Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I obtained both the R400 and R800 Professional units and thought it would be worth comparing them. I use wireless remotes with Powerpoint often, and have two different Kensington models as comparisons. Both the R400 and R800 use standard AAA batteries. This is important when traveling. One of my Kensington models uses watch batteries, which are hard to find on the road. With the Logitech models, this is especially important because the remotes have an "on-off" switch. It seems likely--at least for me--that I will forget to turn the switch off at some point or, when traveling, the switch could slide to on, draining the power. When replacing batteries in an emergency, having standard-sized batteries is something you'll be thankful for. The units have little pouches for travel, and the pouches would prevent the accidental switch to on, but the pouches are bulky. I doubt I will use the pouches. The R400 is smaller than the R800, so if you travel a lot, the R400 may be best. Both units have a hot button to allow the presentation screen to go dark, which is a great way to draw attention from the slide to the presenter. Another button brings up the presentation again. Both units set up in a snap--at least in Windows XP. I just inserted the USB bar and after about 30 seconds, I was able to advance an open Powerpoint presentation. I haven't tested this on Vista or on Mac yet. The R800 has more range, which is useful if your laptop is in the back of the room. The R800 has a timer, which is great in today's watch-less world. Set the timer for the length of the presentation and it will actually vibrate with reminders. The green laser, as opposed to the red for the R400, seems to have about the same range and it's debatable whether or not green is easier to see than red. But, the green laser projects a little bigger on the screen and that definitely is better. For the money, either units are good, but they are priced a little higher than the Kensington. They're easy to use (whenever I had my Kensington to someone to use they need a primer on its use and I don't see that being the case with these). If you're already making the financial leap, it's probably worth the major leap to the R800. If you travel and space is the prime concern, go with the R400.