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.
