Periodically, I give seminars or sit on panels. In most cases, I use a projector to run a PowerPoint presentation and show a bunch of websites.
Without fail, there’s always a period of heightened stress before the event. Let’s call it the Evil Projector Interlude. It’s when the host, IT person and I futz with my laptop and the projector.
Connecting my laptop to the projector is always fraught with difficulty. Each projector has different controls and settings, and it’s rare that anybody who fully understands them. I’ve got an Apple laptop, so that means adding an extra dongle-thingy to the cord, and hoping it works. Then there’s the magic F7 button, which I end up pressing repeatedly and praying that this time, my presentation will appear on the big white screen.
I always prepare a CD and USD drive with my presentation and notes, so that if (or, too often, when) my laptop doesn’t play nice with the projector, I’ve got a backup plan.
Why can we put a man on the moon and a robot on Mars, but we can’t make it simple to operate a projector? It’s 2006, people.
Even my Apple laptop never ‘just works’ the way it does with nearly every other peripheral. If there are Bluetooth-enabled (or another wireless standard) projectors out there, I’ve never used one. I’m talking to you, leading projector makers (whoever you are–NEC? Sony? Samsung?)–please make our lives easier.
I was reminded of this phenomenon last night, while setting up to moderate a panel discussion for the HTCE with Kris, Roland and Tod.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
My favourite Powerpoint presentations are the ones with less than 5 slides and where the presenter talks with us instead of at us while reading what’s on the screen. Those happen to be the same presentations that I don’t constantly check my email during.
(I don’t at all mind the presentations that are show-and-tell, which need a projector. I participated in one such, and yes, I did the Evil Projector Interlude too, this time with screen resolutions not working right. If it has to be a Powerpoint presentation, just give me one slide with your name, email address, and URL where I can download notes and check out sites mentioned.)
I know exactly what you mean. I am that ‘IT guy’ where I work. I’ve spent considerable time and effort preparing a backup plan for even the most unlikely scenario.
When tasked to ensure the next “Big Corporate Event” runs smoothly, I take two of everything… and there is still far too much stress involved.
You should just get one of these puppies for your next presentation: http://tinyurl.com/knzy8
When I was doing my MBA, I had to do three full case analyses of the giant Electrohome projector failure and the state of the projector industry. It must have entailed 150 or more pages of case material, plus research, notes, and the like. What a mess of a market!
Some other good backup tips:
– If you bring the video adapter cable, you can often plug in a digicam, iPod (any one with a colour screen), or other portable device with your slides saved as JPEGs on it. It outputs an NTSC video signal which nearly any projector can handle. Adam Engst wrote an article about just such an emergency three years ago:
http://www.tidbits.com/tb-issues/TidBITS-669.html#lnk2
– Be fully prepared to do your talk with only a whiteboard or flip chart and some pens. Or with nothing. I’m always ready to do that. Sometimes they’re better that way. (But it is pretty hard to talk about websites when you can’t reach them.)
Lately my PowerPoint presentations have been photos and screenshots only. In this sense, they’re entirely supplementary to what I have to say. Happily, that means that I can just go on without the pretty pictures.
That’s a good idea on the digicam and iPod angle.