Why do u prefer Keynote over Powerpoint?

[chameleon81]

Hi,

I used to use powerpoint 2007 for the presentations at the uni and I really like it. I also tried Keynote which in my opinion creates better looking animations and slightly better looking slide shows.

But Keynote does not have SmartArt Graphics which in my opinion reduce great amount of time when creating a slide show.

How do you cope with lack of SmartArt Graphics?

And what are your reasons for using Keynote not the Powerpoint?

 

[Scarlet Fever]

Primary school kids and boring people in suits use Powerpoint. Steve Jobs uses Keynote. Which presentation looks better?

 

[alphaod]

Primary school kids and boring people in suits use Powerpoint. Steve Jobs uses Keynote. Which presentation looks better?

When I was in primary school, we used poster board.

And it's not about which looks nicer, it's about the material your presenting; if your slides look fly, but you have no idea what you're talking about, what's the point?

I use PowerPoint because I'm used to it, but recently started using Keynote. Neither is a bad choice.

 

[iNash]

I use presentations all the bloody time

I have to use PowerPoint as everyone at work (bar about 3 people) use Windows which means all the sexy formatting in Keynote is lost when they open it in PowerPoint.

I do very much prefer Keynote though and it creates some better looking slides (thankfully I do also know what I'm talking about - at least that's what I tell myself )

I still often use Keynote as part of making videos for the fluid transitions they have.

I also don't use SmartArt Graphics or ClipArt so either way I have to get the images myself anyway.

 

[Molnies]

My reason for Keynote over Powerpoint is because it actually works the way I want it to. I've totally given up on MS Office, because they don't work "the Mac way" (and this is coming from someone that has used Win exclusively between 3.1 and XP) so I have to actually think a few seconds before I can figure out where stuff is located. The second part is that I think Keynote does a much better job at making the presentation visually stunning. Without any real knowledge on typography or graphic design any person can create a great Keynote presentation — sadly, I've not see a single one good presentation so far at my university (from neither students nor teachers) that uses Powerpoint. And I might add, I don't use animations, I think they often take away from the content and just add visual clutter.

And SmartArt Graphics... I have no idea what that is, but after a quick Googleling it looks like stuff that I use OmniGraffle Pro to produce and then import into Keynote. I might be wrong though, didn't really look into it.

All in all, Keynote does exactly what I need it to do, it does is simply and the end result is always beautiful.

 

[.Andy]

I use keynote because I prefer the work environment (compared to Powerpoint X). Unfortunately for the communal computers I use for the presentations I have to export to .ppt to show them.

 

[chameleon81]

My reason for Keynote over Powerpoint is because it actually works the way I want it to. I've totally given up on MS Office, because they don't work "the Mac way" (and this is coming from someone that has used Win exclusively between 3.1 and XP) so I have to actually think a few seconds before I can figure out where stuff is located. The second part is that I think Keynote does a much better job at making the presentation visually stunning. Without any real knowledge on typography or graphic design any person can create a great Keynote presentation — sadly, I've not see a single one good presentation so far at my university (from neither students nor teachers) that uses Powerpoint. And I might add, I don't use animations, I think they often take away from the content and just add visual clutter.

And SmartArt Graphics... I have no idea what that is, but after a quick Googleling it looks like stuff that I use OmniGraffle Pro to produce and then import into Keynote. I might be wrong though, didn't really look into it.

All in all, Keynote does exactly what I need it to do, it does is simply and the end result is always beautiful.

Yes it is similar OmniGraffle but comes with Powerpoint. I put some pictures so you can understand what it does.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kaanaksoy81/Smartart?feat=directlink

Basically you select SmartArt then choose one of the SmartArts which fits your needs and it creates a nice looking ( at least in my opinion ) graphic whichs color scheme you can change easily.

I found this tool very useful and time efficient if you want to display a structured content.

 

[McKnight]

The reality is that in industry (which is where you all are or will be if you're not hobos/bums/convicts) powerpoint is the standard file format for data exchange in presentation form.

You can't expect to use keynote to send presentations accross to your bosses because it just won't work, macs don't work well in the workplace at all because backend and client software/setup is for Windows. The chances are your IT department will have issues with you plugging a mac into their network even if you do use Office for Mac, it's a security risk. The backend isn't setup for it.

Everyone knows this.

 

[Jack Flash]

iWork is cheaper and prettier. Enough reason for me.

 

[tersono]

macs don't work well in the workplace at all because backend and client software/setup is for Windows. The chances are your IT department will have issues with you plugging a mac into their network even if you do use Office for Mac, it's a security risk. The backend isn't setup for it.

Everyone knows this.

Unmitigated *********.

I'm a network admin. I've been doing it for a living for a loooong time now. Our corporate network is primarily Windows based running 64-bit Win Server 2003 and a mixture of XP and Vista workstations. We also run several Macs - including the machine I work from 99% of the time.

There are NO security issues involved - providing the network admin knows what he's doing. Macs integrate with and authenticate via AD domains without difficulty.

The only part of your post that makes any sense is that powerpoint is the industry standard.

 

[Rob0711]

The chances are your IT department will have issues with you plugging a mac into their network even if you do use Office for Mac, it's a security risk. The backend isn't setup for it. Everyone knows this.

lol funny. here it´s the other way around. we aren´t allowed to plug windows machines into the network out of security reasons. but 99% of our machines are macs anyway

 

[McKnight]

Snipped

 

[Diaresi]

It was only a few days ago I audited a University and found this exact problem, macs conencted to the network can be used to bypass group restrictions on user groups due to poor or incorrect coding in the Exchange server.

