PowerPoint from the gadget in your pocket

Can you really deliver a PowerPoint presentation directly from an Apple iPod, RIM BlackBerry, or Palm Treo? The answer is "yes," and I'm going to tell you how to do it.

No, I'm not talking about the many easy, well-known methods of using your gadget as a "remote control" unit to advance slides on a laptop or to view PowerPoint slides on the device itself. Most iPod users can figure out how to show pictures on a TV. And Windows Mobile devices are easy to use for presentations -- they even come with PowerPoint Mobile.

See How to Deliver a Better PowerPoint Presentation

I'm talking about hard-core mobile presentations using your iPod, BlackBerry or Treo; starting with your PowerPoint slides and presenting on standard business projectors -- without a laptop.

Why would anyone want to do such a thing?

There are legitimate and practical reasons - including:

- Using your gadget as a last-resort backup in case your laptop fails;

- Freeing you to travel on business with no laptop at all;

- And preparing you to make your pitch anytime, even when there's no laptop handy.

But the best reason is this: Presenting directly from an iPod, BlackBerry or Treo is a flashy way to show off. Nobody in the room will forget you -- or your presentation.

Here's how to do it.

From an Apple iPod

Presenting from any mobile device involves three parts: conversion of PowerPoint slides, displaying the converted slides and connecting the gadget to a projector.

Any iPod with a color screen can be used as a presentation device. But first you need the right software.

A US$20.95 product called ThinkFree Office 3 Show, iPod Edition, lets you create, edit, convert and store your presentations on your iPod. The conversion process saves each PowerPoint slide as a .JPEG image. To present, you scroll through those .JPEGs using the normal photo viewing function of your iPod (choose Photos, then Slideshow Settings).

A US$17.95 software application called iPresent It converts PowerPoint slides to iPod-displayable images. (If you have a Mac and convert from Apple's Keynote software, rather than PowerPoint, the software will even preserve your builds and transitions.)

Another app, the US$14.95 iPodSync, is designed to synchronize your iPod with Microsoft Outlook, turning your iPod into a PDA. A free download for iPodSync users called PowerPoint Exporter batch-converts PowerPoint slides into .JPEGs for presenting.

If you're a cheapskate and don't need all these other options, PowerPoint lets you "Save As" either a .TIFF or JPEG, which you can use to create a slideshow and run from your iPod. It's time consuming, but the price is right.

To connect your iPod to a projector, buy a US$59.95 product called the Monster iTV Link for iPod and use the high-quality S-video option. You'll also need to buy the US$39.00 Apple iPod Universal Dock if you don't already have one. You can leave the iPod in its cradle, and advance slides using the included remote. (Bonus: You can also use this gear at home to connect your iPod to your stereo, TV and computer.)

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There's only one way to present with PowerPoint from a Blackberry, but it's a good one.

A company called Impatica offers a range of products that enable you to convert, share and present PowerPoint presentations with a BlackBerry. A US$249.99 hardware/software product called Impatica ShowMate, connects your BlackBerry to just about any projector, either directly or via Bluetooth. ShowMate comes with the company's free Impatica for PowerPoint, BlackBerry Edition, which converts PowerPoint files into a BlackBerry-compatible format and displays them on the device. You see your PowerPoint speaker notes on the BlackBerry, but your slides on the screen! Best of all, ShowMate preserves animations and transitions.

To use Impatica ShowMate, you'll need a BlackBerry software version 3.8 or later.

From a Palm Treo

The Palm OS enjoys a wide variety of third-party applications for PowerPoint conversion, viewing and presenting. Some of the better PowerPoint applications are office suites that do other things besides power your presentations. The best of these include the US$39.95 QuickOffice and the US$49.99 Documents to Go (Note: Don't buy the "Standard Edition" of Documents to Go -- it doesn't include PowerPoint support).

The US$29.95 RepliGo converts office documents, including PowerPoint, for use on a wide variety of mobile devices, including Treos.

On the hardware side, one nice solution for Treo 650 and Treo 700p owners is the US$279.99 iGo Pitch Duo. This innovative unit actually uses a Pentium-class chip to speed up your transitions. It plugs into a projector with a VGA port. Your Treo communicates with it via Bluetooth or your Treo's USB connector. Just plug it into the projector, and both view and control the slides on your Treo.

Another device called Margi Systems' Margi Presenter-to-Go SD for Palm and Treo uses a Treo's SD card slot to connect directly to a projector's VGA input. Although the product has been discontinued, you can still buy one. An Australian company called Ambertech is the last place that still carries it. I confirmed via e-mail this week that they still have units in stock and ship to the U.S. To get pricing and details (and to order) send an e-mail to: margi@ambertech.com.au.

And finally, a US$414.95 product called the infraBLUE IRMA Bluetooth Presenter plugs directly into a projector, then gets your slides and control inputs via Bluetooth. Best of all, the gadget supports most Palm devices including the Palm OS Treos, Pocket PC and Windows Mobile devices, and various handset models from Nokia and Sony Ericsson.

So there you have it -- all the information you need to transform your gadget into a powerful, always-ready presentation tool -- and impress even the most grizzled business executive!

Mike Elgan is a technology writer and former editor of Windows Magazine. He can be reached at mike.elgan+computerworld@gmail.com or his blog.