Hardware: Best PowerPoint Remote in 2021; Logitech Spotlight Review in Action

<MUSIC> You have spent hours, or days creating your critical PowerPoint slide deck. And now that make or break moment of giving the presentation. But of course the last thing you want to worry about is how to advance your slide deck. Animation by animation, page by page.

Remotes might help, or just get in the way.

The best solution is the Logitech Spotlight Presentation Remote.

Hi, I’m Les from Power Up! Training with decades of real life experience, giving presentations.

And nothing will be better than a well constructed slide deck. But as an accessory, I can say without a doubt that the Logitech spotlight is the best presentation remote. It was my favorite in 2018. It’s still my favorite now in 2021. There is nothing better.

This is my review of the Logitech spotlight. I bought it with my own money, like the many other remotes, that are now gathering dust in my desk drawer.

And it is the only remote that I will use in my Team’s meeting or my Zoom online meetings or my 100 plus YouTube training videos.

Besides the look and feel of this premium aluminum remote, why is this the best remote? Number one, it always works. With the Spotlight remote, it can pair with Bluetooth. But I use the USB dongle to plug it in and instantly work on your computer or any conference room computer. No software needed. But, I’ll explain in a moment why you may want to add the Logitech software. It does not matter if it’s a Mac or Windows PC. All you need is a traditional USB port. Plug in the dongle and off you go.

Why? Number two, it always works. I said that already didn’t i?

But I mean, no matter how far away you are from the connected computer, the spec say up to 100 feet and I have gone farther out and just for fun. But in real life, that range will not be an issue, including having the PC locked up behind a wall. So number two, it always works.

Number three it always works, because it has a massive built in battery. Forget to charge it? Don’t worry, the Spotlight holds a charge for three months, just waiting to be pulled out and put to use at a moment’s notice. Wait, wait, wait, you’re thinking that’s not it always work? Yes, batteries do eventually lose a charge. For the Spotlight, users need to be able to tap dance for 60 seconds cuz a one minute super lightning fast charge will give you three hours of presentations. Please, please, please do not give a three hour presentation.

Number four. Yes, it always works. The way I expected it to work.

Many of my other presentation remotes, have buttons and buttons and buttons, I need to study it before I use it in any presentation. But not the Spotlight, there are three buttons, the most important two are easy to find. If I take a look here, the very top button has an indentation that I can easily find without looking that’s going to move forward a slide at a time. And right below that is this back button. So I can go back a slide if I so desire.

There is also a third button that works on the very top. And with the third button, I’m going to be able to use this as if it’s a mouse pointer and use it like a virtual mouse. Watch what happens as I hold it down. I can then click here and I can go over here and click and hold it down again. Go over, click and go down again. And click takes a little coordination. With a little practice, you can use the virtual mouse button. There is no software required. That’s right, no software required. But if you do want to install the software, then there’s even more magic with the software. You can use that top button to do one of these three different methods of working with your presentation. Hold on while I turn that on.

Okay, I’m back. Let’s take a look at the three modes that the top button can use. If I hold it down, and I can use my virtual pointer, I’m able to highlight section on the screen with the laser button. This is far superior to the laser light button that will never work on TV displays or in video conferencing, this is always there.

The second button is one of my favorite, I’m going to switch to that. And you’ll see now that I have the spotlight, which lets me zoom in on very specific sections that is very difficult for someone to miss in the front or the back of the room or in your team’s meeting.

The third mode, which is the magnifying mode here, I’m going to go ahead and click to the next animation here. And you are going to find that if you have to use the magnifier, then you probably use the wrong design methods in your slides, but it’s is part of the toolset. They’re all there that you can easily swap back and forth into.

There’s a lot more customization that I cover in the follow up video on how to master the Logitech spotlight remote. I’ll show you how to optimize it remote, plus some slick tricks, such as these featured here on our screen, including the clock and countdown timer. That gives you a buzzing notification on the remote as you’re reaching very specific time marks. There’s also some built in shortcuts for a variety of things, including one of my favorite, which is the blank the screen, if I hold it down, you will blank the screen automatically like this and bring it right back and you can set it up to do a variety of things, including shortcuts for your zoom, and team meetings. There’s also unique customizations for colors and size of the three tools we saw just moments ago.

So what are the downsides? Well, it’s loud. You may have noticed that already. It is loud and loud, loud. Personally, I find that click sound satisfying. As without a doubt, I know that I clicked to advance the presentation. Even when I have a delayed animation technique. I hear the click. And I know that I’m moving to my next element in PowerPoint.

But for some that loud click may be a deal breaker.

It is also expensive. There are dozens and dozens of under $25 remotes, which is fine if you don’t present that often. Or your presentation is not mission critical.

But if you’re committed to PowerPoint, or Apple keynote, or Google Slides or Prezi, which it will work with, you’re going to want to own this remote sooner or later. Depending on the color it’s around $100 or less and you can get it at Amazon I have wasted twice as much money on cheaper remotes that I have since discarded.

Use my Amazon affiliate link in the YouTube notes down below to help support us here at power-up.training. And to help me give my puppies more snacks.

So why is this PowerPoint the best remote? It is comfortable to hold in your hand is great for roaming the stage. It is dependable. I can’t remember Did I say it always works. And it’s powerful. Maybe it’s a crutch. But when it’s in my hand, I feel emboldened. I feel more powerful and confident when giving my presentation is like a baton of the symphony conductor in my hand. I’m in charge.

So if you’re serious about PowerPoint presentations, then just buy it and then come back to my in depth tutorial video on how to set up and use the Logitech spotlight presenter remote. Until next time, this is Les and you go power up! <Music>

Transcribed by https://otter.ai