Monday, May 19, 2003
Presentations on the Go: IAPresenter CF VGA Card Review
Posted by Don Tolson in "HARDWARE" @ 08:30 AM
On the road again? IAStyle has a great way to take that presentation with you on your Pocket PC! No more having to carry multiple bags or cases with laptop, projector, cables, etc. You can fit almost everything, except the projector, into the carrying case provided with the IAPresenter CF VGA Card. (Now, if only they could come up with a CF card projector. :) )
Trying to make that lasting impression with customers when you're on the road is one of the toughest parts of a sales job -- whether it's providing technical support to the sales guy, or actually hawking your own product. You want to be the one who is different -- the one they remember -- the one with that little bit of 'Wow' factor. I've found one of the best ways to get remembered is to be able to get setup quickly and to have some neat compact technology they may not have seen before. The IAPresenter CF VGA Card provides both.
It sets up very quickly; allows me to use my Pocket PC, instead of my laptop (so I'm not lugging another piece of 'big iron' around); and clients and their techies love to ooh-ahh over my toy before we get started on the presentation. It's a great way to break the ice. And since the IAPresenter VGA card and software work very well together, I can focus on the presentation and the client.
In this part of the review, I'll focus just on the hardware side of things -- the card, cable and remote. In the second installment, I'll take a look at IAPresenter in detail, and a brief review of the other applications that come with the card.
What You Get...
IAStyle has done a good job of providing everything you need as a presenter with their product. Not only do you get the CF VGA card, but you also get:
Figure 1: Contents of the box, as shipped
Installation
By now I've gotten used to doing the installation of drivers and software before inserting the card into the CF slot. My HP Jornada 568 gets a little cranky if you stick unknown cards into it! The drivers and software provided by IAStyle are easily installed from the CD using the normal ActiveSync installation routines. Unfortunately, because I'm using the CF slot for the VGA card, the software could only be installed to main memory. Especially with drivers, I think it's best to let the vendor's installation routine decide where the software should be placed. The Quick Start Guide provided in the package provides the needed information to get you started, but unfortunately, doesn't go into any depth regarding applications themselves.
The Card
The card is a standard Type one CF card, so it's compatible with both Type one and Type two CF slots. It fit easily into the CF slot on my HP Jornada 568, leaving sufficient access to the cable connector. The cable actually locks into place on the CF card and is held there with a couple of squeezable release buttons on either side. There's a very comfortable-sounding 'click' as the cable is connected, so you know it's not going anywhere. I really appreciate this design because it means there is one less place where a cable can come loose during a presentation.
The cable itself is really quite cool. IAStyle has incorporated all three different types of connections supported -- VGA, S-Video, and Composite Video -- into a single connector.
Figure 2: IAStyle's three-way video connector
This is a much better solution than having either three cords or having three different mini-ends. They've put it at the end of a decent length cable -- about three feet (1m). This means I can put my Pocket PC at the side of the table in front of me and away from the projector. I tried all three types of output -- VGA to the projector I usually use for presentations and to my desktop monitor; S-Video and composite video to my TV at home. For all situations, the card performed flawlessly. It was a little tough at first getting output directed to the card from the applications, but once I got it figured out, everything worked just fine.
The documentation states that the card supports up to 1024x768 resolution at either 64,000 or 256 colours and again, within the limitations of the video output selected, this matched the performance I saw. The colours were true to the LCD display on my Pocket PC and to the original presentations when they were displayed on my desktop monitor. There were no signs of jitter or fraying on any of the edges of the display. (Sometimes you can get this if there is a mismatch between the display and the driver). Having the ability to display on a television monitor in composite video or S-Video resolution, is a bonus, especially for situations where you can't use a projector (too light or no walls). I was pleasantly surprised at how well even small text fonts displayed on a 27 inch TV when I used the S-Video output. I don't have any applications that can drive movies, but the frame-rate refresh on the card was easily able to handle the builds and transitions/wipes I used in my slide presentation.
