Mar 30, 2011

No Powerpoint? ...No Problem

Because almost none of you have Microsoft Office on your computers, you are going to have to use Presentation Software other than PowerPoint. I'll show you alternatives which let you create presentations as good or better than PowerPoint and are, of course, free.

1.  Open Office Presentation:  Most of you have this free collection of programs (called a suite) on your computer and the presentation software is actually a very good one. However, it is much slower than PowerPoint, and there aren't that many templates and clip art.


2.  Sliderocket is a web-based program, meaning there is nothing to download. You use the program on the web. There is a free version, you just have to register. It is slick, professional looking and there are many templates, photos, and other clip art to choose from.  Here is a screenshot of sliderocket:

3.  Prezi:  Another web-based program, Prezi is different than Powerpoint and all the other presentation programs listed. An example of Prezi is shown below. Press the start button to begin.




4.  GoogleDocs: I mentioned this yesterday, and it is a site everyone should become used to. Free with a gmail account (required for this class), the presentation program is just like using PowerPoint and has many options available.

5.  Finally, there is 280slides.  It's listed last, but 280slides is every bit as good as the other programs shown. There are many options so you can create interesting and creative presentations. It is worth checking out.

Update:  As of yet, nobody has identified the latest landmark for our free computer time. Try using TinEye, I bet you'll get it.
 .
.