Apple Keynote Remote – Review
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Apple released the Keynote Remote as an "official" way to control Keynote presentations from an iPhone or iPod touch.
As a big user of Keynote (I do more and more of my teaching with it) I was excited to get started with it.
To use the Keynote Remote you need iWork 2009. Then you need to spend a buck (okay, $.99) on the app. Since you need to BUY iWork AND have a Touch or iPhone it seems to me the Keynote Remote should be free the way the original iTunes remote is. That noted the app works quite well.
To advance slides, you simply swipe right across the screen. To go back you swipe left. Presenter notes can be seen beneath the current slide, and, if using the app in landscape mode both the current and next slides can be seen.
Setup Was Simple: After starting the iPhone app I went to preferences in Keynote, entered the provided code, and was good to go.
I was then asked whether to begin on the current slide or go to the first. To advance or repeat slides I simply swipe my finger (think– showing images in the camera roll and you have a good idea what I’m talking about).
Having access to the next slide before showing it and/or my notes was great.
The “presenter notes” feature in settings turns notes on and the remote app then displays them right below the current slide.
As noted, you have the choice of either landscape or portrait. In portrait, you can see the current slide as well as your presenter notes. In landscape the current slide and the next slide are displayed.
In all the app worked rather well. It has enough features to be quite useful while it is simple enough to use on the fly.
That noted, it is not perfect. The app did lock up on me once causing a slight bit of embarrassment ("Not so technologically advanced are you Dan???") and prompting me to restart the iPhone app.
That noted, though, having used it for a presentation just once I’m not sure I would use any other remote ever again.
Quick Take
Value: High
Would I Buy Again: In a second
Learning Curve: Low. Easy setup AND use
Who Is It For: Anyone who uses Keynote
What I Like: Works well, lets you see notes and/or next slides
What I Don’t: Locked up once, should be free as part of Keynote ’09
Final Statement: Love it
