Attention presenters! What equipment do I need to buy?
September 2, 2010 8:53 AM Subscribe
What all do I need to buy in order to do multimedia presentations in community settings, and how much do you think it will cost? We're talking ground up here: I currently use an easel and newsprint. Needs to be portable.
Situation: I do educational workshops out in community venues ranging from school classrooms to church multipurpose rooms for a small nonprofit organization. I'd like to be able to incorporate websites, streaming video, DVD, powerpoint, etc on the go.
My boss has asked me to put together a budget for her. Obviously I need a laptop. It's probably going to have to be a PC. I also need a projector. Researching projectors has been madness, because there are so many different kinds, and my eyes glaze over. What kind of projector do I need? Also, in addition to a laptop and projector what should I consider? Speakers? Cables? Cases? Screen? I'll be lugging everything around, so lightweight is key.
In summary: Could y'all please tell me what exact equipment (i.e. brands, models) and accessories you think I need in order to be able to show DVDs/Powerpoints out in the field, and help me figure out approximately how much they would cost. Musts: lightweight and not bulky, PC not Mac.
Situation: I do educational workshops out in community venues ranging from school classrooms to church multipurpose rooms for a small nonprofit organization. I'd like to be able to incorporate websites, streaming video, DVD, powerpoint, etc on the go.
My boss has asked me to put together a budget for her. Obviously I need a laptop. It's probably going to have to be a PC. I also need a projector. Researching projectors has been madness, because there are so many different kinds, and my eyes glaze over. What kind of projector do I need? Also, in addition to a laptop and projector what should I consider? Speakers? Cables? Cases? Screen? I'll be lugging everything around, so lightweight is key.
In summary: Could y'all please tell me what exact equipment (i.e. brands, models) and accessories you think I need in order to be able to show DVDs/Powerpoints out in the field, and help me figure out approximately how much they would cost. Musts: lightweight and not bulky, PC not Mac.
Response by poster: Yeah, I don't have a choice. The laptop will most likely be donated to us by IBM.
posted by Stewriffic at 9:49 AM on September 2, 2010
posted by Stewriffic at 9:49 AM on September 2, 2010
Best answer: I am not super helpful as far as projectors or prices go because I just use whatever is handy/available but I do a lot of presentations. You should probably also get
- obviously you need to BUY Powerpoint
- you should get a nice mic + speakers combo which should not be terribly expensive
- if you want to show streaming video you'd need a portable internet connection or a way to borrow what people have available. There are ways to save and replay YouTube type videos without having live internet, so you might want to look into those.
- clicker for advancing slides if you're not sitting at the laptop
- if you're in a place where you maybe can't use a handy wall, you might want a portable screen, depends on how barebones you need to be and how much places will have when you get there.
- I'd get a mouse if you have a trackpad-only laptop because sometimes trackpads can get sweaty or act weird and a mouse is a little more predictable
- I found those little rollerbags to PUT all the stuff in to be indispensable
Cables. You will need
- longish ethernet cable [for internet]
- longish cable to connect laptop to projector [these are fairly standard]
- extension cord/surge protector/power strip to plug laptop and projector into the wall
The longer these cables are, the more flexibility you will have with how you set up in a room. Sorry I don't have brand/price suggestions.
posted by jessamyn at 10:42 AM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
- obviously you need to BUY Powerpoint
- you should get a nice mic + speakers combo which should not be terribly expensive
- if you want to show streaming video you'd need a portable internet connection or a way to borrow what people have available. There are ways to save and replay YouTube type videos without having live internet, so you might want to look into those.
- clicker for advancing slides if you're not sitting at the laptop
- if you're in a place where you maybe can't use a handy wall, you might want a portable screen, depends on how barebones you need to be and how much places will have when you get there.
- I'd get a mouse if you have a trackpad-only laptop because sometimes trackpads can get sweaty or act weird and a mouse is a little more predictable
- I found those little rollerbags to PUT all the stuff in to be indispensable
Cables. You will need
- longish ethernet cable [for internet]
- longish cable to connect laptop to projector [these are fairly standard]
- extension cord/surge protector/power strip to plug laptop and projector into the wall
The longer these cables are, the more flexibility you will have with how you set up in a room. Sorry I don't have brand/price suggestions.
posted by jessamyn at 10:42 AM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: jessamyn, thanks for a list for me to start out with. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed, not having any experience with this.
posted by Stewriffic at 6:33 AM on September 3, 2010
posted by Stewriffic at 6:33 AM on September 3, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lia at 9:41 AM on September 2, 2010