Slideshow presentation software is software that enables users to present information in the form of a slide show. Typically, slideshow presentation software allows the presenter to display information on a large screen behind him while he manipulates the information through a computer. Presentation software is ideal for a presenter interested in adding a visual component to an audio-heavy presentation such as a lecture.
Slideshow presentations were once used with actual slide projectors, but as technological developments in personal computers evolved, programs for these computers did, too. Presentation software is now available to be used by virtually any user on either PC or Mac computers. Some popular slideshow presentation software choices include Microsoft PowerPoint, OpenOffice.org Impress, Google Presentation and Apple’s Keynote. Because of its ubiquity, many people refer to general slideshow presentation software as simply “PowerPoint.” While Microsoft PowerPoint is probably the most widely known presentation software on the market, its alternatives are no less viable and deciding which presentation software to use can, in many ways, just come down to personal preference.
Despite the different brands and programs available on the market, almost every example of slideshow presentation software boasts three main components: text insertion and editing, image insertion and manipulation and a feature that allows both the text and images to be presented in a slideshow. Users can insert text to modify or compliment their presentations or to remind attendees of main presentation points. Similarly, personal images or stock images like clip art can be inserted into the presentation to help attendees visualize the text-based information. Displaying the information in a slideshow allows the presenter to supplement his presentation with a tool that is likely to keep the attendees’ attention.
Slideshow presentation software gives presenters more control over their presentations. They may only proceed to a subsequent slide after his or her points have been made clear, all discussions have taken place and any questions have been answered. In addition, the dynamism that slideshow presentation software provides in a presentation setting may give the presentation a more interactive feel. Standard supplemental tools like paper handouts, chalkboards, posters and flip charts can be abandoned with the proper use of slideshow presentation software. For example, presenters who wish to give attendees a physical supplemental tool may decide to print out their slides and hand them out to attendees so that they can refer to individual slides during any part of the presentation.