As far as power consumption goes, it seems to be pretty reasonable. I was playing around with the card doing test presentations on my TV for about an hour or so, using the regular battery which comes with my Jornada 568. When I was finished I still had about half a charge left -- not too bad when you consider I usually get about two and a half hours of continuous use before that battery needs a recharge. For anyone who is doing presentations on a regular basis, I would suggest investing in either an extended life battery, or a couple of spares -- just to be sure.
The Software
The card, by itself, isn't very useful without some applications which know about it and can use its capabilities effectively. Fortunately, IAStyle has recognized this and supplied a number of very useful applications on the CD. They include:
On the Desktop PC, the IAPresenter Converter software is installed, which allows you to convert PowerPoint files to the IAPresenter format (with a .iap extension) required for the IAPresenter application on the Pocket PC.
I'll provide more details on IAPresenter and the other software in a subsequent review.
The Remote
When I saw that the package included an infrared remote, I was intrigued because I thought this might be my nirvana. Imagine, finally being able to move around the room freely (which I am prone to do when I'm presenting) without being tied down to the mouse or Pocket PC!
Figure 3:The Remote
Well, first of all, all the buttons on the remote are marked with icons, which is OK from a multi-lingual approach, but it means you have to either guess by trial and error how things work or (horror of horrors) :deal: you have to read the documentation. Guess what, the only source of documentation about the remote is the Help file on the Pocket PC. This is not my favorite way of learning how to use a tool.
As I played with the remote, I soon found that the useful range was only about 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.5m) and I needed to point the remote directly at the IR port on my Pocket PC. You could probably get some sort of IR extender, but that would be an added expense. I suppose a lot of it will have to do with the sensitivity of the Pocket PC's IR port as well, but I've heard stories (legends?) about being able to beam contact lists, etc. across a room. Oh well....
Support
I tried using the IAPresenter CF VGA card from other applications -- Pocket SlideShow and old version of image access software from the HP Jornada CD. While the card appears to be recognized by the operating system (because it showed up in the drop down list of available outputs), the actual display did not work properly. The images were the wrong colours, were fuzzy or distorted, or just didn't work at all. I guess we'll have to wait for developers to update their apps to work with the IAPresenter driver.
Gotchas
The product itself works very well with the applications provided from IAStyle, and IAStyle is very up front in their documentation about its limitations, but here are some things you need to keep in mind:
The IAStyle CF VGA Card (plus remote and associated software) is available from IAStyle for US$99.95.
Specifications
According to the IAStyle Web site, the IAPresenter CF VGA card is supported on the following Pocket PC platforms:
Here are the memory requirements for each of the applications included with the IAPresenter CF VGA card:
IAPresenter CF VGA card driver = 68K
IAPresenter application = 1.3M
IAAlbum application = 1.1M
IAMirror application = 248K
For the additional trial applications:
IAPhone Manager = 608K
IAScreen Shot = 420K
Conclusions
While support for this card is currently limited to the applications provided by IAStyle, there is enough here to handle 99% of my requirements for leaving the laptop at home when I'm doing roadshows. The price for the card is pretty reasonable and it's great to have so many output options.
Trying to make that lasting impression with customers when you're on the road is one of the toughest parts of a sales job -- whether it's providing technical support to the sales guy, or actually hawking your own product. You want to be the one who is different -- the one they remember -- the one with that little bit of 'Wow' factor. I've found one of the best ways to get remembered is to be able to get setup quickly and to have some neat compact technology they may not have seen before. The IAPresenter CF VGA Card provides both.
It sets up very quickly; allows me to use my Pocket PC, instead of my laptop (so I'm not lugging another piece of 'big iron' around); and clients and their techies love to ooh-ahh over my toy before we get started on the presentation. It's a great way to break the ice. And since the IAPresenter VGA card and software work very well together, I can focus on the presentation and the client.
