Customer Reviews
Nice Remote 
2008-05-28
This was a great remote with my ibook, it worked straight out of the box and was simple to use.
works as advertised 
2008-05-08
It worked the first time in Vista, and the range was terrific. I like the integration of the controls and laser pointer. I like that I can fade the screen to black to bring the audience's focus on me and then brighted the screen again to bring the audience's focus on the presentation slides.
Easy as Apple 2008-05-02
I bought this blindly not knowing if it would even work on my Apple PowerBook G4 computer. I did find that it worked without having to load any software. Not all the controls work with my computer, but the things I need for showing my Keynote presentations, it works great. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to use. It would be nice if Keyspan would work with Apple computer to make sure that all the functions work on the computer, and had a note about what each function does, and how to use each function on the remote. Get a clue, there are more Apple users out there today than there was 5 years ago. Overall, it is a good product. It would not take much to make it a GREAT product.
A worthy improvement 2008-04-21
This remote is a definite improvement over the previous model.
It is much easier to use the laser pointer (in the previous model you had to "change mode"). When you want it, it is a push away as you continue to present your slideshow, keynote, powerpoint presentation, whatever....
Also, the USB dongle being built into the remote is ingenious. There was always the fear of loosing the dongle and therefore making the remote useless. I have to lend this device out fairly often and it always comes back "as was" because of this seemingly simply improvement.
I think it's a worthy upgrade
The Best Presenter I Have Ever Used! 2008-04-21
I make live presentations several times a week in a wide variety of settings using Keynotes for doing classroom presentations, live lectures and a live TV program. I have had somewhat of a nightmare finding a presenter that wouldn't leave me running to my MacBook in the middle of a presentation to hit a key because it stopped transmitting.
Since I've started using the Keyspan Presentation Remote Pro I have not experienced a single dropped connection! It works flawlessly every time I plug it in. I can roam as far away from my MacBook as necessary during my presentations and it never drops the connection.
One of my favorite features is the scroll wheel on the side of the Remote. While I don't normally use it to scroll content, I can use it to advance slides in my presentation. Because of its placement high on the right side of the Remote I am able to keep the Remote somewhat hidden in my hand and advance slides without the obvious clicking motion of pushing the button. This is good for me because I need people paying attention to what's on the screen or me, not what is in my hand or when I'm punching the button to advance slides.
While I don't use all the features regularly, I have tried them all out and they all work great on Mac. The black screen feature is great for stepping away from your presentation to make eye contact with your audience. I really like the way the receiver stores in the presenter to give a single small unity to stow away in your pocket or bag.
Over all, its a great presenter and I would highly recommend it for anyone who relies on their presentations in their normal work day.
Perfect Presentation Remote 2008-07-18
I read all the reviews of the various presentation remotes. I liked the timer function on the Logitech model but I ultimately decided on the Keyspan Presentation Remote because of some comments about how the wireless receiver plugged in and the built-in mouse capabilities. I don't expect to use the wireless mouse capabilities much but the feature didn't seem to get in the way of the standard forward/backward functions and could come in handy for some future use.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the size of the Kensington Remote. It's about 1.25" wide by 4.75" long and less than 1" tall. With the rounded corners it fits easily and comfortably in your hand. My thumb falls very naturally on the forward/back buttons and it is easy to operate without looking at it. The laser pointer button is just under the forward/back buttons.
The receiver clicks securely into the remote when not in use and there's no way to put it in upside down or backwards. Windows XP SP2 recognized the receiver immediately and installed the proper USB drivers automatically. I then turn on the remote, launched a presentation with the "F5" button and moved forward and backward through the slides with the arrow buttons. For those who prefer there is also a small, spring-loaded click-wheel on the side. At the end of the presentation I clicked the "black screen" button.
My only complaint is that I wish it came with a small nylon case to protect it in my laptop case. Overall I think the Keyspan Presentation Remote is the perfect presenter tool to free you from the computer keyboard and allow you to concentrate on your presentation and audience.
Works as expected--good news 2008-07-10
I bought it for a conference presentation, as my old Targus remote was unreliable. This one is nice and small without being TOO small. It works as advertised. the joysick mouse is a little hard to use due to its size, but with practice should be fine. The laser is a little weak, and a green laser option would be wonderful. The one design difference I'd recommend is to put the fwd/back buttons at the top of the remote rather than the center, but I understand its current configuration is to put the mouse buttons in the expected place above the mouse. I like the blank screen toggle button, and would love to see a white/black blank screen option, probably would have to be a different button, but fine. A short form dongle would be great too--like some of the new bluetooth dongles. All in all, very happy with it and would buy it again, especially with the suggested changes.
Great Remote! Tip for Mac/Keynote Users 2008-07-03
This remote has been outstanding. Great range...super simple to use...great size.
Here is a tip for Keynote users on the Mac. The remote is set up with non-programmable buttons, so the F5 button (designed for PowerPoint) doesn't work for starting your Keynote presentations...but it can. The trick is to change the keyboard shortcut in Keynote for Play Slideshow from cmd-option-P to F5. On Mac OS X v10.4+ you can go to System Preferences > Keyboard & Mouse and then the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. Click on the + icon to add a new shortcut. Choose Keynote as the application*, 'Play Slideshow' as the Menu Title, and then when you get to the Keyboard Shortcut box, hit the F5 button on the remote and it should insert F5 in the box (making sure, of course, that the USB receiver is plugged in to your Mac). Click on Add and you're all set. The next time you launch Keynote the new mapping will be in effect and you can now use the F5 button on the remote to start your slideshow. Hold down the F5 button for about 7 seconds to send ESCAPE, thus exiting the running slidehow.
Fantastic!
*Keynote may not show up in the pop-up list of applications because it is inside the iWork 06 or iWork 08 folder inside the Applications folder. To find it, just scroll to the bottom of the pop-up list and choose Other... You can then navigate to /Applications/iWork 08/Keynote to select it.
pastor 2008-06-30
Our room seats 100. So, we needed equipment that would cover more more than the 50' or less of most remote presenters. Because of where the equipment is located, we needed RF rather than IR. This presenter has been outstanding. I would recommend it highly.
Everything you need for presentation 2008-06-28
I present for a living and have used many different presentation remotes from the new gyro mouse to much more simple remotes. This is BY FAR the most reliable, has the best distance, and smartest design (the USB receiver storing inside the remote). Many like the rechargeable battery designs, but I prefer the replaceable battery. It allows you to always carry a spare battery with you. If you forget to charge a rechargeable remote or it somehow discharges, you're SOL. The fact that it has a mouse feature is also nice if you do presentations outside of PowerPoint. It really allows you to present using all your computer's programs, as long as you don't need to use the keyboard. The mouse is very sensitive at first, but with practice it is easily mastered. The black screen feature, presentation start/stop, and every feature you might want works as advertised. It's rare to find a product that does everything it says it will do, precisely and reliably. This is one that does. I highly recommend this remote for anyone doing presentation on a regular basis.
