Microsoft Windows Vista Unveiled

The portability of a notebook or other mobile computer means that these machines are now the first choice as the source of content for presentations, from the boardroom to the conference room. That's the good news. The bad news is that you always need to (or should) tend to a few chores before starting your presentation:

  • Turn off your screen saver. The last thing you want is your screen saver kicking in while you're spending some extra time explaining a point.

  • Turn off system notifications, including alerts for incoming email messages and instant-messaging posts. Your viewers don't want to be interrupted by these distractions.

  • Adjust the speaker volume to an acceptable level.

  • Select an appropriate desktop wallpaper image. Your desktop could be visible before or after the presentation, if only briefly. Even so, you probably want a wallpaper that invokes a professional image, or you might prefer a blank desktop.

If you're a regular presenter, changing all these settings before each presentation and reversing them afterward is a time-consuming chore. However, Windows Vista comes with a new feature called Presentation Settings that promises to take most of the drudgery out of this part of presenting. The Presentation Settings feature is a collection of configuration options, including screen blanking, system notifications, speaker volume, and desktop wallpaper. You use Presentation Settings to specify the configuration options you want to use during a presentation. After you've done that once, you can use Presentation Settings to turn those options on (and off) with just a few mouse clicks. (Presentation Settings is available for all versions of Vista except Home Basic.)

To configure the Presentation Settings, follow these steps:

1.

Select Start, Control Panel, Mobile PC.

2.

Click Adjust Settings Before Giving a Presentation. Windows Vista displays the Presentation Settings dialog box shown in Figure 7.10.

Figure 7.10. Use the Presentation Settings dialog box to configure the Vista settings you want to use while you give a presentation.

3.

Use the following controls to set up your notebook for presentations:

  • Turn Off the Screen Saver Activate this check box to prevent the screen saver from kicking in.

  • Set the Volume To Activate this check box and then use this slider to set the volume level you want.

  • Show this Background Activate this check box and then select a background or (None).

4.

Click OK.

When it's time to make your presentation, you have two ways to switch over to your saved settings:

  • Open the Mobility Center and select Turn On in the Presentation Settings section. (Select Turn Off when you're done.)

  • Open the Presentation Settings dialog box, activate the I Am Currently Giving a Presentation check box, and click OK. (Deactivate this checkbox when you're done.)

Note

Another new presentation-related feature in Vista is Network Projection, which enables you run a presentation on a projector connected to a network. Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, Connect to a Network Projector. Then click either Choose from Available Network Projectors (to see a list of projectors) or Enter the Projector Address (to type the address of a specific projector). This feature is not available if you're running Vista Home Basic.

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