Editing Presentation program

{{Short description|Software package used to display information in the form of a slide show}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=May 2013}}
{{original research|date=September 2008}}
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[[File:LibreOffice 7.2.4.1 Impress screenshot.png|thumb|[[LibreOffice]] Impress, one of the most popular [[free and open-source]] presentation programs]]
In [[computing]], a '''presentation program''' (also called '''presentation software''') is a [[software]] package used to display information in the form of a [[slide show]]. It has three major functions:<ref>{{cite web|url= http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/presentation-software-presentation-graphics|title= presentation software (presentation graphics)|last= Rouse|first= Margaret|date= March 2011|publisher= WhatIs.com|access-date= 25 May 2013}}</ref>

* an [[Text editor|editor]] that allows text to be inserted and [[Formatted text|formatted]]
* a method for inserting and manipulating [[Computer graphics|graphic images]] and [[media clip]]s
* a slide-show system to display the content

Presentation software can be viewed{{by whom|date=September 2020}} as enabling a functionally-specific category of [[electronic media]], with its own distinct culture and practices as compared to traditional presentation media (such as [[blackboard]]s, [[whiteboard]]s and [[flip chart]]s).

[[Presentation]]s in this mode of delivery have become pervasive in many aspects of [[business communication]], especially in [[business plan]]ning, as well as in [[academic conference|academic-conference]] and [[professional conference]] settings, and in the [[knowledge economy]] generally, where ideas are a primary work [[output (economics)|output]]. Presentations may also feature prominently in political settings, especially in [[workplace politics]], where persuasion is a central determinant of group outcomes.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

Most modern meeting-rooms and [[conference hall]]s are configured to include presentation electronics, such as [[projector]]s suitable for displaying [[presentation slide]]s, often driven by the presenter's own [[laptop]], under direct control of the presentation program used to develop the presentation. Often a presenter will present a lecture using the slides as a visual aid both for the presenter (to track the lecture's coverage) and for the audience (especially when an audience member mishears or misunderstands the verbal component).

Generally in presentations, the visual material is considered{{by whom|date=September 2020}} supplemental to a strong aural presentation that accompanies the slide show, but in many cases, such as [[statistical graphics]], it can be difficult to convey essential information other than by visual means; additionally, a well-designed [[infographic]] can be extremely effective in a way that words are not. Endemic over-reliance on slides with low [[information design|information density]] and with a poor accompanying lecture has given presentation software a negative reputation as sometimes functioning as a crutch for the poorly informed or the poorly prepared.

==List of presentation programs==

{{main|List of presentation programs}}

==History==

Using Autographix and [[Dicomed]], it became quite easy{{Dubious|date=February 2010}} to make last-minute changes compared to traditional typesetting and pasteup. It was also a lot easier to produce a large number of slides in a small amount of time. However, these workstations also required skilled operators, and a single workstation represented an investment of $50,000 to $200,000 (in 1979 dollars).

In the mid-1980s developments in the world of computers changed the way presentations were created. Inexpensive, specialized applications now made it possible for anyone with a PC to create professional-looking presentation graphics.

