Hi Everyone, I’m in New York this week on business and thought I’d share a few tips and tricks regarding using SHOWWX to project presentations and other business information. I spent 8 hours in meetings yesterday and instead of paying $400 for a large business projector (that is what the Hotel charges to rent their projection equipment for the day), I used my SHOWWX. For my all day meetings I was in one location, so I used my Lenova Think Pad as my host device connected to SHOWWX via the SHOWWX VGA dock. Set up took me about 3 minutes (the longest wait was for my ThinkPad to boot-up!). For some meetings later today and tomorrow I’ll be projecting off of my iPhone or iPod, so I’ll pass along some tips and tricks tomorrow regarding that configuration (I convert my powerpoint slides to iPhone/iPod readable files).
First, here are some general tips for business presentations with SHOWWX that I suggest based on my travels:
1. Since SHOWWX is a personal projector (best used for small group sharing of 4 – 7 people), use SHOWWX in an environment where you can control the ambient brightness (i.e., turn off lights). In a completely dark room (during my presentation there were three people) I projected an image that was about 60 inches (see photo above). This was the right size for my smaller meeting. I could have gotten the image larger, but I was not able to get the room completely dark and the image would have faded too much. On this last note, all pico projectors hate ambient light. So, do not go into a business meeting and try to project a 100″+ image if you don’t have a completely dark environment. You won’t be happy, and nor will the people you are presenting to.
2. In brightly lit ambient environments (all lights on), SHOWWX will project an acceptable readable image that is about 12″ – 15″. If I’m meeting someone at a cafe or someplace for an impromptu presentation, I’ll just use a piece of paper, a napkin or a tablecloth as my projection screen. And yes, the other patrons will stare at you and ask you “what is that!?”
3. During my presentations I was using both powerpoint slides as well as frequently going out to the internet to view web pages and streaming videos on YouTube. For PowerPoint presentations I use darker color backgrounds and white/light text. Or, I’ll also take advantage of the “Invert” color mode by using the Color Mode hot key on the upper left side of the SHOWWX and selecting “Invert”.
Connecting to my laptop is really easy. Here’s what I do when connecting to my laptop with the SHOWWX VGA DOCK
1. Turn ON my SHOWWX Laser Pico Projector
2. Turn ON my Laptop/Computer
3. Connect the SHOWWX VGA DOCK to the monitor port on the laptop computer
4. Unlatch the lid on the VGA DOCK and slide the SHOWWX onto the VGA DOCK
5. If needed, enable external monitor on my Laptop/Computer.
6. Many laptops do not automatically turn on the external video port when a projector is connected. Usually a key combination like FN + F5 or a dedicated Monitor key is required to enable. Typically you can press the FN key and the Monitor key simultaneously. You might need to refer to your laptop’s documentation to confirm how your laptop can connect to a projector
7. Turn off my SHOWWX prior to removing it from the VGA DOCK
Back in my hotel room at the end of the day, NetFlix is my favorite choice to watch a movie from my SHOWWX (assuming I can get a good broadband connection). Use the same set-up as described above…and you’ll be off and watching an 80″ movie on your hotel room wall or ceiling! I prefer to use earbuds for audio, or connect to a small portable stereo speaker for better sound than my laptop can produce.
If you’ve been traveling on business like me with a SHOWWX , what’s been your experience?