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Sonos Controller CR100
by jimjim2012
This is just a quick review of what to expect from the Sonos CR100 controller. This was the original unit which has now been succeeded by the CR200.
Sonos make their kit available in bundles (which do save you some money) or as individual items that you can piece together yourself so this controller is available to purchase ... stand alone. It used to be a tad over £200 but can be had for less now due to the newer controller and also the fact you can use the FREE app on your ipod touch/iphone to control your Sonos system(s).
The CR100 is a well engineered plastic slab that feels very robust so it can take a knock or spill quite easily, more so than your iphone or the CR200. There is no touch screen function so instead you navigate the menu system via the ipod style scroll wheel and the function buttons.
Navigation is very fast and intuitive as the scroll wheel is a proven design. The only niggle comes when entering artist/track titles that you want to search as you have to move the cursor along the numerical/alphabet screen which can take some time - whereas on your iphone/CR200 you just tap in the letters via the touchscreen. The function buttons are like short cuts so you can skip, control volume etc... with ease.
One excellent function from Sonos is when you create playlists. You can make as many as you want but then you also have the ability to swap tracks around as you want. EG, you set up track 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and it begins to play but then you change your mind so just select the track and move it wherever to make it up to something like 1, 3, 5, 4, 2. Nice concept that works well as sometimes that's what you want to do. It's even easier to do on the CR200/Iphone/ipod touch.
There is a dock available (which you have to buy separately - should be included really) so you can place your CR100 into it to charge. You don't need it as you can just plug the charger into the controller directly. You can go quite awhilte inbetween charges with it only giving a warning light after 3-4 weeks of average use. There is a light/motion sensor so as soon as you place it down it will go into sleep mode.
The CR100 controllers are very inexpensive now so are a good spare or something to let people/kids play with as you won't care about it getting knocked about during a party etc..., which is why I think they built it so solidly.
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Kensington Wireless Presenter w/ Laser Pointer
by Kary
The Kensington wireless presenter has been a great purchase for me. I bought the product about 2 years ago now as I had a set of interviews coming up at which I had to give presentations and thought that this might help boost my confidence. Well to cut a long story short I got a PhD place at the first place I interviewed using this ... presenter, coincidence almost definitely although one of the post-docs interviewing me remember the presenter 6 months later when I started. This leads nicely on to me saying that the installation of the device is fantastic, at the interview and on every laptop I have used you just pop the USB in and you are ready to go inside 10 seconds.
Back to the device, it looks good and feels like it is the right size in my hand, it is easy to press the buttons and they all work really well. It has 4 buttons, one is the laser and also acts as F5 meaning you can use it to start presentations in powerpoint etc and also if you desire to refresh your web browser from a distance though I don't think that is its intended use. The other 3 buttons are an exit button and a forward and back slide button. It works really well and there is no lag between button press and slide transition though this might depend on the machine in use (but I normally use it on my netbook). The presenter easily works from 5m plus but I can't comment on more than this as I have never tried sitting further away.
The laser pointer is red and works ok, it is normally bright enough to use in a well lit seminar room on a light background (though personally I have a preference for green lasers they cost around double the amount to buy!!!!). Although I recommend against it as you might hit them in the eye pets (a cat and multiple dogs) love to chase this thing for hours.
I can't really comment on the battery life other than to say that since I have had it I have not had to change the batteries and I use it on a fairly frequent basis.
Overall a fantastic buy for anyone that gives presentations on a regular or even semi-regular basis, it points, it transitions and it keeps your hands away from the laptop when presenting which is a bonus when you see others having trouble but going to far on the presentation or using the mouse to point and clicking by accident.
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Logitech Cordless 2.4 GHz Presenter
by RachyD
I didn't purchase this but was given it when I started a new job. Having never used a presenter before I thought the idea was an excellent one. I remember my days at university when the lecturer would be roaming around the lecture theatre only to have to dash back down to the front to forward thje slide on the presentation - I though ... the idea of being able to do this remotely was an excellent one.
This presenter proved very straight forward to use. The USB dongle (stick) required to connect it to a PC is integrated into the back of the product making it simple to transport and reduces the chance of it getting lost along the way. Connecting the presenter is simply a matter of inserting this USB dongle into the relevant PC - job done. No installation of software, no waiting for it to install drivers etc, it truly is 'plug and play.' Once connected you have the ability to remotely advance a slide, return to previous slides and to black out the screen (especially useful if you want to turn attention back to yourself). There is also a built in laser pointer and a countdown timer. The countdown timer can be set to any length of time, in 5 minute increments, and provides a reassuring vibration alert at 5 and 2 minutes prior to 'time up' allowing you to end your presentation on the dot. Respnse time between pressing a button and getting a response is indetectable and I've never had a problem with the unit not responding/having to press a button twice, despite climbing to the back of a lecture theatre past the units 15m advertised range.
The presenter takes two AAA batteries which I've never had to replace in the 18 months I've had it. It is quite long in design which allows you to hold it securely in your hand (great for those a little nervous and liable to drop things!) whilst still accessing the controls with ease - unlike some of the tinier presenters I've seen. The product comes complete with full, easy to understand instructions and a carry case, I'm not sure how many people would use this however.
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