While I’m criticizing the ASA, I may as well state that it is time for the ASA to ensure that a laptop will be available for presenters to use in all sessions. There were several times when the current policy of “bring one if you want one” caused problems before or during a session. The solution to this problem may be as simple as requiring presiders to arrange for one to be present (either by bringing their own or arranging for a presenter to bring one and then informing the other presenters that one will be available) but the time has come where electronic presentations are the norm rather than the exception. The availability of projectors in recent years (I’m pretty sure that I presented in Montreal using an overhead projector) is a positive sign that the use of audio and video in addition to PowerPoint presentations will one day breathe new life into presentations (and likely herald a new era of presentations going over their allotted time).
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Memoirs of a SLACer 
[…] The reason for the ubiquity of PowerPoint and the lack of presentation tools may be the cost of the presenters. $35 seems steep, especially for graduate students, but the difference between teaching without one and teaching with one is huge. Without, instructors have a limited range of motion because they can never go too far from the computer. With, instructors can be anywhere in the classroom when moving through whatever they are presenting. The freedom to move around the classroom actually affected the way I felt when teaching, making me wish I hadn’t taught for several semesters without one. Even if instructors cannot purchase a presenter for personal use, colleges and universities should be able to provide themas part of the setup for presentations. One of these presenters would also be useful if provided at conferences (though this may be too much to ask when conference organizers can’t even ensure that a laptop will be provided). […]