However, unlike perfectly functional and convenient “Google-Word” or “Google-Excel”, I find “Google-PowerPoint” awkward so Breaking away from Powerpoint’s linear presentation styleīut the other downside of Powerpoint, and it’s free relatives, is that it limits your presentation style and makes your over-reliant on visual aids. Google Docs -is a free online office suite, which allows you to make and share different documents.
In general, saving your presentations in pdf format allows to prevent font conflicts with different versions of Windows. Open Office contains a Powerpoint equivalent called Impress that you can use to make presentations and pdfs Here are some alternatives to the Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple’s equivalent (Keynote) that solve that particular problem… Unhooking from propriety software for presenting your science But there are downsides to using Powerpoint being hooked to a particular proprietary software for starters. We have to present data all of the time so it is little wonder that Powerpoint is so popular amongst scientists. before Powerpoint the only visual aid options for presenters were whiteboards, flipcharts or fixed slides, which had to be drawn in advance. When it was released in the late 80’s, Powerpoint was truly revolutionary…. The reason for this is largely historical.
Why is Powerpoint so popular with scientists?
So when I think about describing my results, I immediately start to construct a PPT. They teach you to make PPTs as early as the first year of high school and it was certainly the communication aid of choice throughout my training. What? Surely biologists and PowerPoint presentations (PPT) go together like biologists and white lab coats. He opened by saying that he has never done a presentation using Powerpoint in his life. I was shocked recently at a seminar called “Writing with style” by the Manchester University writer-in-residence, Chris Simms.