KEEPING IT SIMPLE

Tech.

I love it. The innovation. The advances. The new features. Just when you think there's a gadget for everything, another one appears to do a job you didn't even realise needed doing.

Either that, or something you're already using is made obsolete because the new version has a whole lot of flash, extra things your one doesn't.

Phones for instance.

Add a camera. Add the internet. Add GPS. Add just about everything you can think of.

On the other hand, some things work better the less complicated they are. When you're presenting, you just want everything to work... preferably without thinking about it so you can concentrate on presenting...

The Logitech R500 wireless laser presentation remote is just about the most straight-forward thing I've ever reviewed... and that's great.

When it comes to presentation tools, the less setup and fuss involved the better - so what could be easier than plugging in the R500's wireless USB receiver and you're ready to go? That receiver fits snugly into the end of the remote when you're not using it. Best of all, given many devices don't actually have full-sized USB ports anymore, you can also connect the R500 via bluetooth. This too is quick and easy, just hold down the Back and Laser Pointer buttons simultaneously to put it into pairing mode.

I found both connections totally reliable - even in environments with a lot of competing wireless and bluetooth activity. Surely that's the most important element of any presentation - a remote you can depend on.

The R500 fits very comfortably in the hand, with its rubber-feel surface keeping it extremely secure. The central Next button is larger and concave, so your thumb naturally returns to it without you having to look at the device. This also makes the Laser Pointer and Back buttons just as easy to find of course and the whole thing small enough to be practically invisible to your audience. Each button responds with a reassuring click to leave you in no doubt you've pressed it.

The laser pointer works like any laser pointer does - however, as more and more presenting takes place on LED TV's rather than projected screens, there is a visibility problem for laser pointers; shining a light on something that's shining light back at you is not very effective and I've found the laser dot doesn't show up at all on some screens. Inventors, get onto this please! We need a new kind of laser.

Once you download the Logitech Presentation software, the R500 stops being about merely "Forward" and "Back." This is a very stripped-back but powerful app that lets you customise the buttons on the remote so long presses can do things like blank the screen or begin your presentation in the first place. The Presentation utility even features a customisable timer which will appear on your device (but not on your projected screen) so you can keep track of how long you've been talking. Again, simple but brilliant.

The app also keeps track of the remote's battery life, so there's no risk of everything grinding to a halt mid PowerPoint.

I've been using it with a number of devices in several different environments and it hasn't let me down yet. Making your presentation do what it's supposed to when it's supposed to is really all that matters. 

And that's pretty much all there is to say, because the R500 does its job, end of story.


Click here for more information and pricing on the Logitech R500 wireless laser presentation remote.