i have always been a pc user but i really want to get a mac, my issue is i need a laptop that i can use to give presentations using powerpoint. i already have a presentation that i must stick with, so my questions are 1. how much trouble would it be to be able to use a current powerpoint presentation on a new power book. 2. what kind of problems will i have traveling to different locations using powerpoint projectors that are mostly set up for pc's(like plugging in sound and video) and finally and most importantly i know that mac costs a bit more than a pc laptop, so how much extras will i have to buy to make everything work. if it costs two or three times as much as a pc laptop i think my switch to mac will have to wait. any help or advice would be most appreciated. thanks
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compatibility question
- Thread starter rupert
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you can buy office for the mac, but i would suggest "keynote" from apple, it is a new presentation package that is compatable with powerpoint files, so you can use your premade powerpoint one and add to it as you see fit. the powerbook should be able to plug into any projectors without problems. as far as "extras to make everything work", i'm not quite sure what you're asking. can you give examples of what your needs are? you shouldn't have to buy anything extra just because you are on a mac, but if you could clarify the statement, we could help you find what you need (if anything). good luck with the switch, it's well worth it 
what i meant by extras
sorry bout the vague extras thing, i meant extras like cords to make the powerbook plug into the projector, or additional programs such as virtual pc or ms office for the mac. i just wondered how much extra money i was gonna have to spend on top of the price of the powerbook to achieve my needs. most places i have been have a serial port plug from the projector to the pc and i am aware the powerbook has no serial port. also the sound is usually plugged in via a stereo jack and i don't know if that will work? thanks for the response. i hope this clears up my vague statement.
sorry bout the vague extras thing, i meant extras like cords to make the powerbook plug into the projector, or additional programs such as virtual pc or ms office for the mac. i just wondered how much extra money i was gonna have to spend on top of the price of the powerbook to achieve my needs. most places i have been have a serial port plug from the projector to the pc and i am aware the powerbook has no serial port. also the sound is usually plugged in via a stereo jack and i don't know if that will work? thanks for the response. i hope this clears up my vague statement.
do the projectors connect via serial, or S-video? if it's the latter, laptops come with many different video outputs but you can get an adaptor to use s-video... hell, i think the 12" powerbook comes with s-video out, so all you'd need is a cable. it could be a serial connection i don't know about tho... the connection just looks similar sometimes...
and yeah, i recommend keynote over powerpoint. you only need virtual pc if you have specific programs you must use that aren't on mac, but most programs have mac equivilants. you can use AppleWorks as a suite, or get the more powerful Office if you wanted to... apple provides some pretty nice software on their own...
pnw
and yeah, i recommend keynote over powerpoint. you only need virtual pc if you have specific programs you must use that aren't on mac, but most programs have mac equivilants. you can use AppleWorks as a suite, or get the more powerful Office if you wanted to... apple provides some pretty nice software on their own...
pnw
Re: what i meant by extras
Well I'll take a stab at helping you with the video connection. I did a quick search for a few projectors and they seem to have SVGA which as per the apple site "Apple DVI to VGA Adapter and S-Video to Composite Adapter" the Powerbook has included when you buy it. As for the stereo cable, do you mean the sort that plugs into the headphone socket? If so, those are readily available at any audio shop so you should have no trouble.
Well I'll take a stab at helping you with the video connection. I did a quick search for a few projectors and they seem to have SVGA which as per the apple site "Apple DVI to VGA Adapter and S-Video to Composite Adapter" the Powerbook has included when you buy it. As for the stereo cable, do you mean the sort that plugs into the headphone socket? If so, those are readily available at any audio shop so you should have no trouble.
thanks for the help all, most of the places i go the projectors are hardwired into the room. and i usually have a podium with various wires coming out of it to hook to. usually the wires are a serial plug that hooks the PC to the video part of the projector then the stereo headphone type plug that connects to the pc and gives the audio for my presentation. thanks for the help it sounds like i wont have a problem running my presentation, now i just need to make sure i will have the cables to make sure i can hook into the projectors. i am sorry if these questions are very novice i just know very little about macs. this is the reason i want to get one, so i can learn. i just need to make sure that while i learn i will be able to use it for the main reason i bought it.
