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Thoughts and impressions of happenings in the world of PowerPoint and presentations, continuously updated since 2003.
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PowerPoint and Presenting Notes
PowerPoint and Presenting Glossary
By Carol Mae Whittick, Toastmasters International
It struck a chord when the 2023 word of the year chosen by the Merriam-Webster dictionary was ‘authentic’. It seems to me that the strong need to understand and experience authenticity is a collective response to the increasingly artificial world we find ourselves in. Both the world of business and the wider world.
As we become increasingly reliant on screened devices for communication and information, we need to be able to discern facts from misinformation, and reality from the augmented.
Image: Yay Images
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Guest Posts
Tagged as: Guest Post, Toastmasters
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By Kurt Dupont and Geetesh Bajaj
PowerPoint, Microsoft’s famous presentation software, is used everywhere—in offices, schools, and just about any place you can imagine for digital presentations. So, you might wonder, just how many PowerPoint presentations are made every day around the world?
Before we dive into the numbers, let’s think about how widespread PowerPoint really is. There are over 1.2 billion users of the Microsoft Office suite, which includes PowerPoint. This means the potential number of presentations created each day is staggering.
PowerPoint is not just a regional product. Its users can be found everywhere globally. Consider these facts:
There are some simple reasons behind PowerPoint’s widespread use:
So, how many PowerPoint presentations are made every day? Estimates from twenty years ago suggest around 30 million, but this number has been floating around the internet for years without a clear source or method of calculation.
Indezine did some research to get to the source of the 30-million figure. This post on 30-Million PowerPoint Presentations can be interesting to read, but the sources are more than twenty years old!
Twenty years though is a long time, and many more presentations are created today. Newer sources suggest the number today is close to a billion. Read more in this 30-Million or a Billion PowerPoint Slides post.
It’s crucial to realize that the figure mentioned is static and doesn’t take into account recent trends or changes in software usage. Over the years, the landscape of presentation software has diversified significantly. While PowerPoint remains a dominant tool, new platforms like Google Slides, Prezi, and Apple’s Keynote have become increasingly popular. These alternatives offer unique features and capabilities, attracting users who seek different functionalities or a change from the traditional PowerPoint format.
Furthermore, the shift towards remote work and online education has likely increased the overall production of digital presentations. With more people working from home and students attending classes online, the need for digital communication tools has soared. This increase in demand means that more presentations are being created and shared than ever before.
The rise of video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet has also contributed to this trend. These platforms often include features that allow for easy integration and sharing of presentations during virtual meetings and classes, further driving the production of digital content.
Whether you’re making presentations for business pitches, educational lectures, or personal projects, you’re part of a huge community of PowerPoint users adding to the daily total. While we may not know the exact number of presentations made every day, one thing is certain: having effective presentation skills and a strong command of PowerPoint is more important than ever in this digital age.
As technology evolves, so do presentation tools and techniques. Stay updated with the latest trends and tools to keep your presentations fresh and effective. Mastering the art of presentations will help you communicate your ideas clearly and compellingly.
Looking ahead, we might change how we measure the use of presentation software. Instead of just counting PowerPoint presentations, it will be more important to look at all digital presentations created across different platforms.
In the future, we’ll likely consider the total number of digital presentations, regardless of the software used. This gives a fuller picture of how presentations are evolving.
Emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are starting to change what we think of as a “presentation.”
In conclusion, the future of presentations is about embracing all digital platforms and new technologies to create engaging, effective presentations. By staying updated and learning new tools, you can be prepared for whatever the future holds.
The estimate of 30 million or a billion PowerPoint presentations made every day worldwide shows just how influential the software still is. Even as new technologies emerge and our ways of communicating evolve, the importance of presentation tools like PowerPoint will change. However, the true power lies in a well-constructed presentation, no matter which platform you use. Good presentations will always be key to sharing information and influencing audiences around the world.
