Does "New and Improved" Always Mean Better?

A few years back a Canadian company asked me to review their corporate presentation. They seemed pretty pleased with what they had created but asked if I could take a look at things with a professional eye and provide them with some constructive feedback. I rarely turn down these types of requests because every one of us can benefit from some objective perspective from time to time. They went on to tell me that they had been working hard over the years to improve the quality of their presentations and they even went to the extent of purchasing Macromedia Action (no longer available). This high-end presentation design package featured timeline-based slide orchestration, a boatload of new effects, easier media integration capability and a host of other features to be able to create `professional results in minutes'.

Endicott, Jim. Presenters University (2003). Articles>Presentations>Technology>Microsoft PowerPoint

How Slides and Transparencies Stack Up to Micro and Ultraportables

Microportable and ultraportable projectors are changing how Corporate America presents information, sells products and trains employees and customers. Small enough to fit in a brief case, light enough to carry from appointment to appointment and easy enough to use without extensive training, these projectors deliver big, brilliant video, graphic and data images that are sure to grab and hold the attention of audiences.

Presenters University (2003). Articles>Presentations>Technology>Microsoft PowerPoint

A Visualizer is Not Just a "Document Camera"

It is known by many names: Visualizer, Visual Presenter, Visual Copy Stand even the misnomer, “Document Camera.” “Document Camera” is the most commonly used name, however they are much more than just a “Document Camera.” And, it is not an overhead projector where you can show documents either. It is truly much more than this. A Visualizer is a 'live' camera that picks up live images and allows you to view them over any display device. The true beauty of Visualizers can be summed up in one word – flexibility. It can be a piece of paper, a transparency, a 3-dimensional object, a 35mm slide, an x-ray or even a large item or person in a room. Quite an amazing and versatile device, and all in live motion.

Presenters University (2003). Articles>Presentations>Technology>Microsoft PowerPoint