We’ve randomly lined up some free PowerPoint programs here for those who are not too keen on paying up for Microsoft’s version of the utility or that of any other company for that matter. There are quite a few free options available and some companies have also come up with online tools that highly facilitate sharing content and presentations in real time. An advantage of some of these tools is that they are also compatible with PPT documents, thus allowing you to edit presentations created in the Microsoft Office Suite as well. So scroll right down and find out your options in this particular category.
1 – Kingsoft Presentation:
According to the developers of Kingsoft Presentation, it is a professional software with a user-friendly interface that allows you to create slideshows. Apt for beginners as well as advanced users, it comes with a number of PPT templates and gives you the option to create either flashy presentations or sober ones. The utility meant for Windows-based PCs works in conjunction with Flash to offer a seamless experience without lagging. Its latest version is compatible with SmartArt graphics and tags along multiple slide effects so you can add that extra element to all your slideshows. There’s support for double screen extended mode and it lets you convert content created in it to the CD format so it can be viewed on computers which do not have Kingsoft installed in them. It can also be downloaded as part of Kingsoft’s Office Suite 2012.
2 – IBM Lotus Symphony Presentations:
The second contender on our array is the IBM Lotus Symphony Presentations that can either be installed on the computer separately or along with the entire suite that features Documents word processor and Spreadsheets. You can use slides to make your presentation, either from scratch or with the assistance of built-in templates to keep your point across.
Employing a single, tabbed user interface, it lets you format slides, insert text boxes, tables, graphics and drawings and control timing as well as all other aspects of the slideshow. It has been loaded with transition effects too. Moreover, the productivity tool supports other file types and allows you to export your documents in PDF or HTML format so you can easily view them on any other system.
3 – Apache OpenOffice Impress:
Impress from Apache OpenOffice acts as means to create effective multimedia presentations using various transition effects, 2D and 3D clip art, animation, drawing tools and more. Some preconfigured Master Pages have been saved into the Extensions repository, so you can save up on your precious time instead of creating a file from scratch.
It supports multiple views, including the multi-pane one for instant access to all built-in tools. And if that’s not enough, you can save your frequently used effects on the screen and use them as and when you like, without having to search for them every now and then. As it allows you to save files in the OpenDocument format, you can access them via any compatible software on a system. It even has the option to save them in PPT or SWF formats.
4 – LibreOffice Impress:
The next contender to have graced our catalog is LibreOffice Impress, another productivity application that allows you to come up with creative presentations. Like most of the other software mentioned here, it offers access to multiple special effects, transition styles, drawing tools and even 3D clip arts.
You get access to multiple templates and for your convenience, the developers have added multiple viewing modes like normal, outline, notes, handout and slide sorter. It lets you be the judge of all aspects of the slideshow and boasts of Presenter Console Extension that gives you complete control over your files. Content created in this software can also be exported as an OpenDocument or in SWF and PPT formats for opening them in different environments.
5 – Google Drive Slides:
Now for all those who seek instant access to their presentations from anywhere around the world, should give switching to Google Drive a thought. The biggest advantage of using the utility in question is its collaborative nature. You can not only share your presentations with friends and colleagues, but also observe real time changes that others make to the file so as to avoid confusions. Complete with all essential features, it automatically saves your work on the cloud and lets you view it from any device with an internet connection.
6 – Zoho Show:
We have added another online utility to our array that goes by the name Zoho Show. Its latest 3.0 version has been blessed with an intuitive interface along with contextual menus and a sleek tool bar for easy navigation. To make your work simpler, there is a master slide for creating slideshows by formatting and customizing the template. Besides this, you have an entire gallery of slide designs to choose from.
And what’s more, this productivity application enables you to insert flowcharts, diagrams or organizational charts to make your presentations even more effective. It is compatible with almost all presentation formats and brings an image editor too. Zoho Word Processor, Spreadsheets and more will also be at your disposal if you decide to sign up for this utility.
Conclusion:
After going through our list of free PowerPoint programs, you may have realized that there is absolutely no need to stick to Microsoft’s version. And doesn’t matter if you have already created presentations in the .ppt format, you can use some of these tools to edit them further and export in whichever codec you are comfortable working in. Sounds good right? So do give them a try before you shun them off and come back to tell us how your experience was.