Presentation Software

[rob101]

I have been asked to do a more professional presentation and told not to use power point to do it.

 

Im just wondering if any one knows of any very good wizzy presentation software thats we could buy? Or have tryed and find very good.

 

I have been told to get a mac and use keynotes but i would rather find a windows based software to use.

 

Please help?

 

Cheers Rob

[Geoff]

OpenOffice has a equivalent to Powerpoint. It's called Impress.

 

http://www.openoffice.org/product/impress.html

[localzuk]

Can I ask why you shouldn't use powerpoint? Just trying to figure out the reasoning...

[rob101]

I have been told i need to add some wizzy effects like keynotes does and as far as i am aware power point cant do some of them.

[Netman]

Have you looked at the free MS Producer software? http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/technologies/producer.mspx

[Domino]

you can do pretty much everything with powerpoint that you can with keynotes, its just a bit harder.

 

However i'm sure you could search for a template online that does more of that stuff.

 

Failing that has anyone looked at the GoogleDocs web-based presentation software? I haven't myself so I can't recommend it, but it might be worth looking at...

[FN-GM]

you could try Adobe/Macromedia Flash or Matchware Mediator

[rob101]

I just asked for some more info on what is really needed and it seems that the ability to do spinning cubes with pictures and other swish animations are the important thing.

 

I have looked at all the suggestions so far and none really fit the bill i need to look into open office a little more.

 

Any others people can think of?

[Domino]

TBH mate, unless you want to spend time with flash or another animator keynotes is probably best

[plexer]

ffs just tell them to stop being a bunch of ignorant "add expletives" that are impressed by such a load of tosh and learn how to present themselves.

 

It's the content not what it looks like that is important.

 

Grr!!!

 

I suppose they want a presentation which means they don't have to do a lot.

 

Geez!!!

 

Ben

[pallen]

Are you doing a presentation, or is it for display purposes? If you've been asked to do a presentation, cant you use whatever software you want? Surely you would do a better job using software you are familiar with rather than testing out new software to to make it look "swanky"?

[FN-GM]

Surely the content is the most important thing not how jazzy it looks.

[localzuk]

As others have said, if you need features that keynotes has then use keynotes. However, if the creation of the presentation is being lead by someone who has no idea about creating a good presentation (flashy animations aren't that) then I would ask them to look at what is important - the content or the flashy gimmicks that distract everyone from the content.

[deerwood]

Quotes ...

"It's the content not what it looks like that is important."

"Surely the content is the most important thing not how jazzy it looks."

 

Oh come on, guys, surely nobody seriously believes this. If something does not look good, then who is going to look at it or take any notice of it!?

 

The problem with PowerPoint is that, in the hands on most of us, it simply does not look good and nobody takes the blindest bit of notice; ... NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE CONTENT.

 

It is probably easier to create a better presentation without PowerPoint than it is with PowerPoint.

[FN-GM]

Quotes ...

"It's the content not what it looks like that is important."

"Surely the content is the most important thing not how jazzy it looks."

 

Oh come on, guys, surely nobody seriously believes this. If something does not look good, then who is going to look at it or take any notice of it!?

 

The problem with PowerPoint is that, in the hands on most of us, it simply does not look good and nobody takes the blindest bit of notice; ... NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE CONTENT.

 

It is probably easier to create a better presentation without PowerPoint than it is with PowerPoint.

 

What aloud of utter rubbish what is a presentation without key information but instead a jazzy theme and moving pictures? It would be a presentation without key information

[bossman]

In a survey concluded by a top computer magazine eight out of ten professional people said that they were sick to death of presentations that had all these jazzy effects and would just as well have a straight forward presentation which got to the point.

 

Also they would like it if the presenter did not give out handouts as this spoilt the presentation as other people would read ahead and then talk during the presentation.

 

Quite frankly i agree there is nothing more boring than watching a presentation which drolls on for ages when they could have made the point within ten minutes.

[GrumbleDook]

Now we are starting to talk about flashiness over substance.

 

This is different from having a damn good design, that could be simple or could be complex, that grabs the attention of the audience without distracting them from the information.

 

It is not about making it flashy ... it is about design ... and a good design is vital.

 

Some prefer it simple ... some designs work best due to their complexity ... but this should not be confused with trying each and every transition or effect that you possibly can.

 

No more than 3 different transitions ... and only change them to denote the change of 'theme' of the information.

 

No more than 2 fonts.

 

Try to keep to a specific set of colours that would fit in the normal every day world ...

 

Treat items entering and leaving the screen as you would actors leaving and exiting a stage. It may be enter left, exit right ... it may be through a trap door ... but you don't expect them to suddenly disassemble themselves and scatter in different directions.

[localzuk]

Quotes ...

"It's the content not what it looks like that is important."

"Surely the content is the most important thing not how jazzy it looks."

 

Oh come on, guys, surely nobody seriously believes this. If something does not look good, then who is going to look at it or take any notice of it!?

 

The problem with PowerPoint is that, in the hands on most of us, it simply does not look good and nobody takes the blindest bit of notice; ... NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE CONTENT.

 

It is probably easier to create a better presentation without PowerPoint than it is with PowerPoint.

 

Well, having been a uni student quite recently, I can specifically remember creating a very good looking presentation with powerpoint. I can also remember not including animations, transitions, sounds etc... I can also remember other people including these things and being marked down as they detracted from the purpose of the presentation - to present information.

 

If you can't create a good presentation, go on a course. If you can't go on a course, do some reading about how to create them and do it well. Presentations should be simple, presenting snippets of information whilst the speech does the real work.

 

Flashy animations show one thing - that you have too much time available to play with flashy animations, which you could have and should have been using for other more productive meetings.

 

Think back to when presentations were done with acetate and slides. Do you think they had drum-rolls, or people doing 'between slide' performances during the presentation? No.

 

Now, on the other hand... If this presentation is for something like we are currently doing in our school, a 'multimedia' cd-rom for new parents, then a bit of flashy stuff can make it more interesting but only so far as to be professional looking (amateurish would be bad). However, a powerpoint would probably be the wrong thing to use here.

[webman]

People tend to focus less in presentations if the presenter is speaking the same thing as what's on the slides, the brain cannot decide which medium to concentrate on so can't... Keep slides basic and to the point, not too distracting, just leave key points, headings or diagrams essential to the presentation.