The power of a well-constructed presentation will always be important for conveying information and influencing audiences worldwide. Whether you stick with PowerPoint or explore new tools and technologies, mastering presentation skills will help you communicate your message effectively in the ever-changing digital landscape.
Kurt Dupont is a solution provider who would go out of his way just to ensure he brings out the best when it comes to issues that have to deal with data-driven presentations, data visualization, and digital signage software.
He started by working at airports worldwide to set up airport databases and flight information screens. This evolved to become the basis for PresentationPoint.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
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Guest Posts
Tagged as: Geetesh, Guest Post, Kurt Dupont, PowerPoint, PresentationPoint
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John Baluka has been developing software within the Microsoft stack for 30+ years. He has been an independent software developer for the last 15+ years. Most recently, John has been focused on how he can help people use PowerPoint to elevate how they create documentation and training.
In this interview, John discusses Multimodal Slides, a tool that will convert your PowerPoint files into a Multimodal website.
Geetesh: John, tell us more about Multimodal Slides, and what motivated you to create this solution.
John: In the past, I have given many presentations, recorded training sessions and written documentation for various software development projects that I have worked on. I noticed the more I used PowerPoint effectively, the more fluid my training sessions would be, and the less I wanted to create documentation in Word documents or in a Wiki. Once I discovered that I could use the Narration feature in PowerPoint, it was a game changer. I did not enjoy manually recording training sessions with tools like Camtasia, because the process of editing videos takes too long. Within PowerPoint, I like how I can easily re-record a slide when I make mistakes, easily change graphics, and then simply export to a video.
Since I have been programming within the Microsoft stack for many years, I have been aware of how to automate PowerPoint. I would generate web pages from presentations. I also created a utility to use Text-to-Speech from what I type in the Notes section.
I have been refining my various utilities, and I generated the Multimodal Slides website, itself.
Here are some aspects when using Multimodal Slides that may, or may not, be noticeable.
Geetesh: Tell us more about typical usage scenarios. Also, tell us about pricing and other specifics.
John: The “typical usage scenarios” – that’s a good question. The primary reason I released MultiModal Slides was to find who else needs a tool like this and how should it evolve. I want to hear from PowerPoint users, speakers, trainers, teachers, documentarians, and bloggers to find out what features are important.
As for pricing, I expect to release a free, unsupported Desktop version with few limitations. I want the free version to be the same as the paid version.
I am currently targeting $29/month or $299/year for the supported Desktop version. If you are using the tool within an organization that makes over $1 million a year, then you’d be required to use a paid version.
Eventually, a website will be available for users to upload a file and download the results.
Geetesh: How can someone start using Multimodal Slides today?
John: Simply email me to become a beta user or to join my mailing list to get notified on new releases.
Overall, I expect the roadmap to evolve as I get more input from users.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
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Interviews
Tagged as: Interviews, John Baluka
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Waterfall charts may sound complicated, but they are among the easiest charts to understand. Just like a story that builds up layer by layer, the columns in these charts guide us through rising and falling numbers. It’s almost as if you are on a journey, and by the time you reach your destination, you’ve understood the story hidden within the data.
Learn more about Waterfall charts in PowerPoint.
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PowerPoint All Versions
Tagged as: Charting, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Windows, Office 365, Office for Mac, PowerPoint 365, Tutorials, Waterfall Charts
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We first look at Aristotle, a historical figure and his role as a salesman. Jerry Weissman explores Aristotle and sales, a topic that’s never been discussed before. In another story, we teach you how you can create full-featured waterfall charts with the think-cell add-in for PowerPoint.
In an exclusive interview, Richard Goring of BrightCarbon talks about their amazing, free add-in for PowerPoint, called BrightSlide. You can learn how to manage and remove connected services in PowerPoint for iPad. We also bring you quotes, press releases, and templates from the last few days.
Stay informed about updated tutorials and happenings related to PowerPoint and presenting.
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Ezine
Tagged as: Ezine, Indezine, News, PowerPoint
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