Presentation Software (Microsoft PowerPoint & Prezi)

Presentation Software

Presentation software generally is used to create slide shows for business and academic purposes. These slides incorporate text, graphics and sometimes even embedded audio and video. Presentation software packages should be chosen based on the specific purpose of the presentation and the user’s technical knowledge and comfort level with it. Everyone can use any presentation software to create better looking presentation. Presentation software is great, but we know there are plenty of options to choose from such as Microsoft Power Point, Powtoon, Prezi, SlideDog, GoAnimate and many more. Some have their advantages and disadvantages while others are perfect for certain audience. Choosing the right presentation software can make your job as a presenter easier and give your slides an extra gloss of professionalism.

For my individual assignment STID1013 Information System in Organization, I have to choose two different presentation software and I have decided to choose Microsoft PowerPoint and Prezi.

Microsoft PowerPoint 

Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation software program that is part of the Microsoft Office package. PowerPoint has long been used for presentations has become the standard "go to" software when putting together presentations. Microsoft PowerPoint is the most prominent example of presentation software and one of the simplest computer programs to learn. Anyone can create stunning presentations that look like they were designed by a professional. PowerPoint is also great tool for a linear story (a story that begins at point A, progresses through events which build towards a climax, and then finally reaches point B). It uses a graphical approach to presentation in the form of slide shows that accompany the oral delivery of the topic. PowerPoint presentations can be made into photo albums, complete with music or narrations, to distribute on CDs or DVDs.

• Simple : PowerPoint is very simple to use. Normally, Microsoft office programs (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) are taught in school, so most people have at least some familiarity of how the software works.
• Builds, transitions, and animations : Can use these visual enhancement to add to the explanatory power of the presentation and also enhance visuals.
• Control : Powerpoint provides seemingly endless possibilities when it comes to slide design. We can choose from an endless amount of colours, fonts, graphics, and backgrounds.
• Hyperlinks : Just click on a link and be taken directly to the links location on the web or somewhere else in the presentation.

Prezi

Prezi is whole new concept on the take of visual aids. Prezi is a newer flash-based application that allows the user to create a presentation using a larger, blank page instead of traditional slides. Prezi became very popular because it was the first to offer a real alternative to the typical slideshow format of presentations. This presentation software provides people with creating better style and effect in their presentations. It uses the concept of Pathway Points instead of slides to give the visual cinematic appeal of their presentations. It's still the best opinion for what we called "non-linear presentations". This allows the presenter to give a visual representation of how the ideas in a presentation relate to each other. The presenter can set an order in which sections of the presentation are shown, using pathways between different sections, or can simply pan around and zoom in and out as required.

• Zoom : Prezi's unique differentiation is its zoom function. This allows the presenter to simply click the background with the mouse and teh presentation zooms out to an overview , then the presenter  can zoom into the area they please.
• Non-linear : It allows the presenter to choose their own paths which users can jump in and out ideas and are given more flexibility when presenting ideas.

Both software incorporate images, sounds, videos, animations, and text for an interactive presentation. Both have the idea of templates, while can download free PowerPoint templates for PowerPoint presentations, there are Prezi template for Prezi. Both are used by all kind of people which include business people and students.

Microsoft PowerPoint VS Prezi

Microsoft PowerPoint	Prezi
Linear slide format and design Presenter need to move back or forth one slide at a time	Non-linear navigation Allows the presenter to skip to any part of the presentation with ease
No learning curve Technically PowerPoint is very simple to use	Short learning curve Prezi is fairly simple in nature, it does take some time getting used to. Many people like to stay within their comfort zone, and Prezi is outside that zone for many non-designers.
Can print handouts of the slides Allow people to follow along without having to focus on writing notes on the presentation	Limited printing option Can’t print out the slides (since there are no slides), so the audience won’t be able to have copy of presentation for reference or note-taking

Comparing Microsoft PowerPoint to Prezi is kind of like comparing apples to oranges. They both come from the same family, its simply up to personal preference. There are pros and cons to each.

PowerPoint or Prezi?

I personally prefer to use PowerPoint for my presentation because it is easy to use. Some people might think PowerPoint is a "boring" format. The biggest problem I see with PowerPoint is the most people really don't understand how to create a fun and attractive presentation. The simple slide themes can be tweaked to look more sleek and modern, while the linear progression of the presentation makes it simple for viewers to follow. In other words, it's not PowerPoint that is the problem, but instead the presenter creating the PowerPoint. For me either PowerPoint or Prezi it doesn't matter because it just a tool and the most important part is meaningful content.

Whether you select PowerPoint or Prezi for presentation, you need to continuously practice your presentation skills for best results. PowerPoint and Prezi both have their place.

What Do I Learn from This Assignment?

Presentation is part of my life and the basic communication skill for me as a student. And of course I need to use any presentation software as the aid in presenting and explaining my idea. So, through this assignment I have learnt a  lot of things about presentation sofware which is important  because it allows me to effectively put across information. As I have chosen Microsoft PowerPoint and Prezi software for my assignment, I maneged to differentiate between PowerPoint and Prezi software. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. This can help me as a student to think about some of the main issues involved in preparing presentations and some tips when using presentation sofware such as PowerPoint and Prezi.


By : Norzuriati Amira