You might be a great presenter, and you also might have prepared a great PowerPoint slide show. But have you forgotten that you'll be using technology to make your presentation? Murphy came close when he said, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Perhaps more accurate is my own corollary: "Anything you haven't prepared for will go wrong, while having prepared adequately at least gives you a fighting chance." In my experience, many presentations that never seem to make it off the ground are those where technology gets in the way. And more often than not, it isn't really the technology that's the problem, but the presenter's lack of familiarity with it. Setting Up the ComputerIf you've been preparing a PowerPoint slide show on the computer you'll use to make the presentation, you're in good shape. At least you know it works the way you expect it will. However, if you have to move your slide show from your desktop computer to a laptop computer or to a computer that's in the room you're presenting in, you need to make sure you consider a number of issues, including the following:
Matching the Screen's Resolution with the Projector's ResolutionDo you know what your computer's screen resolution is? Is it really that important? Screen resolution is the number of dots (pixels) across the screen, measured horizontally and vertically. For example, older computers used a Standard VGA resolution of 640 across by 480 down (that is, 640x480). Most computers these days use at least Super VGA (800x600) or XGA (1028x724). To determine the settings for your computer, follow these steps:
Later, after you become more familiar with your projector, you might need to return to this dialog box to change the screen resolution of your presentation computer. Turning Off Screen Savers and Power SaversScreen savers are cute except when they come on in the middle of a presentation. Likewise, although many laptop manufacturers make sure that power-saving options kick in to help conserve battery power, you don't want the computer dropping into "sleep" mode while you're talking. Your audience can take care of that for you! Well before the presentation, you should check your Windows settings to make sure screen savers and power-saving options are turned off. To change these settings, follow these steps:
Again, your system may vary slightly from the one illustrated here. Take time to become familiar with screen saver and power settings so you can quickly turn them off when using another computer. Understanding the ProjectorThe data projector is central to making a good PowerPoint presentation. Fortunately, good projectors are becoming increasingly available. Nevertheless, making sure you have the right projector still requires effort and care. If you're lucky, you have access to your own projector, and you can make sure you're familiar with it and that it's working properly with your computer. You're also lucky if the room where you're presenting has a built-in projector, usually ceiling mounted. That means that it's already set up, usually optimally, for the room and that someone at the facility knows how to run it. It might go without saying, but you should take time to find out who that person is. If you don't have your own projector that you can take with you to the presentation, here are some of the questions you should ask about the one you'll be using:
When you connect the computer and the projector, you first need to make sure the projector is actually displaying your computer's screen. If it isn't, try these things:
After you get a picture, you need to check to make sure the computer and projector resolutions match. You should check the edges of the screen to see if the entire laptop screen displays on the projector. If part of the screen is missing, often this is because the screen resolutions do not match. To fix this, go to the Windows Desktop properties and change the display settings to match the resolution of the projector. (See the section "Matching the Screen's Resolution with the Projector's Resoulution," earlier in this chapter, for details on setting the computer's screen resolution.) Can you see why it's important to arrive at the presentation room early and to check things out before you try to make a presentation? An otherwise outstanding presentation is dead before it starts if you spend the first five minutes trying to figure out why you can't get a picture. Tip
Working with a Remote-Controlled MouseI've alluded to the standing-behind-the-podium syndrome several times. There might be some occasions on which this is appropriate, but more often than not, you'll benefit from being able to get out from behind the podium and move around during your presentation. One simple solution to avoid hiding behind the podium is to get away from using the mouse to advance slides. Instead, you can use the spacebar, which is quicker and easier to use than the mouse. Wandering back to the podium to press the spacebar is at least an inexpensive solution. However, it's still not the most effective solution because you're still tethered to the podium. Far more effective is to use a remote-controlled mouse. The concept is simple. You set up a receiver and software on the computer, and then you control the slide show with a wireless mouse device from anywhere in the room. For example, you can walk right out into the audience, which promotes greater audience participation. There are several such devices on the market. One type uses buttons and arrows to control the mouse pointer and to trigger actions (see Figure 15.11). These tend to be inexpensive devices, but they don't let you do much more than simply advance slides. The control works somewhat like an eraser-top pointing device found on some laptop computers. Figure 15.11. A simple type of remote mouse is best for advancing slides, not for controlling mouse pointer movement.
Another device, which I prefer, is the gyro-controlled mouse (see Figure 15.12). As you move the device, gyro-based technology senses your movements and controls the onscreen mouse pointer just like you do with a regular mouse. Such devices are more expensive than the simpler devices, but they work more naturally. Figure 15.12. A gyro-controlled remote mouse helps you use natural movement to move the mouse pointer.
In any case, if you make more than an occasional presentation, you'll probably find a remote-controlled mouse of some sort well worth the investment. Using a Laser PointerThere are several ways to point to things onscreen. The worst, and one you want to avoid if at all possible, is to walk in front of the screen and point with your hand or with a stick pointer. You can also use the mouse pointer, and if you move slowly enough and the pointer is big enough, the audience can see what you're pointing at. The disadvantage of this, once again, is that you're stuck behind the podium. An inexpensive and effective solution is to use a laser pointer (see Figure 15.13). Such a device projects a small, brilliant red dot, making it easy for the audience to see what you're pointing at and making it easy for you to point from anywhere in the room. Many projector remote controls also include laser light beams, but you need to make sure such a feature is working before you depend on it. Figure 15.13. Laser pointer devices are available as pens and key chains, making them easy to transport and use.
Caution
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