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First video: Ventura Publisher v2.0 demo on HP200LX Palmtop. Feedback, advise and tips wanted...

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First post, by radiance32

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HI everyone,

I hope this is the right forum for this kind of post...

I've made my first proper, half-hour long, narrated video on my new HP Palmtop centered YouTube channel I started last week,
and I'd like to ask for some opinions, advice, tips and general feedback.

I'm somewhat on the autistic spectrum and public speaking or narrating videos isn't my forte 😀
Nonetheless I gave it a go and this is the result:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQfbX5hyg1c

The video provides information and a demonstration of Ventura Publisher v2.0, and as I'm sure many here will know,
it was the first pro Desktop Publishing software for MS-DOS machines, released in 1986.
It runs on a GEM runtime, as some of you may know, GEM was an early competitor to MS Windows in the mid-80's,
which ended up losing the race with Microsoft after Windows 3.0 was released.
It did get licensed to Atari and ended up being the GUI of the Atari ST line of computers' TOS operating system.

I'm learning as I start with producing YouTube videos, and I would really appreciate feedback regarding the following aspect of the video:

1. My voice / accent.
This is the biggest issue for me (at least that's what I think)
You can hear i've got a flemish dutch accent, and this is the best english i can pull off...    I'm also a little bit nervous and sound a bit unguided and depressed at times due to it. I also do a lot of euuuhmms and hmmmms and such...    I think i'll
have to get used to it and try to be a bit more positive, spontaneous and jovial / optimistic sounding, what do you think ?

2. The audio recording    I'm just starting, and i'm just using the built in microphone of my camera, which isn't that good, as it's also filming the 200LX, and the microphone is on top, built into the camera and i'm sitting at  head-height next to
it, so it only receives a bit of direct soundwaves, and quite a few reflected ones.   I've gone ahead and invested in a decent microphone and ordered one online, hopefully it will arrive soon and I can use it for my next video. (probably a video
detailing either GEM, or coreldraw or micrographx designer on windows 3.0),   or, the eye of the beholder or commander keen games with the OPL3LPT.   Also planning a video on how to take apart your 200LX without damaging it as it can be a
bit tricky for someone who's never opened one before...   
I've added some music in the background for some ambience, and to mask the noise and faint sounds of birds chirping outside and the occasional car driving past on the road 😀

3. rambling and staying on point.   
I've a tendency to ramble and quickly diverge from what i'm talking about and going into too much detail,  this is just how I am, i've a tendency to do this when talking to people, so i'll try to write more scripted material for the next videos,
instead of just narrating as I go and use the application. What do you think, are there any points I definately should focus more on ?

4. graphics   
I downloaded shotpro a few days ago and used it for this video, so i'm just learning how to use it properly, but it's a pretty easy to use video editing app,  but I might want to do something a bit more professional looking than just
fading in, showing and fading out pictures of the things i'm talking about in the next videos.   I'll have to have a good look at some professional channels and see what they do for these types of videos and try to make something with a similar
production value. Are there any things that stand out negatively or could be improved ?

5. Technical details / knowledge
Since I did'nt script my narration, I probably missed a few important technical and historical things relevant to the video.
Is there anything you can think of that stands out and could use improvement ?
Eg, what would be the most important technical things the video could teach you about Ventura/GEM that I've missed...

Thanks for your time reading this and I'd love to hear your feedback, discussion and tips or other knowledge so I can improve my next videos. 😀
I look forward to reading your comments...

Thanks,
Radiance

Check out my new HP 100/200LX Palmtop YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCVChzZ62a-c4MdJWyRwdCQ

Reply 1 of 5, by ishotjr

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Thanks for sharing this - I love it! I've never seen anything like this running on the 200LX - and with a mouse! I think your production level is already excellent - I wouldn't worry about any of the things you mentioned! Looking forward to the teardown one! Subscribed!! 😀

Reply 2 of 5, by retardware

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A wonderful presentation!
Actually I liked the spontaneous, unscripted presentation as it is.
This made it natural, authentic and interesting, and showed that you know what you are talking about. (There is too much boring scripted stuff from people who don't really know what they are talking about)

What I liked too are the well-chosen, authentic and informative image insertions.
These helped a lot the immersion in this time travel back to the 1980s!

Also the choice of the computer was quite good. 8 MHz 80186 is very close to 8-10MHz 8088 most enthusiasts used back then. Ideal to demonstrate the responsivity and speed of the GEM desktop! Even Winword 1.0 on the 1990 freshly-released Win3.0 on the 8MB 386/24 I used back then felt slower than VP on the 4.77MHz 640k XT.

