Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Presenter (Black)
by Logitech
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Our Price: $189.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $89.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Presenter (Black)
Customer Review: Works like a charm!
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this about two weeks ago, and have already used it several times. I'm just wrapping up my graduate education, and wish I knew about this sooner. If you present in teams, and usually have someone controlling the slides, you know how its difficult to sync your presentation with the other person. The Logitech Presenter puts the control into your hands. This also allows you to step away from the computer, and focus on the actual presentation than changing the slides.
This unit does the following:
- start presentation/exit presentation
- black out the screen (good for when you want to have people focus their attention on you instead of the slides)
- forward/back, to navigate through slides
- volume control
- laser pointer
- time limit notification (warnings at 5 mins and 2 mins)
- Also comes with a compact fabric case.
Contrary to what a previous reviewer stated, this receiver is NOT a USB bluetooth receiver. It is only USB, and transmits at a 2.4 GHz frequency.
As some others have stated, this is NOT a mouse. The more expensive Logitech Presenter (that costs over $150) can double as a mouse.
I have only utilized the Presenter with PowerPoint. I do not know if it is compatible with other presentation software.
Pros:
- The buttons are well positioned making it very easy to learn.
- very light, fits comfortably in hand
- the usb receiver is compact, and can be stored within the Presenter. I like the fact that it is so compact because on certain laptops, the USB slots are stacked on top of one another. With some other over-sized USB cords/receivers, it can cause trouble connecting both simultaneously. The compactness of the receiver is perfect!
- battery indicator
- comes with batteries
- the laser pointer can double as a toy to play with a cat. my cat chases the red laserbeam all around the room. who knew the Presenter could be so much fun? :)
Cons:
- time limit notifications can only be increased in 5 minute increments.
- the USB receiver can easily be put into the Presenter in the wrong way, making it somewhat difficult to take out.
- did not work on a couple older laptops. They were both running WinXP. However, these could be isolated incidents.
- Took at least 30 seconds on new systems for the Presenter to be recognized and set up.
- No resume feature
- The fabric case should have come with a belt clip
I took the Logitech Presenter to class, and fellow classmates loved it so much they all wanted to use it. They were able to learn it on the fly. This unit is money well spent!
Customer Review: Works
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using the Logitech Cordless 2.4 GHz Presenter for about three weeks. During that time I have used it in 18 one hour lectures. The presenter does everything it was designed to do effortlessly. I decided on the Logitech Presenter for a two reasons. First, it installs with no software. Just plug the USB radio transmitter/receiver into the back of your computer and it is ready to go. During my initial installation Windows XP said there was a problem, but everything operated just fine. Second, this presenter has a limited number of functions. It was my view that when giving a lecture the last thing you need is to have to hunt among a dozen or so buttons to do something. Also, more buttons increases the likelihood of hitting the wrong one. On the top the Logitech Presenter has 5 buttons: 1) forward, 2) back, 3) laser pointer which is between the forward and back, 4) F5/ESC which starts PowerPoint at the first slide or returns to the work view and 5) black the screen. All of the buttons are conveniently placed, work as promised and are easy to find without looking at them. On the left side is the on/off switch and volume control and on the right side is the button to set the countdown timer. The timer starts vibrating at set intervals 5 minutes before it reaches 0. It appears to use batteries sparingly. After about 18 hours of use the battery meter has yet to move.
There are two possible negatives to the Logitech Cordless 2.4 GHz Presenter. First, it has no mouse (I actually consider this a positive). So if you need to use a mouse in your presentations this is not the presenter to get. Second, it only appears to work with PowerPoint. It may work with other programs, but I have found no mention of it.
Based on the above review and the fact that the machine does exactly what it was designed to do, I give the presenter 5 stars. However, before purchasing one you need to decide if you really need its capabilities. If you regularly teach/make presentations in a large room it no doubt is handy. As Logitech advertises, the range is at least 50 feet. If you always present in a small room, the Logitech Cordless 2.4 GHz Presenter is really of little advantage. Nevertheless, it is cool to be able to change slides away from the projector. Perhaps the determining factor should be who is making the purchase. If your employer is springing for one, get it. If it is coming out of your pocket, consider carefully.
Customer Review: Works almost flawlessly
Summary: 5 Stars
Overall - This presenter works very well. I just used it for my Master's Degree exit seminar with no problems whatsoever. I really suggest using this presenter. It's fast and reliable. The pros heavily outweigh the nit-picky cons.
