I make presentations/speeches, and I'm looking for an all-in-one laser pointer + remote control for Powerpoint slides. Where can I buy one that won't cost me too much, but also won't fall apart within a couple of weeks.
Looking for a good presentation remote/mouse/laser pointer
Lpaveln on 03/08/2011 - 15:42
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I bought a Keyspan presenter ~5 years ago and it's still going strong with weekly use. I can't remember the model number but it looks like this: http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtSeriesID=8…
What I really like about it is there's a very simple forward/back toggle switch on the side (you can just see it peeking out near the top right of the presenter in the image on that website) so it's very easy to control without thinking. It's also very slimline so you can easily hold it in your hand and it's comfortable for a long time. It also has mouse navigation (the grey circle in the middle), and there are audio controls too (but I've never used them in 5 years so have no idea how easy they are to use).
When I present at conferences, I'm regularly surprised at the bulky devices the venues offer presenters, and often there are separate buttons for forward and back. Gah! I try to use my Keyspan wherever I can because it's just so much easier. Mind you, many presenters at conferences stay stuck in the one spot so all most venues need is the illusion of offering mobility. ;-)
I've never found a PC or Mac that was not just plug n play so that's handy. The only problem I ever had with it was when I first bought it, someone had the same controller in a different room - our RF signals were on the same frequency so suddenly my remote presenter affected their presentation and vice versa. Luckily I'd just read the manual, guessed what might be happening, grabbed a paperclip and reset the frequency to RF channel 2. I since reset it to RF channel 35 (out of 40) and never suffered from that again.
I've used heaps of them, but have been very impressed by the Bluetooth and WiFi remotes in normal mobile phones.
Absolutely tons of them around, many include a pointer (cursor on screen). There are numerous advantages compared to a traditional one like that old Keyspan or similar. Especially on a phone with a decent screen…
Inbuilt timers
Onscreen slide preview
Speakers Notes on phone rather than paper
Volume Control
etcA few examples (iPad / iPod / iPhone)…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gadUmJz6e6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW86HObDw9s
http://www.logicinmind.com/en/products/slideshow-remote/feat…Nokia, Windows, etc software
http://nokia2.software.informer.com/download-nokia-bluetooth…No laser however… but I've found that laser pointers are considered fairly "poor form" now days. And the red ones are so poxy and "invisible". That said, powering up a 50mW green pointer in a darkened room usually wakes up the audience, LOL
But seriously, whilst I have a $300 Sony pointer, I use the phone now days.
Thanks for sharing those links - I have not looked at the iPhone options recently. Since you obviously use your phone, I assume you always use your own laptop for presentations as well? I can't see a conference venue letting you install software on their machine, and some venues are also quite resistant to speakers bringing their own laptops. What do you do in such scenarios?
Also, do you need to turn down the brightness on your phone so you don't have a bright object glowing in your hands and potentially distracting the audience?
I must say, one of the features that my Keyspan model does not have, but was shown in the first link, is a timer. I have seen remotes that you can set a timer and then it vibrates at the end. When I buy a new remote at some stage, that's a must-have feature for me. I'd like to set it 5-10 mins before the end of the presentation time just to ensure everything is on track. Sometimes, no matter how much prep you put in, things can get a little derailed due to questions / previous speaker overtime, and it would be handy to get it back on track. Of course, I could just buy a watch (haven't owned a watch since my last one broke in 2001)… ;-)
If you're still looking for one
LTS has the logitech r800 for $55 delivered.
http://www.logitechshop.com.au/logitech-r800-pro-presenter.h…
Was just about to post that.. looks good.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/p/wireless-notebook-…
Bluetooth mouse/presenter tool/laser pointer that you just turn over to use in the presenter mode.
That's assuming the idiot Australian Laser Pointer rules don't complain about it.