[AG-TECH] wireless presentation remote

[Jay Beavers]

I still have a Logitech wireless trackbacll (SurfMan I think it is
called?) which is a beautiful piece of ergonomic design and engineering.
I bought it back when I was prototyping "home media PC" type stuff years
ago so I could use a computer from my couch.  I've used it for
presentations and such since.

Unfortunately, if you're up and walking around, trying to control the
mouse cursor location is very difficult.  It's very disconcerting to
have to turn around away from your audience to face the PPT projector.
On top of that, cursor control on a device like this is hampered by
three factors.

First, it's not as good a mouse/trackball.

Second, your hand is not anchored on a desk, so your precision is less.

Third, there seems to be some fundamental "2d-spacial-mapping" going on
in your brain from "mouse surface" to "display surface".  Remember how
hard it was for us to first use a mouse many years ago?  Conversely,
find someone who hasn't used a mouse and watch their initial learning
curve.  There's about two to five days of heavy mental effort involved
before this "mapping" occurs.  I found the mapping we've established
doesn't work quite right while standing and holding my hand in the air,
hence it's mentally tiring to use.


What we have found that works is holding a Tablet PC in your hand.  The
directness of the cursor control from the tip of the pen doesn't require
this 2d space mapping and because the display the presenter is looking
at isn't the projected display, the speaker can face the audience while
controlling the cursor.  On top of this, you get high writing because of
the resolution of the digitizer and the smoothing of the strokes.  A
note of reservation though, trying to write legible text on a Tablet
while walking is as hard as writing legible text on a pad of paper while
walking.  Most people, if they are going to write words, stop at a
podium and brace the Tablet to write.  Cursor control and navigation is
just fine while walking however.

 - jcb

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov [mailto:owner-ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov] On
Behalf Of Frank Sweetser
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 8:04 AM
To: ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov
Subject: [AG-TECH] wireless presentation remote

Has anyone played around with
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/630b/
and the shared presentation viewer?

-- 
Frank Sweetser fs at wpi.edu
WPI Network Engineer