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Powerpoint sucks - what to use instead?
JavaJones:
Yep, all good points 40hz. I think the idea of an HTML/XHTML and CSS-driven presentation system makes a helluvalot of sense in fact, and I'm surprised it doesn't exist yet. So, wait, *does it*? Anyone?
The simple fact of being able to maintain a common stylesheet separately and make instant global changes is reason enough for me.
- Oshyan
40hz:
I think the idea of an HTML/XHTML and CSS-driven presentation system makes a helluvalot of sense in fact, and I'm surprised it doesn't exist yet. So, wait, *does it*? Anyone?
-JavaJones (April 28, 2010, 01:54 PM)
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Well, maybe not as a presentation package per se.
But you could easily press the Adobe Creative Suite or Microsoft Expression Studio offerings into service to create presentations. And there's a lot more you can use if you want to mix and match products from other sources. Especially if you don't insist on working in a WYSIWYG or all-in-one environment. Many excellent tools are even free.
Look at it this way - a slide show, a book, or a web site are all basically the same thing - a collection of dimensioned areas containing text and graphics designed to be presented in some sort of ordered sequence.
Websites have the 'advantage' of being less linear in fundamental structure (hence the hyper reference in HTML). But that is more of a feature than a requirement since many websites (blogs, shopping carts, reference works, forums, magazine sites, webcomics, etc. ) tend towards linear presentation in actual use.
So what's the main difference? Page size - and colors supported.
With print, you can go as high and as colorful as your budget can afford. For web-based technologies, there are some technical limits that are well documented in any web design book you'd care to look at. But basically, anything you design on screen should look good when projected (@1280x1024) so long as you use something like a 1200 wide page with 20 or 24-pt type. Again, it's hard to be specific for all cases so you'll need to do a little experimenting to see what looks best for what you're working with.
Once you've got that worked out, it's a simple matter to create style sheets and a 'design manual' for future work - or rework in your case! ;D
Luck! 8)
JavaJones:
Of course the various high-end HTML-ish design systems could be used but, as you said, they're a lot more flexible, and as I've noted a couple times in this thread, for my particular needs flexibility is a *minus*. ;) I *don't* want to mix and match anything from anywhere. We have a very clear, precise need that I'm trying to meet. That the output could then be flexiblty adapted is a bonus, and one for which others might be then more inspired to use any product selection resulting from this discussion. But again for my specific purposes the more limited the better (to a point).
I want the actual language and output to be flexible, but not the tool it's constructed in. For me HTML/CSS is perfect in that regard because I can make a limited tool to create it with WYSWIYG (and WYSIWYG is very important for my users on this project incidentally), and then adjust things to my heart's content globally later with the CSS.
So yeah, I think this is a good approach. But I'm still surprised nobody has made a presentation-oriented tool that is based on HTML/CSS since it'd be so easy to do. I'm not even surprised so much from a "hey, this is a good idea" standpoint as from a "hey, it'd be super easy to make a 'presentation' program with HTML/CSS and cash-in on the biz market. Let's do it!" standpoint. You know what I mean? But maybe it only makes sense to me...
- Oshyan
mouser:
maybe someone can make a powerpoint plugin that prevents you from changing the style of a chart and forces you to base it on the single master chart style (or from a set of approved ones).
40hz:
But I'm still surprised nobody has made a presentation-oriented tool that is based on HTML/CSS since it'd be so easy to do. I'm not even surprised so much from a "hey, this is a good idea" standpoint as from a "hey, it'd be super easy to make a 'presentation' program with HTML/CSS and cash-in on the biz market. Let's do it!" standpoint.
-JavaJones (April 28, 2010, 04:08 PM)
--- End quote ---
Yup, it is a great idea.
Unfortunately, Microsoft owns the presentation graphics market.
Even Adobe couldn't wrestle it away from them. That's why they abandoned Persuasion (anybody else remember that horrendous product and originally from Aldus?) and ceded the field to Gates & Co. PowerPoint is now the undisputed standard for business presentations.
"Mother, forgive me!" as the Comedian so aptly said in the movie Watchmen. ;D
The only other serious competitor was Harvard Presentation Graphics - and that once proud standard of the business world has been reduced to YAVCIW, but (oddly enough) still maintains its existence in a weird sort of 'half-life' arrangement under the Serif software banner:
Link: http://www.harvardgraphics.com/about.asp
In 1986, the first version of Harvard Graphics was released (then known as Harvard Presentation Graphics). Harvard Graphics was the first presentation graphics program to include text, graphs and charts in one program. Harvard Graphics made it easy for people to put together presentations with text slides, charts based on numeric data, and graphics drawn with various tools. In the early years of these applications, the results were typically sent to a slide printer or a color plotter to use in making transparencies. Over time, capabilities were added to present slide shows from the program itself.
The first version of Harvard Graphics was a DOS-based application. Over the years, Harvard Graphics has received top honors in numerous reviews of presentation graphics programs for Intel-compatible computers. In 1991, Harvard Graphics was ported to Windows. Reviews through this period often favored Harvard Graphics as being the most powerful.
Harvard Graphics has continued its tradition through the years as the best solution for communicating and presenting your information to the world. As technology has advanced, Harvard Graphics has evolved to meet the demanding needs of the business community. Many professionals, both past and present, depend on Harvard Graphics to provide the cutting edge needed to rise above the competition. Now it's your turn to let Harvard Graphics forge your place at the top.
In 2001, Serif Incorporated acquired the exclusive marketing rights to all Harvard Graphics products. Additionally, Serif Incorporated provides complete support solutions for all Harvard Graphics customers. For more information on Serif Incorporated, please visit our Web site at: http://www.serif.com.
--- End quote ---
I'm surprised to see you can still buy it...
I'm even more surprised anybody still wants to. ;)
:Thmbsup:
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