Originally these programs were used to generate 35&nbsp;mm slides, to be presented using a [[slide projector]]. As these programs became more common in the late 1980s several companies set up services<ref name="meilach19870817">{{Cite magazine |last=Meilach |first=Dona Z. |date=1987-08-17 |title=Graphics Product Excels in Slide Making Capacity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2jsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47#v=onepage&q&f=true |access-date=2025-05-25 |magazine=InfoWorld |pages=47-51 |volume=9 |issue=33}}</ref> that would accept the shows on [[diskette]] and create slides using a [[film recorder]] or print [[Transparency (projection)|transparencies]]. In the 1990s dedicated [[Liquid crystal display|LCD]]-based screens that could be placed on the projectors started to replace the transparencies, and by the early 2000s they had almost all been replaced by [[video projector]]s.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The first commercial computer software specifically intended for creating WYSIWYG presentations was developed at [[Hewlett-Packard]] in 1979 and called [[BRUNO (software)|BRUNO]] and later HP-Draw. The first microcomputer-based presentation software was Cromemco's Slidemaster, developed by [[John F. Dunn]] and released by [[Cromemco]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |title=About John Dunn |url=https://algoart.com/company.htm |website=Algorithmic Arts |access-date=25 June 2018 |quote=Dunn ... developed the first ever professional paint program for a microcomputer, Cromemco's "Slidemaster," released in 1981.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Cromemco Unveils Desktop Unit with Business Software, DBMS |journal=Computerworld |date=October 26, 1981 |volume=15 |issue=43 |page=61 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1REkdf3I86oC&q=cromemco+slidemaster&pg=RA2-PA61 |access-date=25 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shea |first1=Tom |last2=Freiberger |first2=Paul |title=Artists use computer graphics as new palette and canvas |journal=InfoWorld |date=November 1, 1982 |volume=4 |issue=43 |pages=18–20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EzAEAAAAMBAJ&q=cromemco+slidemaster&pg=PA18|access-date=25 June 2018}}</ref> The first software displaying a presentation on a personal computer screen was [[VCN ExecuVision]], developed in 1982. This program allowed users to choose from a library of images to accompany the text of their presentation. <!--A slide from this software is visible at left.--> [[Harvard Graphics]] was introduced for [[MS-DOS]] and [[IBM Lotus Freelance Graphics|Lotus Freelance Graphics]] was introduced for DOS and [[OS/2]] in 1986. [[PowerPoint]] was introduced for the [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] computer in 1987.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brock |first1=David |title=The Improbable Origins of PowerPoint |journal=IEEE Spectrum |date=31 October 2017 |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-improbable-origins-of-powerpoint}}</ref>

The first web-based presentation program was called ThinkFree Show, it launched in 2001 as part of the [[ThinkFree Office]] suite.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cox |first1=John |title=Free Java-based office suite to make debut |website=CNN |date=2000-06-20 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/06/20/java.office.idg/index.html|access-date=2025-03-24}}</ref> Another web-based presentation program called Google Docs Presentations was introduced a few years later in 2007, it later became [[Google Slides]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Gina |last=Trapani |title=Google Docs Adds Presentations |url=http://lifehacker.com/300825/google-docs-adds-presentations |website=[[Lifehacker]] |publisher=[[Univision Communications]] |date=September 18, 2007 |access-date=2025-03-24}}</ref>

==Features==
A presentation program is supposed to help both the speaker with an easier access to his ideas and the participants with visual information which complements the talk.
There are many different types of presentations including professional (work-related), education, entertainment, and for general communication.  Presentation programs can either supplement or replace the use of older visual-aid technology, such as [[pamphlet]]s, handouts, chalkboards, flip charts, posters, slides and overhead transparencies. Text, graphics, movies, and other objects are positioned on individual pages or "slides" or "foils"{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}. The "slide" analogy is a reference to the [[slide projector]], a device that has become somewhat [[obsolescence|obsolete]] due to the use of presentation software. Slides can be printed, or (more usually) displayed on-screen and navigated through at the command of the presenter. An entire presentation can be saved in video format.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Turn your presentation into a video|url = https://support.office.com/article/C140551F-CB37-4818-B5D4-3E30815C3E83|website = www.support.office.com|access-date = 2018-01-10}}</ref> The slides can also be saved as images of any [[image file formats]] for any future reference.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Save a slide as a separate image file|url = https://support.office.com/article/3c4f9ca4-945a-4c33-af91-d10e4e3ea715|website = www.support.office.com|access-date = 2018-01-10}}</ref> Transitions between slides can be animated in a variety of ways, as can the emergence of elements on a slide itself. Typically a presentation has many constraints and the most important being the limited time to present consistent information.

Many presentation programs come with pre-designed images ([[clip art]]) and/or have the ability to import graphic images. Some tools also have the ability to search and import images from [[Flickr]] or [[Google]] directly from the tool. Custom graphics can also be created in other programs such as [[Adobe Photoshop]] or [[GIMP]] and then exported. The concept of [[clip art]] originated with the image library that came as a complement with [[VCN ExecuVision]], beginning in 1983.

With the growth of [[digital photography]] and [[digital video|video]], many programs that handle these types of media also include presentation functions for displaying them in a similar "slide show" format, for example [[iPhoto]].  These programs allow groups of digital photos to be displayed in a slide show with options such as selecting transitions, choosing whether or not the show stops at the end or continues to loop, and including music to accompany the photos.

