Powerpoint

[Sayonara]

Is there a MicroSoft or 3rd party plugin that lets you view PPS presentations without having to have PowerPoint installed, or is it an all or nothing program?

 

I have some PPSs to view and can't be arsed going through that dumb Office 2000 premium set-up crap.

 

(I really don't see the point of Powerpoint to be honest - what with HTML being slightly more versatile, but there's no accounting for business minds is there?)

[Sayonara]

And the answer is...

 

Yes you can

[dethfire]

kai also has a pp plugin, gives you a few more transitions and is a sole exe

[Sayonara]

I don't think you read what I was asking.

 

 

But still, I did not know that.

[dethfire]

btw, IE can display powerpoints internaly.

[fafalone]

Originally posted by Sayonara³

(I really don't see the point of Powerpoint to be honest - what with HTML being slightly more versatile, but there's no accounting for business minds is there?)

 

 

Powerpoint is easier to use, and there's always the "coolness factor" =)

[dethfire]

You can't go full screen with a browser. Just used PP.

[Sayonara]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt

You can't go full screen with a browser. Just used PP.

What century are you living in? Ever hear of JavaScript?

 

IE only displays PPS internally if you are using XP or Win2K SP3. I'm not. You'd have to be a retard to install SP3 for Win2K (which is what I use). Hence me asking about possible IE plugins.

 

 

Faf - I am now seriously worried about you. PowerPoint easier than HTML? Powerpoint cool? Are you ok?

[fafalone]

For creating slideshows with moving elements on the page? Transitions?

 

HTML is easier for this?

[Sayonara]

'Yes'?

 

Of course you would have to use JavaScript if you wanted 'fancy' transitions, such as page fadeIn/fadeOut, or literal sliding pages, but that's off-the-shelf code. If you wanted a timed sequence of pages you could simply use the META refresh tag.

 

You do know PPS is basically a prepackaged form of HTML, just like RTF, XDOC and all of the rest of M$'s so called 'file formats', right?

[fafalone]

Originally posted by Sayonara³

Of course you would have to use JavaScript if you wanted 'fancy' transitions, such as page fadeIn/fadeOut, or literal sliding pages, but that's off-the-shelf code.

 

Exactly. And dissolve transitions? 3d transitions? cheap 3d text? quick way to time all the activities? text animation?

 

It's either hard or impossible to do these things in pure HTML, and JS is scripting, and takes a while; and if you're making a presentation for your non-tech company, you probably don't even know JS.

[Sayonara]

Originally posted by fafalone

It's either hard or impossible to do these things in pure HTML, and JS is scripting, and takes a while; and if you're making a presentation for your non-tech company, you probably don't even know JS.

But none of these things describe me, the person I have been talking about for this whole thread. One thing I really hate on forums above all else (yes, even more than trolls) is being interpreted to fit some argument I'm not even taking part in.

 

 

If I were making a presentation, I would use the tools and skills I have at my disposal. The presentation would be more engaging than anything you could possibly do with PPS, more versatile, platform independent, not rely on plugins, cheaper, quicker to complete, and not rely on proprietary code or functions.

 

Plus it would arrive on a funky business card ROM.

[dudels]

I'd have to agree with Sayonara here.

 

I have never been able to grasp PowerPoint. I also found it to be extremely time-consuming and resource hogging.

 

The only good thing that I can see about it is its relative ease in blasting it through a projector, although with a bit of cleverness I'm sure it would be possible to display a HTML file through one too.

[fafalone]

you said "business minds."

 

This may include you, but is not specifically you. Since it was general, business minds in general are not javascript programmers.

 

 

Another thing, if I was making a really important presentation, 3D studio MAX, photoshop, illustrator, and C++ will make a presentation better than what HTML can do.

[dethfire]

Another thing, if I was making a really important presentation, 3D studio MAX, photoshop, illustrator, and C++ will make a presentation better than what HTML can do.

 

Your going to make a presentation with 3d max? How do you control an avi or mpeg? It's gonna be an enormous file size. That will seriously take hours with all the tech you described.

 

I have never been able to grasp PowerPoint

I'm sorry but PP is about as hard as MS paint. You choose a theme, plug in text/graphics and choose transistions.

 

(I really don't see the point of Powerpoint to be honest - what with HTML being slightly more versatile, but there's no accounting for business minds is there?)

I don't want to run a presentation from IE. Do you? HTML is a horrible markup language anyway.

[fafalone]

Not entirely in max; but max has graphics you can't write a script for in JS in any sane amount of time.

