Resources

LCD Projectors

Because you may be seriously considering spending $200.00 on Algebra PowerPoint: Teaching Made Easy As Pi, I feel it is my obligation to save you at least that much on some of the hardware you may also have to purchase. Below is a list of some of the LCD projectors that cost below $1500.00. The projector I use in my class was purchased several years ago for twice this amount and it only projects at a brightness of 800 lumens. The projectors today are cheaper, brighter, and better quality. Take these model numbers to a search engine like AltaVista or pricing guide like NextTag to see current prices and sellers.

Recommended LCD Projectors:

      3M Model# MP7640i   1400 lumens

      Toshiba Model# TLP-s30u   1400 lumens

      Sony Model# VLP-CS5   1800 lumens

      InFocus Model# LP240   1000 lumens

      Mitsubishi Model# XLIU   1100 lumens

      Epson Powerlite 53c   1700 lumens

Remote Presenters

Most LCD projectors come with a remote control for use with the projector. These are usually bulky remotes that have a built in mouse and other features that you will probably not use in class. I recommend purchasing a light-weight remote presenter instead. A good remote presenter usually costs about $100 and should offer the following features in order of importance:

• 5 mW built-in class 3a laser.
• Forward and reverse buttons that will advance or retard your PowerPoint slides.
• RF (meaning Radio Frequency- IR stands for Infrared and is not recommended since you must maintain a line of sight with the receiver that is plugged into the computer).
• USB connectivity for Mac or PC

Some presenters offer additional features, but these four are critical since they will be used 99.9% of the time. I have tested many of these remotes and my recommendations follow. (Lowest Rating = 1, Highest Rating = 5)

Interlink Electronics RemotePoint Navigator ... Costs about $100.00

Feature	Rating	Comments
Laser 1mW Max. 670NM, Class 2	2	The only bad thing about this presenter. It's the brightest of the 1mW lasers I've seen, but students will have a very hard time seeing it with the lights on and curtains open. This is my favorite presenter but I still have to carry a separate 5 mW laser pointer.
Forward and Reverse Buttons	5	Very large buttons. Advance button on right and retard button on left as it should be. Also has nice Hide button to dim the presentation until it is pressed again.
RF Receiver	5	Small USB receiver. Very responsive. Slides change almost instantly.
Battery Life = 6 mos. 2 AAA batteries	5	Common battery.

Street Smart Technologies Power Presenter RF ... Costs about $100.00

Feature	Rating	Comments
Laser 5mW Max. 650NM, Class 3a	5	Very Bright! Most powerful laser I've seen in a presenter. This is critical. What good is it if students can't see it?
Forward and Reverse Buttons	4	Buttons are small. The presenter looks like a car door remote. I found myself hitting the wrong buttons often.
RF Receiver	2	Receiver is bulky. Comparitively slow response in PowerPoint. Sometimes I advance the slide and there is a delay or nothing happens at all. Tested with PC and Mac with same results. Perhaps I purchased a bad unit.
Battery Life = 1 yr. CR2032 battery	3	Uncommon battery.

Targus Wireless Remote Presenter ... Costs about $50.00

Feature	Rating	Comments
Laser 3.5mW Max. 645-665NM, Class 3a	3	Still not bright enough. Students have trouble seeing it.
Forward and Reverse Buttons	3	Buttons are reversed when using PowerPoint. Right retards and left advances. Has a multi-directional mouse built-in, but I very rarely use it.
RF Receiver	5	Small USB receiver. Responds as it should.
Battery Life = 30-60 days 2 AAA Batteries	4	Common battery.