Best laptop for presentations

[dochealth]

I need to buy laptop primarily for presentations. Some word processing emails on the go also. No games or videos but some music streaming. Any suggestions based on what's available at mo? Will pay more for portability and low weight
Thanks
DH

[Specaircrew]

I use a Surface Pro 3 with a wireless HDMI dongle which means that I can walk around while presenting. It's excellent in either desktop or tablet mode and you can use it with VGA ports too.

[ExXB]

Have a look at Apple's choices. Lots of light weight and portable models. You likely will pay more.

Apple's (free) Keynote software is a step above powerpoint as well. If you have ever seen a Steve Jobs' presentation you can see this clearly. (Keynote will run powerpoint presentations without any hiccoughs, if you must).

[Capot]

I suggest you look at the latest ASUS, thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air, equivalent computing power, half the price (sort of), comes with W10. I've had one for 2 months and it's superb. It's got a card reader, 3 USB and HDMI. Excellent battery life, too.

[Stanwell]

Capot,
"... the latest ASUS".
Which particular model is that, can I ask?

[Capot]

Model UX305F, it says on the back.

Here's a link to the review (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2886274/asus-zenbook-ux305f-review-simply-the-best-budget-ultrabook-around.html) that persuaded me to buy it.

By the way, I need to correct a statement; mine was shipped with W8.1, and the seller did the free W10 upgrade for me as a condition of the sale.

[Stanwell]

Thanks for that. I'll have a look at it. :ok:

[dochealth]

Thanks guys.

Re Apple would the MacBook Air 13" be ok? And as a windows and PowerPoint user for years will it take much to get up to speed and give slick presentation if I make the change?

DH

[Loose rivets]

I got a bargain (Craigslist) i5 ASUS while I was in Texas. I described it as a shard of metal. So thin you could slice yer fingers off with it.

Normally about $1,400 I picked it up for $300 ish. It was superb - BUT, it's memory was soldered in as was its battery. The OS key was embedded into the computer and nothing I could do would make ASUS or MS give me the key so that I might restore the OS, if for instance, it needed a reinstall when I was miles from base. And believe me, I tried as only an old git with too much time on his hands could try. Finally, MS took pity on me and sold me a full copy of 8.1 for $45. Not too bad really.

The 1080 res was blindingly good into an ASUS 21" monitor. Never seen the likes of it before or after, but on its own screen I needed times three readers to see what was what. The touch screen did what it said on the box, but as one who'd always slapped the hands of people that touched screens, I'm not at all sure about the idea.

It seems the next model - sorry, it looks like the one in the above review but all I can remember was that it was a B - Fixed the soldering problems but not the OS. Maybe the F is the sixth iteration.

Lovely bit of kit for thems that could afford to take it in for service.

[ExXB]

dochealth,

I think most people will find the transition to be easy. Not everything is the same (i.e. you use the command key rather than the control key for many things) but are similar (Command-C for copy, rather than control-c; Command-V for paste ... etc.)

Apple's got a site on Mac basics: here. (https://www.apple.com/support/macbasics/)

I used a PC in the office, and a Mac at home, up to the time I retired. Now use a Mac exclusively. I'm very happy with it.

A search will give you lots of references to the move, like this slightly dated one. (http://thenextweb.com/apple/2013/11/10/switching-windows-mac-learned/)

Keynote, Apple's PowerPoint equivalent, can also be run from an iPad (or iPhone). See here. (https://www.apple.com/ios/keynote/) Create your presentation on your PC and run it from your iPad mini, or your iPhone.

[ChickenHouse]

Why necessarily a laptop? I just finished my 6 month field test with an iPad Mini, replacing my portable, for presentations and decided to stay with it. It does everything I need, Microsoft Office on iOS is now doing quite well, connection to the usual VGA&DVI beamer work flawless and portability is best.

[Booglebox]

ThinkPad X1 Carbon :ok:

[KBPsen]

This is what you really want

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c0/2a/c1/c02ac1cc454831b0c10dd30f3456cfa7.jpg

[Heathrow Harry]

you also need to think about where you'll be using it - no point in having the latest kit in your hand/bag if it can't communicate with whatever the client has installed in their Board Room /presentation area

I find I am carrying almost as much weight in various connectors (just in case) as the damn machine weighs......

You just can't be caught fiddlling around with kit when sitting in front of a customer/boss/client

[Jhieminga]

A Mac Air 13" will do everything you want, just keep in mind that you will need a small connector cable to connect a VGA or HDMI cable to the Thunderbolt port. There is no built in VGA or HDMI connector in a Mac Air. The newer Mac Pro models do have a built in HDMI connector but unless you are planning to do some high-end graphic work or similar you won't need the processing power of the Pro. I have several colleagues working with the 13" Mac Air (I have a Pro myself) and it is a great piece of kit for all sorts of office work. We use Office 2011 or Office 2016 on these Macs, I have not used Keynote myself.

[Specaircrew]

If you plan to give Powerpoint presentations that include flash player animations then you won't be able to use anything from Apple.

[ExXB]

Apple mobile devices won't use flash, but the Mac OS and applications (Office included) do.

[Specaircrew]

In theory it should work on OSX but none of the flash based animations that I use (provided by the IT dept of a multinational company) work on any Mac version of PowerPoint that I've encountered which is frustrating for the Mac owners that I work with!

[777AV8R]

I don't know how many presentations that I've made over the last couple of years but I can't live without my Mac.

Keynote comes free with the new versions of OSX..AND....If you have an iPhone, you can install Keynote on it as well. The beauty is the fact that the iPhone will pair to the Mac and you can use your iPhone as a presentation 'tool'.

When you are running your presentation, you are able to see any notes and preview the next slide, right on your iOS device. You can also use the iOS as a 'whiteboard' application and draw or markup the slide as you are talking through the presentation.

Its a great pairing and I couldn't live without it.

[Specaircrew]

Yep, I do exactly the same thing with my Surface Pro (no need to pair with a phone though), so in the end it's whatever OS floats your boat.
Of course you need to take into account your back up plan in case you have a disaster with your device and end up using whatever type of PC is connected to your clients projector!
Given that most corporate IT departments disable USB ports and DVD drives I use a Microsoft wireless HDMI dongle that my S6 phone can stream Powerpoint to, mind you I need to put my reading glasses on to read the notes!

[xtypeman]

Make it simple any laptop will do as long as it has the right connections. The important part is the presentation. Have that backed up in several ways. USB stick CD/DVD etc etc. even a couple of paper copies.