I have been giving presentations in front of audiences for over 15 years. During this time, I have experimented with a variety of presentation remotes. Some of them have been great while several others have left a lot to be desired. My actual personal favorite is the Logitech R800 which I’ll cover in the another video. So, when Logitech released their Spotlight a few years ago, I was eager to try it out.
If you don’t want to read the rest of this post, I’ll share the headline with you now. I’m neutral with it. I don’t love it, and I don’t hate it which means it is not my go-to choice for a presentation remote. There are several reasons why I feel this way and I’ll share them with you now.
Slim Size
One of the astounding features of this clicker is that it does come in a very small footprint. The remote fits nicely in your hands and I love the slim and compact feel of it. It feels like a quality product and almost an extension of your current hardware particularly if use a lot of Apple products whether it be something like an iPhone or Apple TV remote. It has a very similar look and feel.
Variety of Colors
This next item is very subjective but the ability to choose your desired color is great. In a marketplace where black tends to be on the only option for presentation remotes, I love that Logitech has provided three color options: Slate, Silver, and Gold. Again, it feels very reminiscent of an Apple product which is a good thing in this case.
Pointing Modes
The shining stars of this device are the three advanced pointing options which are provided which justifies its higher price point of $129. That price point is generally about $100 more than the standard competitor so you’ll need to determine if these three options are worth the higher price tag. The three pointing modes are: Highlight, Magnify, and Digital Laser. I’ll explain each one.
Highlight: This effect creates a spotlight effect on your screen so you can showcase a certain concept or idea. Perhaps you have a key percentage you want to highlight – this effect is great for that moment.
Magnify: This effect zooms-in on the details. For instance, let’s say you are showcasing a chart or graph and again and want to zoom in and pinpoint on a memorable takeaway. The Magnify option is a perfect fit for doing just that.
Digital Laser: And, what would a great presentation remote be without the classic Digital Laser. This effect alllows you to precisely pinpoint any key piece of information.
Software
Another huge selling point to help justify the larger price point is the software. You get a full array of custom controls to fit any specific presentation you are working on. I’ll admit, I keep my controls the same for most of presentations but if you like to have ability to switch things up then this is a huge value add.
Time Management
In the same spirit of software, there is also a built time management system which provides an on-screen timer that begins as soon as you start your presentation and click the first slide. You can also set up multiple timing indicators which will send you vibrations to alert you when needed.
Navigation
One of my favorite features about this presentation remote is the ease of navigation. You’ve got the Pointer option which allows you to do the three items we just discussed (Highlight, Magnify, and the Digital Laser). Right below it is the Next button which allows you navigate forward or start the presentation and below that button you have the Back button which can be utilized to go backward or perform a custom function like volume control.
These are all great features but they also reveal it’s biggest downfall – the clicking noise. This feature here is the sole reason I can not use this device. Let’s say you are in a small setting (like 10-20 people) which a majority of presentations are then you’ll find the clicking noise when pressing these buttons to be overly loud and distracting for you and your audience every time you move to the next slide. They may have changed this featured since I used this remote since I have the first generation model but if it still exists, it’s a deal breaker for me.
Standard Features
And, like most presentation remotes you are going to find a long operating range of 100 feet and compatibility with Windows and MacOS platforms. It also can run of a USB receiver or you connect via Bluetooth. Plus, it has fast recharging by providing 3 hours of use from a 1 minute charge which is super impressive. That also translates to 3 months of use when on a full charge.
Final Thoughts
That’s the Logitech Spotlight Presentation Remote. It has a lot of modern day features with some helpful software value adds. It will set you back $129 and will last a long time. The big question is whether you think all these extra bells and whistles justify the higher price point.
These are my thoughts as someone who presents from the stage for a living. What are yours? Leave your comments below and we an start a conversation there.