[Sayonara]

Faf - when I said 'business minds', it was immediately preceded by "I really don't see the point of Powerpoint to be honest - what with HTML being slightly more versatile, but there's no accounting for...". I was therefore making them an exception from my philosophy. If you're going to paraphrase people, do it so nobody will notice.

 

You don't 'program' in JavaScript as it's a client-side script, but your idea about using MAX would work well if you used PYTHON. However this definitely would take a lot of time and programming skills. If you were going to use MAX, you'd be best off combining it with Director 8.5 to get the most bang for your buck, imho.

 

If there's one thing this thread shows it's how important resources, time and available platforms are. Not to mention the preferences and past experiences of the author, and a knowledge of what's available. Macromedia AuthorWare, for instance, can do things that I guarantee will never appear in any future version of PP.

 

As someone who uses a disparate set of graphical and web tools on a daily basis, I have to know what does what and which does it best. IMHO PowerPoint is a low-end tool for people who don't know what they're doing, which really has been the crux of my argument all along. If you remember I started off this argument by saying that "I can't see the point..." which probably is due to the fact that I don't need to.

 

But fair play to the adventurous PP users - if they want to make pretty slideshows with Times New Roman headings who am I to judge? (Oddly enough I think that's the market niche it's actually aimed at.)

 

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt

 

Your going to make a presentation with 3d max? How do you control an avi or mpeg? It's gonna be an enormous file size. That will seriously take hours with all the tech you described.

IF a='yes' THEN b='easily' AND c='no' AND d='no' END IF

It's called 'knowing your tools'.

 

 

I'm sorry but PP is about as hard as MS paint.

Unless you get given a machine running Linux.

You choose a theme, plug in text/graphics and choose transistions.

...which limits you to what's available.

 

 

I don't want to run a presentation from IE. Do you?

Ever heard of Konqueror? Opera? Netscape? Try getting PowerPoint to run under Unix. Then try a Mozilla-based browser.

 

HTML is a horrible markup language anyway.

Now you're showing your ignorance. Apart from being THE ONLY COMPLETELY CROSS-PLATFORM WEB STANDARD your so-called 'horrible mark-up language' is required for other mark-ups to function. Additionally it is the BASE FORMAT CODE behind the PPS document set, so if you use PowerPoint you are building an HTML schema.

[dethfire]

I think we need to define what type of presentation your talking about. I'm refering to the general every day presentation. Not some large production cinema event, or some corporate demonstartion or stock holders meeting.

 

My father is a high end manager for GE Medical System and has never seen a presentation done in anything bur PP. Sometimes when they do a short movie or animation they use director. BUT for a regular communication presenation they use PP.

 

Show me one fotune 500 company that uses 10 different technologies for a regular presentation. They don't know why? Because they are too busy working on the actually speech, which you should be doing. The eye candy is less important.

 

I gaurentee that if I work 25% on my eye candy and 75% on the speech that I will hold a more successful presentation in I worked the opposite way.

 

IF a='yes' THEN b='easily' AND c='no' AND d='no' END IF

What is this supposed to mean? You don't have programming control in a compressed movie using 3d max and premiere.

 

I'm sorry but PP is about as hard as MS paint.

Unless you get given a machine running Linux.

You choose a theme, plug in text/graphics and choose transistions.

...which limits you to what's available.

You usually bring your own machine (laptop) for presentations. What else do you need? Again, work on the speech, not the eye candy. More people are going to be paying attention to special effects than what you say.

 

I don't want to run a presentation from IE. Do you?

Ever heard of Konqueror? Opera? Netscape? Try getting PowerPoint to run under Unix. Then try a Mozilla-based browser.

Yeah right, try findinf Konqueror on a clients machine. Opera does have a cool slide show feature, but PP is still more powerful and easy.

 

HTML is a horrible markup language anyway.

Now you're showing your ignorance. Apart from being THE ONLY COMPLETELY CROSS-PLATFORM WEB STANDARD your so-called 'horrible mark-up language' is required for other mark-ups to function. Additionally it is the BASE FORMAT CODE behind the PPS document set, so if you use PowerPoint you are building an HTML schema.

Ya sure, i've only been web designing for 8 years. HTML is a bad language. It is clumsy and extremely loose. Any language based on tags is inefficent. Sure it's cross-platform, but it's barely cross browser. Good luck formating your presentation for EVERY browser the client may have, including versions. While you are muddling through all that, I am done with my PP hours ahead of you.