In this part of the review, I'll focus just on the hardware side of things -- the card, cable and remote. In the second installment, I'll take a look at IAPresenter in detail, and a brief review of the other applications that come with the card.
What You Get...
IAStyle has done a good job of providing everything you need as a presenter with their product. Not only do you get the CF VGA card, but you also get:
Figure 1: Contents of the box, as shipped
- 14-button IR remote control
- CD containing the drivers and applications
- a three-way output cord (more on this later)
- a protective plastic carrying case for the CF VGA card
- a Quick Start manual in a wide variety of languages
- a zippered, nylon pouch to hold all the goodies (and your PDA, too?)
Installation
By now I've gotten used to doing the installation of drivers and software before inserting the card into the CF slot. My HP Jornada 568 gets a little cranky if you stick unknown cards into it! The drivers and software provided by IAStyle are easily installed from the CD using the normal ActiveSync installation routines. Unfortunately, because I'm using the CF slot for the VGA card, the software could only be installed to main memory. Especially with drivers, I think it's best to let the vendor's installation routine decide where the software should be placed. The Quick Start Guide provided in the package provides the needed information to get you started, but unfortunately, doesn't go into any depth regarding applications themselves.
The Card
The card is a standard Type one CF card, so it's compatible with both Type one and Type two CF slots. It fit easily into the CF slot on my HP Jornada 568, leaving sufficient access to the cable connector. The cable actually locks into place on the CF card and is held there with a couple of squeezable release buttons on either side. There's a very comfortable-sounding 'click' as the cable is connected, so you know it's not going anywhere. I really appreciate this design because it means there is one less place where a cable can come loose during a presentation.
The cable itself is really quite cool. IAStyle has incorporated all three different types of connections supported -- VGA, S-Video, and Composite Video -- into a single connector.
Figure 2: IAStyle's three-way video connector
This is a much better solution than having either three cords or having three different mini-ends. They've put it at the end of a decent length cable -- about three feet (1m). This means I can put my Pocket PC at the side of the table in front of me and away from the projector. I tried all three types of output -- VGA to the projector I usually use for presentations and to my desktop monitor; S-Video and composite video to my TV at home. For all situations, the card performed flawlessly. It was a little tough at first getting output directed to the card from the applications, but once I got it figured out, everything worked just fine.
The documentation states that the card supports up to 1024x768 resolution at either 64,000 or 256 colours and again, within the limitations of the video output selected, this matched the performance I saw. The colours were true to the LCD display on my Pocket PC and to the original presentations when they were displayed on my desktop monitor. There were no signs of jitter or fraying on any of the edges of the display. (Sometimes you can get this if there is a mismatch between the display and the driver). Having the ability to display on a television monitor in composite video or S-Video resolution, is a bonus, especially for situations where you can't use a projector (too light or no walls). I was pleasantly surprised at how well even small text fonts displayed on a 27 inch TV when I used the S-Video output. I don't have any applications that can drive movies, but the frame-rate refresh on the card was easily able to handle the builds and transitions/wipes I used in my slide presentation.
As far as power consumption goes, it seems to be pretty reasonable. I was playing around with the card doing test presentations on my TV for about an hour or so, using the regular battery which comes with my Jornada 568. When I was finished I still had about half a charge left -- not too bad when you consider I usually get about two and a half hours of continuous use before that battery needs a recharge. For anyone who is doing presentations on a regular basis, I would suggest investing in either an extended life battery, or a couple of spares -- just to be sure.
The Software
The card, by itself, isn't very useful without some applications which know about it and can use its capabilities effectively. Fortunately, IAStyle has recognized this and supplied a number of very useful applications on the CD. They include:
- IAPresenter -- a full function PowerPoint slide presentation package
- IAAlbum -- for viewing and managing images on your Pocket PC, even creating your own slideshows
- IAMirror -- for projecting single or multiple Pocket PC screens onto a projector or TV monitor.