We have projectors in most rooms at the Uni, all have s-video and stereo sound inputs, you need a s-video cable and a stereo minijack to stereo phone cable (any hifi shop) both cheap. The Ti's we use work flawlessly.
Death by Powerpoint anyone?
There's a deal on Office and Macs on the UK site at the moment, don't know if it's elswhere.
Go with the PowerBook, you know you want to...
Death by Powerpoint anyone?
There's a deal on Office and Macs on the UK site at the moment, don't know if it's elswhere.
Go with the PowerBook, you know you want to...
don't buy keynote if you use powerpoint. the compatibility between the 2 isn't flawless, and if everyone else in your business uses it, its still better to use it. And PP is much more powerful. Keynote can't do a few things that people need it to do yet, like timed presentations and looping (unless of course you export it to QT but when you do that, you have no control over the presentation.)
My 15" powerbook has a regular VGA connector. I wouldn't expect any problem connecting it to a projector. There is a special right now of getting Office for $300 with any mac, which includes powerpoint of course. If you don't like that, I suppose the Windows powerpoint would work in virtual PC ... it's not like it has to do any CPU heavy lifting.
thanks for the help i think i will head to the apple store in my city to make sure my presentation can play on a mac, then i think i have made my decision. i really want to try a mac out i have heard only great things about them. i would like to see for myself. i will keep you all updated.
one last thing
one last question, do you guys think i should go with the new 12 inch powerbook or could i adequately do my presentations on the ibook. it would still give me a chance to try a mac but could save me some money for any additional stuff i might want or need?
one last question, do you guys think i should go with the new 12 inch powerbook or could i adequately do my presentations on the ibook. it would still give me a chance to try a mac but could save me some money for any additional stuff i might want or need?
the ibook is good for a lot of people but i'd say go powerbook on this one... first, the ibook only has mini-vga output, no s-video, and the powerbooks are pretty slick. full featured except for the missing L3 cache, but i would still go for a G4 with altivec over a G3. i think you'll be happier in the end...
pnw
pnw
my new mac
i am sitting here making this post from my new powerbook. i want to thank everyone for the valuable advice. i purchased ms office for the mac and my presentation runs flawlessly. the cables that came with my powerbook are more than enough to handle my needs for connecting to a projector. thanks again, it was the advice in this thread that helped me make my decision.
i am sitting here making this post from my new powerbook. i want to thank everyone for the valuable advice. i purchased ms office for the mac and my presentation runs flawlessly. the cables that came with my powerbook are more than enough to handle my needs for connecting to a projector. thanks again, it was the advice in this thread that helped me make my decision.
Re: my new mac
Which one did you get? Good to see a result! Judging by your response you seem happy with it (as I would be). I hope you get many hours of happy usage.
Originally posted by rupert
i am sitting here making this post from my new powerbook. i want to thank everyone for the valuable advice. i purchased ms office for the mac and my presentation runs flawlessly. the cables that came with my powerbook are more than enough to handle my needs for connecting to a projector. thanks again, it was the advice in this thread that helped me make my decision.
Which one did you get? Good to see a result! Judging by your response you seem happy with it (as I would be
). I hope you get many hours of happy usage. congrats!
I'm in academia, and I'd say that about 80% of our guest speakers (several a week) use a mac for the presentation. And I've only ever seen a PC crash during one in recent times. Perhaps not the biggest dataset to work with, but I definitely trust macs a whole lot. And it's refreshing to see that bit of titanium or bright white plastic peeking up over the edge of the AV podium!
I'm in academia, and I'd say that about 80% of our guest speakers (several a week) use a mac for the presentation. And I've only ever seen a PC crash during one in recent times. Perhaps not the biggest dataset to work with, but I definitely trust macs a whole lot. And it's refreshing to see that bit of titanium or bright white plastic peeking up over the edge of the AV podium!