PowerPoint 2007 Downloads: 3 Free Options

So, someone sent you a PowerPoint 2007 file with the pptx extension -- and you have yet to upgrade to the latest version of PowerPoint. What can you do to quickly view the file?

So far, you have three free download options:

1. View pptx for free. Download and install the PowerPoint 2007 free viewer. It will open up PowerPoint files with the old ppt extensions, as well as the new pptx extension. Of course, you cannot edit the files with the new PowerPoint 2007 viewer. You can only view the presentation.
   
2. Get compatible. If you have a 2000 or newer version of the Microsoft Suite programs and the correct system requirements, you can download and install the Microsoft compatibility pack for Word, Excel, and/or PowerPoint 2007.
   
3. Try/Buy PowerPoint 2007. For a limited time, you can download one free 60-day trial the new 2007 Microsoft Office Suite systems -- choose from Professional, Standard, Small Business, Home and Student. After your two month free trial, you can buy the software.

As time goes by, I expect that we will see more free download options for opening, editing, and viewing pptx files. Hopefully soon!

But for now, one of these three options above can save you time by preventing you from contacting the sender and asking them to "Save As" ppt before resending the file. And since pptx files are smaller than ppt files, this will save you bandwidth, as well as time.

Labels: PowerPoint

¶ 2/23/2007 01:41:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  PowerPoint in the Comedy Club

You will see PowerPoint presentations just about everywhere -- churches, schools, corporate boardrooms, hotel conference rooms -- but seldom will you see PowerPoint in stand up comedy or at a comedy club.

However, PowerPoint is a prop. And a good prop comic can use PowerPoint to make folks laugh.



PowerPoint Performance. In his 4 minute MySpace video, comedian Don McMillan presents you with his PowerPoint performance at a comedy club. The presentation/performance, Life After Death By PowerPoint, is a hit with his audience.

In his performance, Mr. McMillan conclusively proves that engineers can be engaging and (intentionally) funny!

Visit "Technically Funny" for more details on the corporate comedy offerings of Mr. Don McMillan.

Labels: fun, PowerPoint Presentation

¶ 2/20/2007 12:54:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  How crazy does high tech make you look?

My mom and I walked together slowly through an icy mall parking lot. A well-dressed woman walked past us briskly, shouting into the frosty air.

"I see a lot more of that lately," mused mom after the woman passed. "So many mentally ill people at the mall and at the store."

I explained to mom that I did not think the woman was mentally ill. The woman most likely had a Bluetooth device on underneath her woolly hat. The woman was probably having a heated phone conversation as she strode purposefully though her day.

"I don't know about Bluetooth," said Mom. "But if you are screaming in public at people no one else can see, you have mental problems."

Good point, Mom!

When we fail to make eye contact, when are out of touch with our surroundings, when we scream at invisible people...we have problems.

And the way many people use new technologies in public, why, they do look mentally infirm!

It's not just Bluetooth. Talking loudly into a cell phone in a public place does not acknowledge or respect the presence of other people. When a man stares blankly into space or bops his head as he walks toward me on the sidewalk, I must uncomfortably assess whether he is listening to the music on his iPod earbuds...or whether he might be a dope addict.

A sub-par approach to using new technologies in public can undermine reputation. A less than civil presentation affects public perception of a person's very competence.

Labels: Presentation

¶ 2/12/2007 07:14:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Presently Puffery

This week, I am reading much hullabaloo in the blogosphere over Presently, a proposed online presentation application from Google.

Every blog post I read makes me simultaneously shrug while rolling my eyes.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I would actually get excited if there was actually something concrete to report. And sure, it absolutely makes sense that Google is working on a presentation app to round out its suite of online apps at Google Spreadsheets and Documents. The rumor even has a timely, provacative news hook, what with MS releasing an update to its Office Suite last week.