The display aspect ratio also is nothing special. Most laptops until the early (and very expensive) first VGA laptops had CGA LCD. The Compaq LTE286 I was given in 1991 for work underways had such a display, too. Nowadays the ergonomy police probably would seize that nice, very robust laptop 😀

But, most VP users back then used HGC. It was just the display usable with least eyestrain, most suitable for long work sessions.

Reply 3 of 5, by radiance32

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retardware wrote on 2021-11-11, 06:01:
A wonderful presentation! Actually I liked the spontaneous, unscripted presentation as it is. This made it natural, authentic an […]
Show full quote

A wonderful presentation!
Actually I liked the spontaneous, unscripted presentation as it is.
This made it natural, authentic and interesting, and showed that you know what you are talking about. (There is too much boring scripted stuff from people who don't really know what they are talking about)

What I liked too are the well-chosen, authentic and informative image insertions.
These helped a lot the immersion in this time travel back to the 1980s!

Also the choice of the computer was quite good. 8 MHz 80186 is very close to 8-10MHz 8088 most enthusiasts used back then. Ideal to demonstrate the responsivity and speed of the GEM desktop! Even Winword 1.0 on the 1990 freshly-released Win3.0 on the 8MB 386/24 I used back then felt slower than VP on the 4.77MHz 640k XT.

The display aspect ratio also is nothing special. Most laptops until the early (and very expensive) first VGA laptops had CGA LCD. The Compaq LTE286 I was given in 1991 for work underways had such a display, too. Nowadays the ergonomy police probably would seize that nice, very robust laptop 😀

But, most VP users back then used HGC. It was just the display usable with least eyestrain, most suitable for long work sessions.

Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it.
The evening after uploading this video to youtube, I decided my camera's built-in microphone is'nt good,
so i bought a breand lapel microphone (these are really cheap btw), with built-in powered pre-amp on the cord,
and used it to make my next video which I uploaded yesterday evening, it's a shorter video about running SimCity on the 200LX,
and it's part of a series i'm making called "will it play?", where I test DOS games and give them a score based on
how well they play on 100/200LX palmtops.
Here's a link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6omrDfmCZNY

The new mic sounds much better, clearer and crisper, and it seems to make things a bit easier for me as i've less "nerves" 😀
I've integrated all the feedback I got from the Ventura Publisher video here and elsewhere in this video...
I'm hoping to have a dozen or so of these in a few weeks...

Cheers and thanks again for your feedback, it's really usefull,
Radiance

Check out my new HP 100/200LX Palmtop YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCVChzZ62a-c4MdJWyRwdCQ

Reply 4 of 5, by radiance32

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ishotjr wrote on 2021-11-11, 04:37:

Thanks for sharing this - I love it! I've never seen anything like this running on the 200LX - and with a mouse! I think your production level is already excellent - I wouldn't worry about any of the things you mentioned! Looking forward to the teardown one! Subscribed!! 😀

I was thinking about making a video specifically on how to connect a mouse to your palmtop,
showing the mouse, cable and null-modem adapter and gender changer you need,
and, including a more modern and precise laser PS2 mouse with the new Serdaco PS/2 to RS232 mouse converter,
which I purchased yesterday... Let's hope it arrives soon!...

Thanks for the feedback!,
Radiance

Check out my new HP 100/200LX Palmtop YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCVChzZ62a-c4MdJWyRwdCQ

Reply 5 of 5, by radiance32

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retardware wrote on 2021-11-11, 06:01:
A wonderful presentation! Actually I liked the spontaneous, unscripted presentation as it is. This made it natural, authentic an […]
Show full quote

A wonderful presentation!
Actually I liked the spontaneous, unscripted presentation as it is.
This made it natural, authentic and interesting, and showed that you know what you are talking about. (There is too much boring scripted stuff from people who don't really know what they are talking about)

What I liked too are the well-chosen, authentic and informative image insertions.
These helped a lot the immersion in this time travel back to the 1980s!

Also the choice of the computer was quite good. 8 MHz 80186 is very close to 8-10MHz 8088 most enthusiasts used back then. Ideal to demonstrate the responsivity and speed of the GEM desktop! Even Winword 1.0 on the 1990 freshly-released Win3.0 on the 8MB 386/24 I used back then felt slower than VP on the 4.77MHz 640k XT.

The display aspect ratio also is nothing special. Most laptops until the early (and very expensive) first VGA laptops had CGA LCD. The Compaq LTE286 I was given in 1991 for work underways had such a display, too. Nowadays the ergonomy police probably would seize that nice, very robust laptop 😀

But, most VP users back then used HGC. It was just the display usable with least eyestrain, most suitable for long work sessions.

From all the feedback i've learned, I made another video, this time it's about how to open your palmtop safely to access the motherboard for repairs or upgrades...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eldm-wNkQnQ

Cheers,
Radiance

Check out my new HP 100/200LX Palmtop YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCVChzZ62a-c4MdJWyRwdCQ

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