Wouldn't that mean it is Microsoft's fault not Apple's since surely the Mac shouldn't be able to do this if, as you said, the Exchange server was properly coded? After all the network shouldn't be susceptible to any machine doing this. This isn't meant to be saying you're wrong (I know sweet nothing on this subject), i'm just being curious

 

[Scarlet Fever]

wow, that got off topic quickly...

I use MS Word when I have to have cross platform compatibility, Pages when I want to make a document look nice, and Keynote all the time. Keynote is one of the best apps I've used.

 

[chameleon81]

wow, that got off topic quickly...

I use MS Word when I have to have cross platform compatibility, Pages when I want to make a document look nice, and Keynote all the time. Keynote is one of the best apps I've used.

Did you check the link I posted on my second msg. How do you create such things on Keynote?

 

[clevin]

im not really expert on keynote, the only impression I have was seeing a slide transition cube effect years back, looks impressive.

My personal opinion is, if there is any component in iWork that are equal or better than MS Office, it would probably be keynote.

I haven't figure out a similar function in powerpoint 07 yet (although I remembered office for mac 04 can do it, albeit no as smooth as keynote)

However, since I reply on excel, access and word alot, so I already bought MS Office suite (campus price for $34), Im not going to spend extra $$$ just for keynote.

 

[iNash]

I'm an Information Security Analyst, are we here to compare e-peens with our job titles?

Macs are widely integrated with Windows backend services such as Active Directory this is true and while Apple provides support for these services it certainly doesn't provide it on the same level as Windows systems.

While OS X does mimic the information exchange of Active Directory services the coding is totally different. A Windows backend is setup to communicate with Windows machines, using Microsoft protocols coded by Microsoft Engineers. Security features built into the core of AD for managing Authentication are designed for Windows, not macs.

Security breaches are most abundent when Macs are used to access a network, users can for example bypass exchange group restrictions by using Mail to map networked mail folders, totally bypassing group user restrictions. This is a flaw in the security coding of the protocol used to mimic Windows-based authentication.

It was only a few days ago I audited a University and found this exact problem, macs conencted to the network can be used to bypass group restrictions on user groups due to poor or incorrect coding in the Exchange server.

As you said, it's true that Macs integrate, but the security is flawed. If you were an Information Security Professional and not a Network Admin I'd beleive what you're saying, however in this case I am the prior and I know what I'm talking about.

I'm sorry this is not correct.

I agreed completly with tersono, we have a a group network which uses Windows and our CTO (that's the guy that ultimatly is Accountable for EVERYTHING including security) uses... Yup you guessed it a Mac.

Not to mention nearly all our Directors use a Mac and for a very long time I did as well. (It's worth noting the only reason I now use a Windows laptop is because I do a lot of travel and didn't want my Mac getting beaten up in the process.

So all in all we all connect to the network with the full intergration that tersono stated and we do not have any security issues at all.

The network has been set up to ensure that Macs can't hack through anything including networked mail folders. This was done by simply applying the right settings (which was a 3hr job max).

Of course I could be completely wrong and have to apologise to you as we are only a small company with over 3,000 locations world wide and well over 30,000 Windows Desktop/Laptops so what do I know

 

[chameleon81]

I just wanted to know why people choose keynote over Powerpoint or vice versa.

 

[chameleon81]

iWork is cheaper and prettier. Enough reason for me.

MS Office is cheap for students and homeusers as well. For business users it offers more functionality than iWork hence comparing them is not so easy. iWork does not have sth similar to Outlook neither Outlook with contact manager extension.

 

[telecomm]

I'm with many others who like the user interface (more intuitive, I find) and the final results produced by Keynote.

I haven't spent much time using the Smart-Art graphics, but I find I can do pretty much whatever I'd like really quickly using Keynote anyway. For example, I can add a shape, double-click it and start typing. In PowerPoint I'd have to draw the shape, then add a text box to it. That alone isn't a big deal, but there are lots of little things like that which make Keynote really easy to use.

Also, the templates are great.

Anyway, I've always used my MBP to give presentations, even in exclusively Windows environments (especially to use the presenter display). After all, I don't need to connect to their network to display my presentation, all I need to do is connect to the projector. As far as I know, VGA cables don't pose a security risk.

 

[Jack Flash]

MS Office is cheap for students and homeusers as well. For business users it offers more functionality than iWork hence comparing them is not so easy. iWork does not have sth similar to Outlook neither Outlook with contact manager extension.

I paid $39 for iWork '09 from the University's OIT. I've used iWork '08 and '09 in lieu of office for four semesters and haven't had any trouble.

I don't need Outlook and a contact manager when I have Mail and Contacts apps built in to OS X.

 

[chameleon81]

I paid $39 for iWork '09 from the University's OIT. I've used iWork '08 and '09 in lieu of office for four semesters and haven't had any trouble.

I don't need Outlook and a contact manager when I have Mail and Contacts apps built in to OS X.

Yes those are programs targeted mainly business users since contact manager is a CRM solution for small business.

 

[clevin]

I paid $39 for iWork '09 from the University's OIT.

and I paid $34 for MS office 2007 with word, excel, powerpoint, outlook, and access.

and everybody can pay $80 from newegg.com to get office home and student edition with word, excel and powerpoint, with 3 licenses.

 

[chameleon81]

In PowerPoint I'd have to draw the shape, then add a text box to it. That alone isn't a big deal, but there are lots of little things like that which make Keynote really easy to use.

This is not correct. You can draw a shape and start typing in it.

 

[clevin]

This is not correct. You can draw a shape and start typing in it.

wow, you are right indeed.

I wonder why people makes false statements all the time, seems particularly common here.....