What Equipment Is Needed for Interactive Presentation?
What equipment or software do I need for this process? Believe it or not, you won’t need anything besides PowerPoint, a computer, and a projector—exactly what you would need for standard presentations. We have been using variations of relational techniques all the way back to PowerPoint 97. As a rule, there is no need for a fancy computer or any other special equipment. Relational Presentation is simply a different way of using the tools you probably already have at your disposal.
That being said, we do make the following recommendations:
If you plan to use a lot of pictures (especially nonoptimized pictures), video, and/or complex animations, a modern, fast computer with plenty of memory is definitely better.
If running PowerPoint 2007, a more powerful computer will give you better performance.
If you want full physical flexibility as a presenter (and hopefully you do), we highly recommend the Gyromouse, made by Gyration, as a way of remotely navigating through the network.
We always back up our core network components (now about 3.6 GB) on a memory stick or a portable pocket hard drive.
What if I have an old computer? Generally speaking, any computer (old or new) will do. As is always the case, the better the computer, the better will be your network's responsiveness. We have been using visually interactive techniques all the way back to PowerPoint 97, on computers that would be considered dinosaurs by today’s standards. So you should be fine even if your computer is out of date. Note, however, that you should have a fairly new and fast computer, with lots of memory, if presenting with PowerPoint 2007. This version is resource intensive.
To assure your display and functionality are compatible with current workshop materials, make sure you are running at least PowerPoint 2002 (XP) but preferably 2003 or higher. Realistically, your computer should have at least 256 MB of RAM. The processor speed is not that big of a deal for workshops sessions. If in the future, however, you plan to have many pictures in your network or run large video clips or complex animations, a modern computer is a wise investment. Back to Top
Can I back up my presentation network on a memory stick? You can back up a presentation network on a memory stick, CD, DVD, external hard drive, or another computer. In fact, you can present directly from any of these storage devices and all your links will work perfectly, assuming you set up your network properly in the first place. We regularly back up our network in several ways before a training or speaking event, just in case there is an equipment failure and we have to use someone else’s computer. The Aspire training network has hundreds of thousands of links and we regularly transfer it between computers and storage devices without incident. Back to Top
If a network contains many thousands of slides, how big will it be? The answer to this question, of course, depends a great deal on what types of content your network eventually contains, especially if it holds a considerable number of video clips or nonoptimized pictures. The Aspire network currently is about 3.6 GB. It contains around 14,000 slides (most picture based—some optimized and some not). The video section hosts about 200 optimized clips and there is some audio. Note that even with all those pictures and video clips, we still can back up the entire network on a 4 GB memory stick and present from it. Presentation Networks are quite portable and stable. Back to Top
What if something goes wrong with the technology? Where there is technology, of course, there always is a possibility something will malfunction. Taking precautions is prudent. Use these suggestions:
Back up your network in three different ways: memory stick, portable hard drive, and DVD or CD. That way if your computer malfunctions, you can still run the network on any other computer with PowerPoint installed.
If finances allow, own your own small portable projector and take it along to speaking events, just in case there is a problem with their built-in system.
ALWAYS use your own equipment if at all possible.
Thoroughly test links before the event, especially if your network is being loaded onto a show computer.
If using wireless equipment, make sure there are no signal conflicts and that batteries are fresh EVERY TIME.
As a general rule, never take anything for granted and have backup plans. Then you’ll be fine. Of course, you also always should know your material well enough to talk without visuals—in case the power goes out. Back to Top
Does this style of presentation require slide shows to be on a Web server? Your presentation network can be on a server if you prefer, but most people store the whole network locally on their laptop, or they save it onto a memory stick, CD, external hard drive, or whatever. In other words, most relational presenters do not present from a server and, therefore, do not need an Internet or intranet connection while speaking.
When we say a network is like a Web site, we simply mean it functions similarly in many ways. For example, most navigation is accomplished using hyperlinks that work just like Web links. Also, the organizational structure of content is normally hierarchical. That is, you typically start with the equivalent of a home page and navigate down into the network until you find the exact pieces of content needed. Back to Top
Will this work on a Mac? In theory, yes. PowerPoint for Macintosh computers has a different interface. For this reason, we do not recommend using a Mac while participating in Aspire workshops. We've also found that PowerPoint works far better on a PC than it does on a Mac.
We use PowerPoint because of its widespread availability and ease of use. However, visually interactive presentation is possible using other software applications as well. If desired, you could even structure a network with PDF files or html pages. Keynote will work fine with a few modifications to some of the primary techniques.
A word of caution, however: Pick either PowerPoint or Keynote and stick with the choice. It's not worth the hassle of trying to convert between the two different formats. If you will always use a Mac for presentations, Keynote may be the best choice. However, keep in mind one important consideration: If you are ever in a situation where your computer dies right before a speaking event and you have to go with backup plans, it will be far easier to find a PC running PowerPoint than a Mac running Keynote. Back to Top
How do I become a beta tester for the RP software? The current estimate is that we will need beta testers in the future. Just send us an e-mail and we’ll add you to the list. You’ll receive more information at that point on specific steps on how to get involved. Back to Top
What is ASU's involvement with the RP software? The Computer Science Department at Arizona State University is actively involved with the software's creation, with students designing the primary code components. The full development team consists of professors, students, three PowerPoint MVPs, and others. It’s a great group of folks. In addition to helping develop and market the intellectual property, ASU is using the project as a way of giving students real-world experience in software development. Back to Top
