PowerPoint Alternatives: Will PowerPoint Ever be Obsolete?
Will PowerPoint ever be replaced? It has become commonly accepted in the business world that ‘PowerPoint’ is synonymous with ‘Presentation’. However, when is the last time that you (or me, or anyone for that matter) questioned the validity of that accepted standard, or even gave fleeting consideration to using a different presentation platform or software program?
So, that leads to the question of whether or not PowerPoint will ever become obsolete, outdated, or replaced by something newer and shinier. In researching thoughts on this topic by folks smarter than myself (such as Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, in this article), I discovered a few things.
First of all, there are already many of alternatives to PowerPoint, and while they might not be household names, they can arguably match the functionality of PowerPoint, and perhaps even be more targeted towards your audience depending on the nature of the presentation. Some of the more popular alternatives to PowerPoint include Apple’s Keynote (which Steve Jobs popularized by using when rolling out new products), Google docs (free, ‘quick and dirty”), SlideRocket (great for folks in a sales environment), and perhaps most notably, Prezi (Intuitive, sophisticated, puts ‘slides in motion’, great for storytelling).
I am personally considering giving Prezi a try based on the positive reviews and feedback that I have read and would love to hear from anyone in our class who has tried the software first-hand. It does seem that one day PowerPoint might be replaced as the gold standard for delivering presentations, but that day is likely not going to come anytime soon, and we are likely better off improving our delivery method rather than changing the platform all-together.
So, what are your thoughts??
Articles for Reference:
http://lifehacker.com/5888189/five-best-powerpoint-alternatives
http://www.customshow.com/best-powerpoint-alternatives-presentation-programs/
http://www.powtoon.com/blog/10-best-powerpoint-alternatives/
Hi Ash,
Thanks for the articles. I have used Prezi and seen several examples of Prezi presentations–indeed it is a very cool platform, and can really work for different stories. I think the best platform is not necessarily the newest and the one with the coolest features. Sometimes Prezi can bring too much movement/complexity and you wish that the information had been presented in a simple, old-fashioned PPT!
In a similar vein, I have wondered about in-person meetings becoming obsolete with the advent and increasing popularity of Google hangout, Skype and the like. {this was actually something I first considered in the Delta MP, when we were wondering if we should target business travelers if business travel may become obsolete with the proliferation of VOIP technologies).
I think it can be hard to change what we have become accustomed to, especially when you consider these are habits at the organization/institutional level. Businesses are used to face-to-face meetings, and to some degree, PowerPoint. My feeling is that PowerPoint will continue to be the standard for some time. Do you consider PowerPoint a technology? Then perhaps we could apply the theory of increasing returns here (which was used in Makadok’s Apple readings). Since PowerPoint (as the incumbent) has a greater installed base of users, it appeals to a wider audience, and thus has more staying power.
Hi Ash,
This is a good topic as Marjorie mentioned and one that we’ve all probably thought about over the past year. As I mentioned in an earlier semester post of mine, creating meaningful and dynamic PPT slides is especially challenging for me given I work with so much data and numbers. Microsoft doesn’t really make it easy either…
To Marjorie’s point, I think unfortunately Power point is the incumbent in the space with a huge fortress of users and corporate purchasers that will never “officially” support another program. I do see new platforms and technologies coming along that could replace PPT in some respects, but my hope is that Microsoft just improves PPT to make it not the worst option. For me, the difficult part would be trying to convince my employer to spend money on a new software program that really doesn’t have any IRR other than better looking presentations and saved employee time. Perhaps Google will continue to develop its “Docs” programs so that an alternative is easy to use and adapt for corporate workplaces.
Good topic to keep us thinking…