[dudels]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt

Good luck formating your presentation for EVERY browser the client may have, including versions. While you are muddling through all that, I am done with my PP hours ahead of you.

 

 

But the thing is, you CAN make it available in they may have. Also, if you follow the standards then you won't have to use seperate formatting for each potential browser - that's crazy.

[dethfire]

dudels the problem is browers don't follow the standards perfectly. each handles html and javascript differently.

[dudels]

Javascript I agree with, getting something to work cross-browser can be frustrating at times; although simpler things I have had no problem with.

 

However, I have yet to have any problems getting HTML to display the same on the three main browsers (IE, Mozilla, Opera). There is an occasional discrepency (sp?) with css, but that is usually my fault in not using a standard property - in which case it can bu changed into something more fitting.

[Sayonara]

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt

I think we need to define what type of presentation your talking about.

I agree.

 

I'm refering to the general every day presentation.

Could you define that please?

 

Not some large production cinema event,

Nobody mentioned cinema.

 

or some corporate demonstartion or stock holders meeting

Why not? Because you might need more in those situations than PP can offer, that's why.

 

My father is a high end manager for GE Medical System and has never seen a presentation done in anything bur PP.

The legacy of Microsoft, and an individual case that is based around one company's procurement procedure. NOT a technical commentary on PP's value in any way.

 

Sometimes when they do a short movie or animation they use director. BUT for a regular communication presenation they use PP.

Well then I guess everyone does.

 

Show me one fotune 500 company that uses 10 different technologies for a regular presentation.

I don't need to. I can just show you several thousand who use Flash, Director, AuthorWare, QT-Flash combos, Acrobat, LiveMotion, and any number of shareware, freeware or in-house software that does a better job.

 

They don't know why? Because they are too busy working on the actually speech, which you should be doing. The eye candy is less important.

You've obviously never seen the corporate machine swinging gloriously into motion. Content should be the focus - it rarely is. Also, do not undersestimate the power of well-presented information.

 

I gaurentee that if I work 25% on my eye candy and 75% on the speech that I will hold a more successful presentation in I worked the opposite way.

Based on...?

 

What is this supposed to mean? You don't have programming control in a compressed movie using 3d max and premiere.

Again, ignorance of the tools available.

 

You usually bring your own machine (laptop) for presentations. What else do you need?

I refer to the machines available for production of the presentation. Compliance is never guaranteed across an industry.

If the body hosting the presentation don't have the facilities to properly run it then they deserve to get a PPS.

 

Again, work on the speech, not the eye candy. More people are going to be paying attention to special effects than what you say.

This directly contradicts your last-but-two and last-but-three posts.

 

Yeah right, try findinf Konqueror on a clients machine. Opera does have a cool slide show feature, but PP is still more powerful and easy.

You don't have to find it. If you are using an HTML based document it will launch the browser automatically due to file association. See below comments on HTML.

 

Ya sure, i've only been web designing for 8 years. HTML is a bad language. It is clumsy and extremely loose. Any language based on tags is inefficent. Sure it's cross-platform, but it's barely cross browser.

If you think HTML isn't cross-browser compatible, then you've wasted 8 years. By now you should know exactly which tags need to be replaced, modified or replicated. It's not like there are a lot of them.

 

Good luck formating your presentation for EVERY browser the client may have, including versions.

I fail to see why this would be necessary.

 

While you are muddling through all that, I am done with my PP hours ahead of you.

Well done. I'm sure the eighth grade will appreciate it, Grandma

 

You again fail to address the fact that PPS cannot run on Unix, Linux, Solaris, Tru64, HP-UX, SCO, IRIX, AIX, FreeBSD, OpenBSD or Macs

You also fail to address that while presentations made in PPS will not run on these operating systems, the reverse is not always true.

 

Again I think I ought to remind you of my original post:

Originally posted by Sayonara³

(I really don't see the point of Powerpoint to be honest - what with HTML being slightly more versatile, but there's no accounting for business minds is there?)

In this post I attempted to communicate that I personally do not see any need to create PPS content. I go on to infer that people whose skills lie in other areas may or may not have the need, depending on their industry. I am not responsible for your failure to understand such an inference.

 

The whole issue you are continuing to argue here is purely self-supporting. In effect, you are arguing with yourself since - as I have no need to use PP - I don't care what you think of it.

You, I suspect (please prove me wrong because it's depressing) would continue to elevate PPS above all other possibilites long after the rest of us had started using a better program.

 

This thread is becoming dangerously trollish.

[dethfire]

ok, i'm done