I frequently present during conferences or when giving trainings, and during the course of several years I’ve been very satisfied with a laser pointer which fits in my hand comfortably and can page-forward and page-backwards. The only issue I had with the device was a press on the laser in Terminal produced ugly escape sequences, but I killed those with Karabiner-Elements years ago.

What more could I want?

Well, I’m being confronted more and more frequently with TV panels instead of projectors, and the laser pointer doesn’t reflect off the panels.

I think it was Gerrit who, last year, showed me an equivalent solution, but it was then Bernd who, during a small demonstration, convinced me to opt for a Logitech Spotlight, which I did. I was afraid the software would suck, but it’s ok other than consuming quite a bit of CPU (5%) even when the Spotlight isn’t plugged in.

The device is pleasant to hold and the buttons are fine. I’ve configured it for a “laser highlight” only because using multiple different software pointers was confusing. Viewers also like the new pointer, and in particular, somebody who has a red/green deficiency convinced me to change the pointer’s color to a blueish, and he was then very happy!

There’s one thing which is naturally unnatural: as a speaker, when I’m about to point at something with a real laser, the hand goes to the right direction before pressing the switch; this means the light comes on pretty much exactly where I want it. Using the Spotlight, this doesn’t work because only the software knows where the marker was last positioned, so I have to first press the light on and then drag the marker to its intended destination, wobbling and all. It takes a bit of getting used to, but I’ll manage.

I decided to solve the dilemma easily: I pack both, and if I’m given a projector with a laser-compatible screen I’ll use the laser and for a TV panel I’ll use the Spotlight.