I recently presented a private seminar on MSF 4.0, comparing and contrasting the ‘agile’ vs. the ‘CMMI Process Improvement’ methods specified by the new version of the framework. Unfortunately, my new Dell Inspiron 9300 didn’t like using a second monitor – acted like the ctrl-up-arrow key combination was being pressed. Not sure why. It totally screwed up the presentation and I had to revert to another machine.
Anyway, today I got around to playing with it a little. It seems I can circumvent the issue by extending my desktop to a second screen rather than using Fn-F8 to switch modes. But here’s the really cool thing I discovered. In fact, I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’d never seen it before. But here it is…
OK. I’ve always known, since the first time I tried extending my desktop to a second monitor or my TV, that PowerPoint can present on the second screen while your desktop remains on the primary display. (MediaPlayer can do it too.) But today when I selected the PowerPoint menu options Slide Show > Set Up Show, I saw a little a little check-box under the drop-down list of monitors. The check-box is labeled, “Show Presenter View”. Try it out. It’s cool!
Presenter View displays a view just for the presenter on the display not being used for the audience. So, if you present on the second monitor, the Presenter View shows on the first, and visa versa. The Presenter View contains the slide currently showing, presenter notes, the page number, the time you’ve spent on that slide – all in the middle of the screen. On the left is shows a scrolling list of all the slides. And on the right you have some handy buttons like “Black Screen”, which I’ve always wanted while teaching to turn the blank the screen and encourage the audience to look at me.
So, it seems really cool and I thought others would want to know. Maybe I’ve just been living in a cave. But on the chance others I missing it too, there you go. PowerPoint Presenter View.
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