But every blog post I've read this week breathlessly posts that "someone" at Google posted a header file from a Google app at Google Spreadsheets and Documents (nee Writely)...and then whoever that "someone" was quickly took it down. And that the header text made reference to "Presently"...and because Writely was the former name of the Google online word processor, it would stand to reason that Presently would be the new code name for a proposed online presentation tool.

So let's break this rumor down into classic who, what, where, when, and why reporting;

WHO: Google
WHAT: New, free online presentation application code name Presently
WHERE: At Google Docs and Spreadsheets
WHY: Because MS released a new Office last week, it make sense to start a timely, competitive rumor
WHEN: No official word from Google "we won't confirm or deny"....so, ummm....presently?

It appears that bloggers are easy to manipulate. All someone at Google had to do was put up an intriguing file and take it down -- without ever saying a word. An army of bloggers will fill in all the details...without even asking Google to comment.

You will note that there is no press release or statement from Google on the subject. You can do a search at Google News today and get a handful of non-specific news stories that talk about all the web and blog speculation.

But do a blogsearch at Google Blogsearch and boy-oh-boy: hundreds of posts!

Blogs are terrific for spreading rumors.

Just because it's a rumor that everyone wants to be true doesn't mean that we shouldn't put on our critical thinking hats!

Labels: Blogging

¶ 2/06/2007 05:57:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Groundhog Day Wallpaper and More...

If you are presenting on Groundhog Day, you might want to pay tribute to the mystical powers of this amazing beast in your presentation.

A tunneling and hibernating animal, the Groundhog is a symbol of getting deeper and dreamier; of contemplation, wisdom, and profundity.

It's also a fat, funny, and photogenic little varmint.

(Although, they are not funny at all when they tear up your yard and eat all the veggies in your garden. These "cute" pests have voracious appetites.)

To celebrate: I downloaded Groundhog desktop wallpaper at the beautiful National Geographic Animal website. When I give a presentation off my laptop tomorrow, I will be paying playful respect to the spirit of this amazing little critter.

Aside from the wonderful animal wallpaper images you find at National Geographic online, you can also find delightful and succinct Groundhog facts to use in your presentation.

Also, you can visit the official site of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club for the latest in breaking Groundhog Day news and information.

Happy G Day!

Labels: fun

¶ 2/01/2007 02:34:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  When animals give presentations...

What does it mean an animal makes an appearance in your life?

Many cultures believe that spirit guides use animals to give important messages to humans. That is why it is important to notice when different animals or animal images enter your life. Paying attention to animals can give you timely, important messages.

In his book Animal Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small , Ted Andrews outlines techniques for interpreting the secret messages that animals present to you.

For example:

• For a number of months, I would hear a red hawk scream...but only when I worked on a website for a particular client. The hawk has great vision. Could it be that the hawk was telling me to extend the vision for this client, and to pay closer attention to the site's details?
  
• One summer, I was giving a presentation in a beautiful Michigan boardroom with a floor-to-glass ceiling that faced an old forest. As I spoke, a groundhog waddled out of the woods, hauled its fat body up onto the sunny patio in front of the glass, and passed out on its back. Was this a sign that I was boring my audience, to pep things up a bit?
  
• At an extremely busy time of my life, a squirrel ran between my legs as I walked. The squirrel is a hard worker, always gathering nuts; but is also a very playful animal. By running between my legs, was the spirit of the squirrel reminding me to find a better balance between work and play?

This month, the image of the groundhog will enter the public consciousness. So what does it mean when the groundhog image enters your life? I checked Ten Andrews book, and was relieved to discover that I might not having been boring my audience after all.

According to Mr. Andrews, the groundhog is known for its digging and tunneling ability. Symbolically, the groundhog might have been telling me go deeper with my topic. Groundhogs are also hibernators and can slow their heartbeats down to 4 or 5 per minute: another sign to slow down and allow the depth of dreams enter the conversation.

At the very least, animals remind us to stay present, to stay in the moment. And that's an important message when you are a presenter!

Labels: Presentation

¶ 2/01/2007 01:42:00 PM 0 Comments Links to this post