Google prepping presentation product

Google is apparently working on a Powerpoint killer called Presently to go along with its word processor (formerly known as Writely) and its spreadsheet app. This is according to a post on the Googlesystem blog (via TechCrunch).

This is a surprise to no one. Google has been adding basic productivity applications to its suite of online services relentlessly, and there's no reason to expect the company to stop.

The evidence.

(Credit: Googlesystem blog)

Web-based presentation applicationss are great in concept, for two big reasons: First, presentations are often created (or at least approved) by several people and having a presentation that is inherently collaboration-enabled makes the work flow much easier. Second, when it's show time, being able to just call up a URL on an existing computer might save a lot of hassle, compared with plugging in a laptop or transferring a file via e-mail or a USB drive.

The thing I would really like, though, is for Google to spend some time getting its existing applications to work together. Recently, for example, I needed to convert a table created in Google Docs into a spreadsheet on Google Spreadsheet. I couldn't do it. I had to export the table to Word, import that into Excel, and then upload the Excel file to Google. That worked, but it was a comical work-around. And Google spreadsheets still doesn't have charting capability.

Since many people tweak their presentations at the last possible minute, in coffee shops or on airplanes, Google's presentation app would really benefit from an offline editing mode.

See also Zoho and its developing suite of apps. And ThinkFree. And smaller apps such as Spresent and Thumbstacks.

[caldwdo]

Death by Presently instead of PowerPoint

Always another way to bore an audience to death. But I would use it. Way back when I was an early fan and adopted PP, but in recent years I try to provide a PowerPoint free zone for my audiences. They seem to enjoy the change. But having a web-based presentation as described in this review would be neat feature. Doug C. www.dougcaldwell.net

[jzlomek]

Ajax13 has a presentation product available now

... called ajaxPresents. It can be found here:

http://us.ajax13.com/en/ajaxpresents/

[jzlomek]

Ajax13 has a presentation product available now

... called ajaxPresents. It can be found here:

http://us.ajax13.com/en/ajaxpresents/

[Rob Hurley]

PowerPoint killer?

You mean THAT useless waste of code hasn't died of Old Age already?

[Fil0403]

Nope, sorry.

Nope, it's actually the most used of its kind in the whole world and actually much praised by reviews (specially the 2007 version).

[Fil0403]

CNET prepping anti-Microsoft review

PowerPoint killer? Would like to see that, a free web-based application killing an estabilished and actually good commercial product.

[gemartin]

Not a killer

I agree, this isn't a PowerPoint killer. It clearly will have acceptance and usage, but it is crippled in comparison, it is weak in comparison, and it is at best, a form of use competition. The two products if displayed in a Vinn diagram would only overlap a little. Two almost separate categories in my opinion. I would opt to use both.