Some of the best data logging equipment you can buy comes from Vernier and the Labquest interface has been around for a while. What are the advantages of the new Labquest2 and its little partner the Labquest mini?

Labquest2 has some amazing connectivity, not only can you attach a USB cable, but it has wifi and will connect to a network, you can email your data, and even print directly from the box.  The Labquest2 will connect to tablets and one especially slick function is that it is also possible to project the screen of any labquest2 connected to the network onto an interactive whiteboard using a piece of software called Labquest Viewer.

Another advantage of the Labquest2 is that it takes up less space than a laptop on a lab bench, it is probably also less prone to damage during messy experiments, although with a price tag of around €500 that's not something to test.  It is also useful on field trips in the driving rain.

The Labquest mini connects the data capture sensors directly to a computer via a usb cable and that's about it.  The data is going to end up on the computer for analysis so there is some logic in collecting it directly to a laptop. The price tag is about half of the Labquest2 and this is quite an advantage.  If students have laptops in lessons, instead of buying 8 Laquest2 interfaces it would make good sense to get 5 Labquest2s and with the money saved buy 6 Labquest minis. This would give more options during the labs and students could work in smaller groups.  The menus on the computer screen in the Labquest mini look exactly like the Labquest2 so there should not be any problem using a mix of the two interfaces during a lesson.

The number of options depends on the number of sensors available, Vernier have some adapters so that other brands of sensor can be used with the Verner interfaces, and there is a vast selection of sensors made by Vernier.  How to chose which sensors to buy is a whole other story, and there is plenty of good advice on the Vernier website.