I like to use a remote control when doing presentations. I have used different remotes and experimented with this even back when my computer was running on Windows NT, the remote was communicating through an infrared reciever on the RS232 port and it was one week of work to get the remote up and running.

So through the years I have put together a simple requirement specification for a presentation remote:

1. Stable wireless connection through radio and not IR
2. Good design and not too many buttons
3. Absolutely no drivers or software installation
4. Battery indicator to warn low power
5. A range of at least 10 meters

The question about drivers and software is important for the situations where you can’t do the presentation from your own computer. It should be possible for you to just connect your remote and have it working in seconds.

The good news is that I have found it. The Logitech Cordless Presenter 2,4 GHz. It fills all my requirements and adds a couple of extra features as well:

A built in timer that will also quietly and briefly vibrate the presenter when you have 5 minutes and 2 minutes left. Meaning that you know when your time is running out without even looking at the display.

A volume control that also worked with no drivers on the computers I have tried.

A button to blank the screen and an escape button to leave the presentation.

A laser pointer
At this point I have to mention that I don’t really like laser pointers. I like to design my slides so simple that I don’t need a laser pointer to guide people. But who knows, it might come in handy…

I have tested the remote on two different computers running Win XP and on a Macintosh PowerBook G4 running OS X. It worked fine on all three. No installation. Just reliable control of PowerPoint immediately.