


Think of it as a lifeline, or a panic button, since it instantly opens the program's toolbar: We merely had to find it, tap it, and click the icon (and submenu, in some cases) to access the feature in question.

As we mentioned, Presentation Pointer offers several access points, including a system tray icon and menu and a small widget-style toolbar that hides on the desktop as a semi-transparent icon that shows up, unobtrusively, behind whatever's onscreen. But the main window's plain yet efficient layout won't let you down if you just want to start experimenting (we did). Presentation Pointer's setup included a nag screen counting down our 30-day trial and a Web-based Getting started guide. Presentation Pointer is free to try for 30 days. Your fingers stay in the same general area, which can mean the difference between Cool and Fool when you're fumbling in the dark. For example, F8 activates the High Visibility Pointer, Ctrl + F8 activates the Mouse Highlight, and Shift + Ctrl + F8 activates the Spotlight. Presentation Pointer takes that into consideration with several easy-to-find access points, but even more so by grouping commands. That's key, as anyone who has stood in front of an audience can attest: It's a bad time to get muddled. With a few easy, closely-matched keystrokes, you can toggle your cursor into an enlarged pointer, highlight, or spotlight effect draw on the screen zoom in and out and perform other effective, easy-to-remember enhancements. Presenters owe it to themselves to check out Presentation Pointer since it's one of the most flexible and easy-to-use presentation tools we've seen.