Similar to programming [[Software extension|extension]]s for an [[operating system]] or [[web browser]], "add ons" or [[Plug-in (computing)|plugins]] for presentation programs can be used to enhance their capabilities.

Apps can enable a smartphone to be a remote control<ref>{{Cite web|title=LibreOffice Impress Remote|url=https://www.libreoffice.org/download/impress-remote-2/|website=LibreOffice.org}}</ref> for slideshow presentations, including slide previews, speaker notes, timer, stop watch, pointer, going directly to a given slide, blank screen and more. Presentation programs also offer an interactive integrated hardware element designed to engage an audience (e.g. [[Audience response|audience response systems]], [[second screen]] applications) or facilitate presentations across different geographical locations through the internet (e.g. [[web conferencing]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.inxpo.com/casting-calls/bid/108749/Online-Presentation-Tips-from-an-Online-Presentation-Coach|title=Online Presentation Tips from an Online Presentation Coach|last=Shiao|first=Dennis|date=28 August 2012|publisher=INXPO|access-date=25 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013122233/http://web.inxpo.com/casting-calls/bid/108749/Online-Presentation-Tips-from-an-Online-Presentation-Coach|archive-date=13 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hardware devices such as [[laser pointer]]s and [[interactive whiteboard]]s can ease the job of a live presenter .

===Programs===
As of 2007,  MS [[PowerPoint]] has become the dominant presentation tool because it is both readily available and easy for instructors to use (Grabe & Grabe 2007).<ref>{{cite book|last=M|first=Grabe|title=Technology for meaningful learning|url=https://archive.org/details/integratingtechn00grab|url-access=registration|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company|location=New York, NY|author2=Grabe, C.|year=1998 |isbn=9780395871362 }}</ref> It allows instructors to create and manipulate presentations in a wide variety of contexts that can enhance student’s interest and engagement (Mills & Roblyer, 2006).<ref>{{cite book|last=Mills|first=C.|title=Technology tools for teachers: A Microsoft Office tutorial|url=https://archive.org/details/technologytoolsf00mill|url-access=registration|year=2006|publisher=Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|author2=Roblyer, D.|isbn=9780131187276 }}</ref> In addition, it helps instructors clearly identify the main points of a topic or activity while still providing the details through presentation (Loisel & Galer, 2004).<ref>{{cite journal|last=Loisel|first=M.|author2=Galer, R.|title=Uses of PowerPoint in the 314L Class.|journal=White Paper Series|year=2004}}</ref> Instructors can incorporate multiple types of media formats (e.g., diagram, photo, drawing, sound and video) that cannot be easily integrated together into one single medium. PowerPoint also provides graphical, transactional, aesthetic and interactive features. PowerPoint is for use in the classroom, and needs to be paired with use of an [[LCD projector]] and large screen.

== See also ==
* [[Office suite]]
* [[Productivity software]]
* [[Wireless clicker]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Farkas, David K. (2006) "Toward a Better Understanding of PowerPoint Deck Design" ''Information Design Journal + Document Design 4''(2): pp 162–171.
* Good, Lance & Bederson, Benjamin B. (2002) "Zoomable User Interfaces as a Medium for Slide Show Presentations" ''Journal on Information Visualization 1''(1): pp 35–49.
* Gross, Alan G. & Harmon, Joseph E. (2009) "The Structure of PowerPoint Presentations: The Art of Grasping Things Whole" ''IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication 52''(2): pp 121–137.
* [[Hubert Knoblauch|Knoblauch, Hubert]]. (2014) "PowerPoint, Communication, and the Knowledge Society". ''Cambridge University Press''.
* [[Edward R. Tufte|Tufte, Edward R.]] (2006) "The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within" 'Graphics Press LLC'', Cheshire, USA.
*{{cite book|last1=Chiasson|first1=S.|last2=Gutwin|first2=C.|title=Design Principles for Children's Software.|year=2005|publisher=Computer Science Department|location=University of Saskatchewan}}

==External links==
* {{youTube|LmF-8xdqMD0|Historic look at presentation software in 1983.}}
* {{youTube|b3EmCf1fw4s&t|Historic look at presentation software in 1987.}}

{{Presentation software}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Presentation Program}}
[[Category:Presentation software| ]]