I have never liked presenter modes. It's too much information, and I have to interrupt my thinking (which implies I will interrupt my speaking) to process the information. I much prefer to just see what the audience sees.

It also isn't much help because I tend not to spend much time near my laptop. I walk around a lot when I speak, and instead of using a laser pointer, I prefer to gesture directly at the screen - in much the same way you would gesture at whiteboard diagrams when explaining something to a colleague.

Of course, people should do what works for them. I don't use notes, and I'm fortunate enough that in the places I give talks, someone else is keeping time for me, and will give me signals when it's running out. But public speaking is one of those things that you do what's comfortable for you, because the more comfortable you are, the better the talk will be.

I don't use speaker notes as a script to read. I use it to list additional bullet points.

  - history
  - story re: jason @ costco
  - importance of $foo

would be cues to me that I need to hit on the history of this slide, tell an anecdote, and really bring home the importance of $foo. No need to put exact words. Just where I should be going on this presentation if I get flummoxed.

Yes, I understood "notes" to be those kinds of notes. I think notes are a great thing to use if they help you, but I find I don't need them. When I present, it's technical material that I know backwards-and-forwards, so I've never felt the need for notes. In particular, my slides tend to be mostly diagrams and performance graphs. I have found that when looking at and explaining figures, I can't help but remember all of the important things related to it.

Presenter mode also has a clock though, which I think is important in the beginning. A common mistake is to simply cram too much into your slides. Like trying to introduce a topic, but immediately trying to catch all the nuances too. It will fly over your audience's heads and they won't care.

People underestimate how long it takes to explain things because they never actually practice and time their presentation. When I make slides, I prefer to time each section right after I'm done with it, so I can make sure I keep a consistent pace throughout. It also means you never make slides you're not going to use.

And even while speaking, if you notice you're coming up short, you can strategically skip things rather than being caught by surprise and having to stop mid-slide.