How do I add slicker animations to my powerpoint slides?

Can you use the dissolve feature and combine it with some neat entry effects to mimic a moving animation? That is what I frequently do, though it sounds like you are looking for more.

embrace the crappiness of powerpoint.

@shilolo that’s a neat idea. I’ll give it a go.

@quasi is there then a better slide/presentation app to use for more snappy presentations?

If you are using a Mac (I’m guessing you aren’t) You can use Keynote. It’s got slicker than slick animations and transitions and your audience won’t know what hit em!

I don’t miss Powerpoint one bit.

I hate to be the guy that says “use a Mac.” But I just spent about three minute in Keynote and came up with this. You can get a cheap old iBook that will run Keynote for 400 bucks. It might be worth it if you do a lot of presentations.

And that is the first time I have used Keynote. That is only one of the many transitions built in.

Darn @johnpowell, you’ve made a great point for adopting a Mac. It makes it more painful for me though, since it’s just not possible in my computing environment. Sigh.

Are there Keynote-like alternatives for the PC.

The Keynote-like alternative for the PC is called PowerPoint.

(Myself, I’d focus on the content rather than the animations. It’s too easy to make a presentation full of gobbledygook and chartjunk as it is.)

@cwilbur I agree with you, and 9/10 times PPT will do. But in terms of just adding a bit more polish—well, you just can’t seem to that in PPT. In fact, it seems like you have to make the decision when starting out as to is this just another slideshow or do I need to go the intensive flash route for a more fluid look?

Ideally, I would like to be able to do the guts of the slideshow in PPT and then just apply some off the rack effects that look less cheesy than the native PPT ones.

@Warpstone I have a MacBook Pro, and have yet to embrace Keynote (awaiting the inevitable death rays to hit me). I guess I’m still stuck on PowerPoint since I’ve been using it for 10 years, and know all the tricks. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks, I guess.

I think that if you have a Mac, you are able to have the file transfered to a Powerpoint file but I’m not sure if the animations and transitions will stay.

There are a few alternatives I can think of right now. Google Docs that can create decent presentations. It’ll even let you save it as a Powerpoint file or even 280 Slides is pretty good and has a great user interface.

One time I had to give a presentation to a class. After finishing I realized the school had no Mac support. Soo I switched the presintation to a Quicktime video and used the remote to pause and play in beetween slides. Keynote gives you lots of options.

I also use Keynote.

And I agree with @cwilbur trying to make a powerpoint presentation look better only makes it look worse.

I’m sure there is some alternative for Windows, I’m just so far into the Mac world that I have no clue.