Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Presentation and Whiteboarding Aid - Recommended w\Caveats, September 26, 2009
PaperShow is an innovative and useful device that gives you the ability to make interactive Whiteboard and PowerPoint presentations. The Starter Kit includes everything needed to get up and running and includes: Digital Pen, USB Key (Bluetooth and 256mb Flash Drive), Proprietary A4 Size Note Pad - 48 Sheets, Proprietary Standard Size (8.5"x11") Printer Paper - 30 Sheets, Notebook to carry printed presentations, various accessories (battery, carrying case, 3 pen refills, customizable color rings, printer feed stickers, and quick start instructions).
I give a lot of presentations and PowerPoint based training, so I was really excited when this very cool gadget came in. Here are my observations -
Setup:
Unpacking - The packaging was very slick looking, but getting everything out of the various plastic clamshells (especially the USB Key) was a bit of a challenge.
Installation - All of the software is contained on the USB Key, which is very cool. I did have trouble with my first attempt to install the device on my 64 bit Vista laptop and had no luck reaching the PaperShow tech support (no phone number, just able to post a question after registering on the web site). I then successfully installed it using a regular Vista (32 bit) desktop and was able to then use it on the original laptop without any problems (likely because the software also runs from USB Key). It did connect back to the PaperShow site over my Internet connection during the installation process.
Usage:
The two main modes are -
"Whiteboard" - Using paper from the Proprietary Note Pad, you can draw freehand with the pen and, using the control icons printed on the right side of the paper, you can change the line size and color, and draw perfect Arrows, Ovals (circles), and Rectangles (squares). You can also virtually erase anything you draw off the screen, but since it is actually written on the page this can be confusing when it starts to get cluttered.
"Presentation" - This allows a MS PowerPoint presentation to be imported in to the PaperShow format and gives you the option to save onto the Flash Drive. Once the presentation is imported, the program will ask you if you want to print it on the PaperShow proprietary paper. When running the presentation it works just like the "Whiteboard" mode, adding the ability to navigate through the presentation using the control icons on the right side of the paper. This mode also supports sound and video embedded in the presentation, which was very useful for me.
* One note on a very practical use of this tool, I work from home most of the time and do a lot of online collaboration sessions with other engineers. Both modes work very well when you are "sharing" your desktop.
Pros:
+ Works very well, once installed
+ Software is self contained on USB Key (you can use it on almost any XP\Vista PC)
+ USB Key is also 256mb Flash Drive (which allows your presentation to be carried with you)
+ Sessions can be saved and exported for sharing, including in Adobe PDF format
+ Very fun to use (we have our PC connected to our large HD TV, so "Pictionary" is a lot of fun)
Cons:
- Presentation Mode requires MS PowerPoint format files, however there are now several programs that can save in the PowerPoint format, including "OpenOffice" which is free (just search for it)
- Proprietary note pad and printer paper required - I bought PaperShow 8.5 x 11 Inches Interactive Printer Paper (200 Sheets, 90 Grams) and CNS SERVICES 010102 8.5"x11" Papershow Notepad right away in case they become hard to find in the future (ie. the company no longer makes it, for whatever reason)
- Bulky Pen, likely unavoidable due to the embedded optics that read the position on the paper
- USB Key cap doesn't store on the USB Key when removed, I stick it back in the case but am sure it will get lost sooner or later
- Tech Support (at the time of this review) is hard to reach and has not responded to my first installation problem (will update this review if\when they do)
- No Mac support, not a serious issue for me but a lot of the sites I visit are Mac only so I still have to bring my laptop to use it
Miscellaneous:
* Printer Stickers seems to be mostly undocumented, but are very useful for ensuring that you will always remember which way to feed the paper (you might mess up one before figuring it out)
* Carrying Case is plastic and very bulky, but does the job
* Plastic Binder for the printed presentations is just OK, nothing special but also does the job
Helpful Hint: Import two copies of your presentation, one with every slide and one with only the slides that you plan to write on, and only print the latter on the proprietary paper. This is easier than trying to select the right ones in the print dialog and you can still use the navigation icons to move through the presentations and can still draw on any "slide" by using a blank sheet of the proprietary paper.
Recommended, with the caveats listed above. This kit is perfect for those who love gadgets (including me), and works very well once it gets installed.
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