[Nodnarb]

On my iBook, I have both Microsoft Powerpoint and Keynote installed. I have to make a presentation that is playable on Powerpoint on a Windows PC. I tried exporting the "iWork Tour" to a powerpoint file, putting it on CD, and then playing it on a windows laptop. While the slideshow showed up, many of the transitions were wrong or just non-existant.
Do you think I should make the presentation in Keynote and export it and take the time on the PC to make sure it works correctly? Or should I sacrafice the visual appeal of keynote and use my mac's Powerpoint and save it as a Windows-freindly file?
I'd rather use keynote, but I am just worried about compatability issues and I don't want to have technical issues interefering with my presentation.
Thanks everyone.

[TheIceMan]

I had a Keynote presentation, but when exported to PowerPoint on a Mac, it still lost most of the cool "wow" transition effects. I don't even know how many transitions would be lost once exported to the PC.

Although I love and miss Keynote's beauty and functions, I'm sticking with PowerPoint on my Mac for now.

[JKT]

Powerpoint simply isn't capable of doing the fancier transitions of Keynote, especially on the PC as the graphics engine is so out of date... if you want near 100% compatibility, then you have a choice:

1. Use PowerPoint

2. Use Keynote but pick effects and transitions that are not going to be lost on export to PowerPoint for the PC (that is, just use the basic ones).

Even then, you will still see some formatting issues on occasion.

Another alternative - if you know that your target PC has Quicktime Pro installed (so that you can go full screen), export from Keynote as a Quicktime file and present that. All your transitions will be preserved (check it on the Mac first to make sure).

As always, check your presentation on the target machine prior to the day to spot any issues (and I don't just mean compatibility ones - things like text being far too small or using red text on a blue background...)

[CaptainHaddock]

You can also export Keynote presentations as Flash. Again, not every effect or formatting detail will work in Flash, but you can open it in Safari first to see how it looks.

Ugh, I'd do anything to avoid using Powerpoint. If you have to, I guess you can design in Keynote and tweak the transitions in Powerpoint afterwards.

[Love Calm Quiet]

Despite all the assurances that "PowerPoint doesn't kill meetings: People kill meetings", I've been postponing using PP (which I have as part of Office) or KN.

I'm about to have to start such presentations. As long as I can take along my own ALBook, is there any reason NOT to use KN (assuming I don't want to provide copies to LEAVE for customers to use on their PC/PPs)?

If I *do* want to be able to leave a CD or email a PP version for customers to keep, would the following be a good strategy:

1) Make a PP presentation with the basics & test it on a PC; then
2) Import PP into KN (that's possible, right?) and add the cool stuff for my own KN presentation version?

Your experiences? observations?

[CaptainHaddock]

Keynote, in my experience, exports to Powerpoint pretty well. I think a better strategy might be:

1. Make your presentation in Keynote with all the bells and whistles you want.
2. Export to Powerpoint and tweak in that program as necessary. Don't worry about fancy effects crossing over; PP presentations with effects are mostly crap anyway. The average quality bar is really low when it comes to your average PC/Powerpoint show.

I also highly recommend browsing some of the entries at Presentation Zen for tips on making good presentations. Particularly interesting are the writer's comparisons of Steve Jobs' style vs. Bill Gates' style.

[TheIceMan]

Yup, that Presentation Zen site is pretty good. I definitely got some great info there. The only thing that sucks for me about doing it through Keynote is having to "tweak" it again later in PowerPoint if I want to send it to others or play it on computers without Keynote. Don't get me wrong, I really like Keynote, but having to first create a presentation (in Keynote) and then later on editing it (in PowerPoint) is too much work.

I either do it in Keynote and be done with it or do it in PowerPoint. Just my 2 cents.

[JKT]

Unless people are going to need to edit your presentation, or cull data from it, I would stick to exporting it as a QuickTime file. Otherwise, export as a PDF or as a PowerPoint presentation.

FWIW, if you are on a 10.4 Mac, you can bypass the need for QT Pro to do full screen displays if you install this Automator action. It works a treat.

[Love Calm Quiet]

Thanks: great tips from all sides. The Presentation Zen is a goldmine for a newbie like me!

Knowing about the options for QT, PDF, and PP export options makes KN sound all the more attractive.

Muchos gracias!

[Nodnarb]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.
I'm not quite decided on the final way I'm going to do this yet, maybe mess with both programs for a little while and then I will decide.