I have an update: I downloaded - and purchased - the Keynote application for the iPhone 5. Guess what? It works off of Wifi, and in TWO separate venues while my presentation was being given, I lost WiFi connectivity. Yep. How impressive is that? Now before you say, well you were too far away from the WiFi signal / router / hub, whatever, wrong again. At the main venue, the hub was on the other side of the wall, maybe 20 feet away.
Thus, I have now purchased a third-party remote control, a Kensington, which uses a USB dongle. It works flawlesslly, except it does not control the volume on my Macbook Pro like the old Apple remote used to do.
If I had to give the MacBook Retina a grade, I would give it a C, based on three major changes that have reallly made my life more difficult, instead of improved technology. I know the powers at Apple think I am, what was it I read in MacLife magazine, "Living in the past," but guess what, it's my life and my money.