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Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 review

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CNET Editors' Rating

3.0 stars Good
Review Date:

Average User Rating

1.0 stars 4 user reviews

The good: Microsoft's PowerPoint 2003 is a fast, responsive program that includes lots of transitions, templates, and charts; it comes with a downloadable viewer.

The bad: PowerPoint 2003 has limited export format options, and some of the adjustments are too broad and crude. Also, the program is expensive and will be too complicated for some users.

The bottom line: Although it's pricey, Microsoft's PowerPoint 2003 is still the reigning champion of presentation software. You'll get a wealth of customization options, though not when it comes to export formats.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 is more than two years old and isn't the simplest presentation software to use, but it is still the best overall choice for a small-business user who needs to create slide shows and presentations. It's available as a stand-alone program or as part of the Office 2003 package; the Small Business Edition encompasses Word, Excel, Publisher, and Outlook, while the Professional Edition also includes Access. At around $200 for just the PowerPoint software (about $500 for the entire Office 2003 suite), it's on the pricey side, but it's a responsive program that gives you a lot of options when you're building a presentation. Unfortunately, your choice of export formats is limited.

For this review, we loaded the entire Office 2003 Professional Edition suite, which took about 11 minutes; if you're installing just PowerPoint, it should go faster. Unfortunately, PowerPoint doesn't come with a manual or a shortcut sheet; you'll have to rely on links to Microsoft's Web site for instruction and tips.

Once set up, PowerPoint, like other Office programs, has a menu item for a new document. Just pick the template you want to use and you're on your way, although unlike Apple Keynote and other presentation programs, there's no direct side-by-side comparison of the templates, and many of the 44 options are derivative of each other. While PowerPoint includes a lot of options for transitions between slides, they come in only three speeds. Other programs, including Keynote 3 and ProShow Gold (check back soon for reviews of these products), allow a more granular, second-by-second transition control. For those who want additional templates, effects, and options, we suggest looking into CrystalGraphics PowerPlugs, though this software will set you back a hefty $400.




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Quick Specifications

  • Release date06/26/11
  • License qty 1 user
  • License type Complete package
  • Operating system Microsoft Windows 2000 SP3 or later Microsoft Windows XP or later
  • Peripheral / Interface devices [Jul 2, 2008 from CDS: System Requirements] CD-ROM SVGA monitor Mouse or compatible device
  • Min Processor Type 233 MHz 233 MHz
  • OS type Windows
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