On the Desktop PC, the IAPresenter Converter software is installed, which allows you to convert PowerPoint files to the IAPresenter format (with a .iap extension) required for the IAPresenter application on the Pocket PC.
I'll provide more details on IAPresenter and the other software in a subsequent review.
The Remote
When I saw that the package included an infrared remote, I was intrigued because I thought this might be my nirvana. Imagine, finally being able to move around the room freely (which I am prone to do when I'm presenting) without being tied down to the mouse or Pocket PC!
Figure 3:The Remote
Well, first of all, all the buttons on the remote are marked with icons, which is OK from a multi-lingual approach, but it means you have to either guess by trial and error how things work or (horror of horrors) :deal: you have to read the documentation. Guess what, the only source of documentation about the remote is the Help file on the Pocket PC. This is not my favorite way of learning how to use a tool.
As I played with the remote, I soon found that the useful range was only about 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.5m) and I needed to point the remote directly at the IR port on my Pocket PC. You could probably get some sort of IR extender, but that would be an added expense. I suppose a lot of it will have to do with the sensitivity of the Pocket PC's IR port as well, but I've heard stories (legends?) about being able to beam contact lists, etc. across a room. Oh well....
Support
I tried using the IAPresenter CF VGA card from other applications -- Pocket SlideShow and old version of image access software from the HP Jornada CD. While the card appears to be recognized by the operating system (because it showed up in the drop down list of available outputs), the actual display did not work properly. The images were the wrong colours, were fuzzy or distorted, or just didn't work at all. I guess we'll have to wait for developers to update their apps to work with the IAPresenter driver.
Gotchas
The product itself works very well with the applications provided from IAStyle, and IAStyle is very up front in their documentation about its limitations, but here are some things you need to keep in mind:
- Remember you're using up your CF slot for the card, so any presentation or images you want to display will have to reside on main memory, unless you are lucky enough to have both CF and SD slots.
- Like IAStyle states, I found the usable range of the remote to be about 3 to 4 feet (1 to 1.5m) and you must have it pointed directly at the IR port on your Pocket PC.
- You'll want to read through the Help file on the Pocket PC to learn the functions of the remote as they are not obvious from the icons.
- The card is not yet supported by other applications. This may change in the future, as the card becomes more widely accepted by other vendors.
- Printable documentation -- I sometimes like to sit down with the manuals and scan through to look for features.
- Support for the card by other products, such as Pocket SlideShow, etc.
- A cheat sheet describing the functions of the remote buttons.
The IAStyle CF VGA Card (plus remote and associated software) is available from IAStyle for US$99.95.
Specifications
According to the IAStyle Web site, the IAPresenter CF VGA card is supported on the following Pocket PC platforms:
- iPAQ 3600 though 5450 (with expansion sleeve)
- HP Jornada 540 and 560 series
- Dell Axim X5
- NEC Mobile Pro
- Fujitsu Pocket LOOX
- Toshiba e550G/e570/e740, and there are more listed on their site.
- The desktop platforms supported include Windows 98, 98SE, ME, NT, 2000 and XP. MS PowerPoint 97, 2000, and XP.
- Output: VGA/SVGA, NTSC/PAL Composite Video, and S-Video
- Language Support: English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese
- Warranty: One Year
Here are the memory requirements for each of the applications included with the IAPresenter CF VGA card:
IAPresenter CF VGA card driver = 68K
IAPresenter application = 1.3M
IAAlbum application = 1.1M
IAMirror application = 248K
For the additional trial applications:
IAPhone Manager = 608K
IAScreen Shot = 420K
Conclusions
While support for this card is currently limited to the applications provided by IAStyle, there is enough here to handle 99% of my requirements for leaving the laptop at home when I'm doing roadshows. The price for the card is pretty reasonable and it's great to have so many output options.