Pros - The response time is super fast, and I haven't noticed any lag time between when I press the advance or back button and when the power point slides change. The USB reciever fits into the unit which helps someone as scatter brained as I am to keep from losing it. In addition, it comes with a thick spandex carrying case. This is great, because it means it won't get scratched up in my backpack or breifcase. It feels well made, and unlike other presenters, it has grippy rubber over the outside. This means that it won't get slippery over time as you wear it down. The timer and vibration functions are a fantastic addition. On top of all that, there is no software. It is recognized as a USB device immediately after you plug it in and only takes 10 seconds for the computer to install it as a piece of hardware. This only happens the very first time you plug it in. The batteries last FOREVER. I practiced my talk 40-50 times, gave my talk, and even left the presenter on over night by accident twice, and the battery life indicator on the LCD screen is still full.
Cons - There were a couple times when I had to point the presenter in the direction of the computer, but I was really far away from it. The timer isn't like a stop watch. Five seconds after you set the timer it starts counting down. This makes it awkward to set the timer during a talk. In addition, you can't make the timer advance forward (e.g. - it only counts down). The last thing, which is really just preference, is that the laser pointer is a little small. I like to have a larger red dot, but I was pretty close to the screen when I was using it. The laser dot is larger from farther away. Again, just preference, but it could have been a little smaller. It takes up your whole hand like a really small TV remote.
Customer Review: Cheaper than the other Logitech cordless presenter, still all the functionality I need in a classroom
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband "bought me" the other Logitech cordless presenter (which costs about 3x as much as this one) a year or so ago because, as a high school teacher, I often use PowerPoint to teach new lessons and to show photos of unfamiliar events or references in literature. The truth is, I took the thing to school once before he hijacked it for his own laptop/flat screen combination and used it as a glorified cordless mouse, with laser pointer.
Honestly, this little thing is a lot more convenient than the other one for use in a classroom, and the reduced cost makes me less concerned about it "getting jacked" by one of my well-meaning but sometimes-misdirected students. It doesn't have the cordless mouse functionality, so I can't switch between programs. It's pretty much only functional for use with PowerPoint, but that's fine for me. I can now move around my classroom freely, switching back and forth between slides and pointing out specific things on the screen without having to be right next to my computer. It helps to be able to spot-check my students' progress and walk the room, and students everywhere are just more attentive when they see presenters who can actually move more than in just a 5-inch radius. I also love being able to "black screen" the TV at certain points (to answer questions, to address side issues, at the end of the presentation) without having to interrupt my presentation/presence in front of the class.
I especially like the little case and the USB storage in the unit when it's not in use -- I tend to lose things. I also like the size and feel of this presenter over the other one, which was too bulky for me. The 50-foot range is GINORMOUS, and not having to have "line of sight" to my actual computer is a lifesaver. I don't use the timer/vibrate feature at all, and the on/off switch is really easy to get to -- not like the one on my cell phone that requires a lot of fumbling and fighting to get it to depress.
Customer Review: A must if you use presntation slides to deliver material
Summary: 5 Stars
I teach technical classes for a living. Often the material is heavy and I work very hard to keep my students engaged by delivering a high-energy, animated presentation. Another instructor used this very Cordless Presenter and I scoffed at the idea, until I tried it. Then I rushed to buy one of my own, and now I'll actually panic if I can't find it when setting up for a class.
The ability to move powerpoint slides forward and backwards without having to walk back to the machine running the slideshow makes the course flow so much better. Additionally, this little presenter has a built-in timer, vibrating alarm and laser-pointer - all of which help me with my presentation.
Technically speaking: the transmitter runs with two AAA batteries that seem to last for ever, and just in case, there's a battery meter on the LCD so I won't get caught unprepared. Still, I've been using it every day for 6 weeks and the battery power seems down about 10%. The receiver is USB powered, and stashes away cleverly in the Presenter's case.
The package only says compatible with Windows, but I've been using it 100% reliably on my MacBook Pro, with Powerpoint for office 2004 as well as NeoOffice (a MAC OS port of Open Office). Although I haven't personally tried it, I've read that it works with Keynote as well (Keynote is to iWork as Powerpoint is to MS Office.)
I was initially worried because when I plugged it into my MAC, it said it couldn't recognize the "keyboard device". Then I fired up Powerpoint, and it just worked. Ever since, when I plug in the little USB receiver, the MAC doesn't show any indication that it sees the device, but it just works. Windows XP auto-configures itself and works like a champ with Powerpoint; I haven't tested it with Open Office either on Win or Linux, and have avoided touching Vista, so I can't comment there.