Live or Memorex?
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How about both.
I'd be happy if the main demo were pre recorded because that's the predictable part anyhow and I'd rather not waste time if the presenter has problems
I would hower like an actual system to be available for use with the Q&A session.
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-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
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It seems like what the presenters often need is some bandwidth to RDP into a test system, and then run the show from there. The client to do the RDP can be fairly small.
I assume what is holding this solution back is a lack of bandwidth from the presentation site to the test system.
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I don't mind either type of presentation. I think they both have their place. When a live demonstration fails or has problems, it reflects more on the presenter and their lack of preparation, than it does on the software being presented. I've had my stuff demonstrated before a large audience... I made damn sure it was going to work before I allowed the CEO to get up and do that. Both of our reputations were on the line. I went through the exact presentation and made sure everything was working correctly, and then I made sure the CEO would not deviate from the plan during his presentation. If there had been a connection issue or something, I'm sure the audience would have understood that it was an internet problem and not a problem with my application...
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I enjoy watching a vendor sweat a little when it doesn't go just right. Same as when they leave your installation after the sale and install and it all comes crashing down when the app meets the real world.
More real, less pre-conceived situations that are too easy to control and dazzle the audience with. A good product presentation will help to sell the item, but a real life presentation can seal the deal.
And if your speakers at PASS had issues with RDP, then good. I have to live in the world of remote access for all users and make everything we do work across a WAN on terminal servers and on multiple operating systems from NT to 2003 with some Citrix thrown in for good measure.
Maybe at the next PASS, you could set up virtual servers that could be configured by the attendees with a thumb drive configuration tool of their system.
Now that's a real world demo.
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I worked on a project once (merging lots of applications into an Enterprise Application) where one of the software companies contracted personnel who was working with us, gave us a nice Demo of a tool for data migration that his own company had developed. The demo, also made to the steering committee, looked okay and had some merit. So, two of us got a free trip to San Francisco to sit in on a training class so that we could evaluate the tool. The short of it was that I found a catostophic error that beffudled one of the primary developers, 5 or 6 show stopping errors, and 20 plus minor to moderate bugs. No sale, and we enjoyed the heck out of the Bay Area.
I like pre-recorded demos only to peak my interest. But give me the live demo to make up my mind. And yes, the demo should be dynamic in nature to allow for viewers to "change" the presented materials or products on the fly.
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I like Jay's suggestion. If you're doing an overview in the main presentation, then I don't care if it's pre-recorded. But you can bet that I'll want to see the actual system for Q&A, especially since I'm one of those who'd have questions on features and how things work.
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Live demo or not. Don't make much difference to me. Like someone else said, it seems to reflect more on the person than the software if it doesn't work. If they do a recording then I would like the real thing available also so that they can pause the video and go to the real thing if needed.
I think it would be great if the demos would be more real world with error checking and all. Why? Because I don't go to these to learn what I can teach myself. It isn't a mater of trying to get it to work. I go because I want to see how it should be done and what extras I should be doing as well. Why should I spend my time fixing and learning when someone else has already "been there done that"? That is where the real value is!
I went to a notification services session and it was presented well and it went smooth but I didn't learn anything. It was basically the same thing as if I followed one of the MS samples.
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As someone who has presented hundreds of demos, both recorded and live, small groups and large, in the U.S., Asia, and Europe, you have touched on a subject near and dear to my heart.
I think it's fair to say that different types of demos each have their place. It really depends on the purpose of the demo, which surprisingly is something too many presenters overlook.
For example, our company web site (http://www.strategycompanion.com) contains four pre-recorded AVI demos of our front-end tool for SQL Server BI. Instead of providing one 40-minute demo, we broke it up into four separate demos so that people could focus on the area of particular interest to them and fit it into their daily schedules more easily. And of course since these are on our web site they are available any time, even at noon on Thanksgiving Day, although I don't think they got much use right then. Hmmm perhaps we should decorate our web site with holiday themes like the Google home page... maybe next year.
Another advantage of pre-recorded demos is that each AVI listing contains a description of what it shows and how long the AVI lasts to allow people to decide if they want to spend the next 10 minutes seeing a Solution Overview (for example) and maybe wait until after lunch to watch the 17-minute demonstration of Analyzer basic functions.
On the other hand, only a live demo lets you and the customer put the product through its paces, so to speak, and take it in any direction the audience wants to go. Only this kind of demo can allow everyone to see how easy (or not) it really is to do something useful with the software, and what kind of user skillset is required to do it. We have found these live demos, delivered over LiveMeeting, to be an invaluable way to provide a custom-made evaluation experience which focuses exactly on what the audience wants to see while allowing extensive Q&A in the process.
And BTW we have found the LiveMeeting paradigm of web-based, live interactive demos to be extremely effective, cost-saving, and convenient for everyone involved. Of course, this may be more true when the software being shown is a very visually-oriented front-end tool rather than something like a failover product, but I have to say the lack of physical presence and face-to-face interaction has not really been an issue for us at all.
As for demos failing or distracting from live presentations, I would say this is usually, but not always, a lack of preparation on the part of the presenter, especially if the demo does not allow the audience to affect the direction of the demo and what is shown. In those circumstances, the demo should have been practiced at least several times and tested to make sure nothing gets bogged down while you are taking up the valuable time of your audience.
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Some very interesting responses here and I can see the other side from many of you.
I guess I'd still stand by my point for the conference/seminar presentations since time is usually short and I think having the pre-recorded actions only would help. I'd still expect the speaker to deliver the talk and match up their talk with the screen, pausing it or themselves when necessary.
You'd still have your computer and could answer questions from users, but in most demos, people aren't asking questions while it's going on. Especially during keynotes.
For sales or smaller presentations, I do think that this could work, but you'd also need the exact copy of the code and be able to jump off onto a tangent where needed.
As for error checking. I think not including this reinforces bad habits. If this code was a part of everything you wrote, a habit, as it seems to have been enforced during the SS2K5 write, then you'd be able to ignore or gloss over it. Or maybe you should just mention that it's explained better in the download and the demo is based on this other xxxx code.
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SET REALITY_MODE ON
I'm sorry ... after reading all of the responses - (I have done quite a few live demos myself), "memorex" has no place. "live" is the only way to go. All of the reasons/justifications for failures and flaws boil down to one reason - lack of of preparedness <period> It's like releasing a software product, it has to be tested and in the case of demos, like presentations, practiced <period>
There are no short cuts. I'd much rather see a well rehearsed demo unexpected errors and all, than watch another choppy movie. If I have invested the time to attend, pay attention and learn, the presenter could at least put in the same amount of time 'preparing' on their part.
SET REALITY_MODE ON --> not redundant, it should be on all of the time anyway !
RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."
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