If you are planning a presentation or a lecture in which you want to illustrate your content to your audience, modern presentation software is ideal. Microsoft PowerPoint has been the market leader in this segment for decades. Here you can find out which extensive possibilities the MS Office application offers you, which installation requirements you have to observe and how much the software costs.
- PowerPoint is included in the Office suite.
- The software is available for macOS and Windows.
- The program offers extensive functions for creating professional presentations.
- Teamwork: presentations can be edited by several people at the same time.
What PowerPoint can do
Abbreviated as PP by abbreviationfinder, PowerPoint is used wherever you want to organize images, graphics and text clearly on several pages. The individual pages of the PowerPoint presentation are called slides. You can play back a finished PowerPoint presentation like a slide show on a projector. With the help of program-internal animations, it is possible to show, hide or change lines of text or images one after the other on a slide. What is shown always fits exactly what you as a speaker convey to your audience and your words are not anticipated.
Easy exchange of information
But the program can do a lot more. Simply make the results of your work available to your work colleagues via PowerPoint. Start a web conference where you show the presentation or comment on it with your voice and record the whole thing. Now everyone can listen to the lecture exactly when they find the time and get the visualization included. A joint meeting in person is no longer necessary.
Present your data in clear diagrams and tables
PowerPoint offers you the option of integrating statistical results from Excel directly into your presentation. Create clear graphs, diagrams or tables and select your existing records in Microsoft Excel as a database. The interlinking of the individual Office applications is one of the great strengths of the software collection. If you want to transfer individual slides to Word, for example, this works just as easily as sending a finished presentation directly from PowerPoint via Outlook.
The group function: An important feature for successful teamwork
Extensive group functions allow you to directly link documents that are stored on a shared Exchange server. In addition, the group function of Office gives you joint access to PowerPoint files and allows several people to edit the presentation. This allows a team to process data and information in a short time – correction by the team leader is child’s play. When the presentation is ready, the presentation can be distributed using the group function.
Expansion options for experienced users
You can use VBA script or Apple script to adapt PowerPoint to your needs. Certain processes can be automated in this way. With the template function, you can create presentations in a defined design. This option is particularly useful for companies that value a uniform appearance.
PowerPoint: Tips and possibilities for private use
In your private life, you can use PowerPoint to create wonderful slide shows for your vacation trips. Complement your photos with maps, funny anecdotes and information or pictures that you have also collected. Make the holiday presentation available to your loved ones via e-mail or cloud , such as a small film, or demonstrate the work at home in a cozy atmosphere. But you can also loosen up speeches at weddings or birthdays with a PowerPoint presentation.
How to Relate PowerPoint
PowerPoint is offered as a component of the Microsoft Office package.
- If you use Microsoft Office 365 with a subscription, PowerPoint is automatically on board.
- Anyone who wants to purchase the software for a one-off payment can do that too.
- Microsoft offers cheaper licenses for certain groups of buyers. Students, pupils and teachers receive the office package at a very attractive price.
- In terms of functionality, you can also choose between different costly versions.
In addition, Microsoft also offers individual software licenses without an Office bundle in the so-called open license program. At least five individual licenses must be purchased here together. This is interesting, for example, for training companies that offer PowerPoint courses.
What are the installation and operating requirements?
To use PowerPoint, you need a PC with the Windows operating system or a Mac. Microsoft PowerPoint versions are available for both systems. Internet access is also required to install and activate the software. The computer can then also be offline for later operation. However, it is advisable to connect to the Internet on a regular basis, as this will obtain automatic updates from Microsoft. If you haven’t been connected to the Internet for 31 days, Office goes into a restricted mode. Documents can no longer be edited. Reconnecting to the Internet will restore normal mode.
