IP address and port number are displayed, such as "http://192.168.2.2:26273."

Open a Web browser on the Mac and type the canvas IP address and port number in the browser's address bar. The canvas is displayed on the Mac screen as you draw on the iPad.

Air Sketch

Download and install Air Sketch from the App Store on your iPad. Ensure the iPad is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Mac.

Launch Air Sketch and tap the "Wi-Fi" icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. Make a note of the server address displayed, such as "http://192.168.1.1:8081."

Select the "Required Login" option if desired and then specify a username and password. This can protect your whiteboard drawings from being accessed by others without your permission.

Launch a Web browser on the Mac and type the server address in the address bar. Enter the username and address if prompted.

Write on the Air Sketch whiteboard on the iPad. What you write is automatically displayed on the Mac's screen.