AAM: Classroom Presentation, Which Solution?

In last weeks AAM I made everyone aware of two other great questions in desperate need for an answer. As always, our reliable readers were there to save the day and user WAWA has finally received his answer.

The question? Simply put, WAWA’s wife is a philosophy teacher who needed to sort out a few presentations, preferably using Quicktime and Keynotes as it’s something they’re already familiar with, plus the ease of use is enough to entice anyone. WAWA was unsure of which route to take in getting these presentations off the ground and obviously needed to keep the cost as low as possible. Their options included

1) Transfer to DVD

2) Buy an iPod and transfer picture and audio content from that to an external monitor

3) Buy a cheap iBook, insert some more memory if required and connect it to an external monitor.

We normally have more technical questions here on AAM, but whenever a user requires our opinion I think it’s only fair that we give it. This week user S-E-P-T-A offers his sound advice which, thankfully, WAWA has agreed with.

Before I wrap up this weeks post, I’d like to take the opportunity to send our deepest sympathy and regret to James Kim and his family, friends and colleagues. James Kim, CNet.com Senior Editor, was found deceased last Wednesday in the remote south west Oregon wilderness after him and his family had gone missing for 11 days after a Thanksgiving road trip.

Kim was a popular editor for Cnet.com, offering reviews of gadgets including the iPod and other Apple related products and will be sorely missed, not just from those close to him, but throughout the entire internet community. He’s in a better place now and me he rest in peace.

Question of the Week

Presentation in a classroom. Which solution?

Question by: WAWA

My wife is a philosophy teacher and I help her with various tasks usually involving making exhibit material for the school. She works at two schools. In one school -4 days a week- she has instant access to a television monitor, including her own portable DVD player. In the other school -one day a week- access to a monitor is possible but only when ordered etc.

She would love to use Quicktime movies and eventually keynote presentations. It’s my task to make things workable. She wants the things to be usable whenever she feels like it. She wants to say, “Wait I have here something that perfectly illustrates what you are saying” and just do it. Her lessons are highly dynamic and pupils are 16 -21 years old.

We consider three options.
I make everything ready on my mac and…

1) Transfer it to DVD.

2) We buy a Serious iPod and transfer the content to the monitor.

3) We buy the cheapest iBook, (put 1GB ROM in it), and connect it to the monitor.

Thanks for helping us make up our mind.

Answer by: S-E-P-T-A

Sir, i Would go to iBook as my device.

First, DVD player is sometimes very hard to keep track on, and you can’t play with the time line as you wish.

Second, iPod if I’m not mistaken can only save a Slideshow of pictures. It’s quite a good option if you considered the money you spend. But, controlling a slideshow, and explaining things to their students is quite a complicated task for me.

Cheapest iBook would be a best choice for me.

First,

Keynote application. Killer apps, you could easily control your presentation with a Bluetooth device without touching your iBook (For me, a Sony Ericsson K750i) and amaze those students who still use Power Point for their presentation needs (kidding). Using Keynotes for presenting I think is much easier than using your DVD player or iPod.

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