| Is it time for Apple to make a Keynote Read-only App. for Mac and Windows users? | | Date Created: 31 Jan, 2005, 09:07 AM |
 Last week after my Keynote 1.1.1-based presentation to Rotary Brighton showing how I use Virtual Reality-based exposure therapy to help with various anxiety disorders, I have had requests to obtain the presentation in Powerpoint form.
The original file I created was almost 1GB in size because I used DV-quality video on a number of occasions embedded into slides, as well as various mpg, quicktime, and .avi movies.
Using Keynote's Quicktime export function rendered a file not much smaller but at least it could fit on one CD-R, and capture my presentation exactly as the slides showed.
Curiously, I had accidentally left Aquaminds' Notetaker app running in record mode, meaning the Powerbook's internal microphone also picked up my speech! It did so in the background without causing any difficulties with Keynote - which means of course one can import the resulting Quicktime movie from Keynote's export into iMovie and layover the voice track once Notetaker has exported the file into iTunes as an mp3 or AIFF file. An unexpected delightful discovery.
However, not everyone will want to download Quicktime to watch the Keynote export, and will prefer Powerpoint instead. Keynote allows that, and until I get Keynote 2.0 today or tomorrow from Apple Australia (it shipped on the weekend) I won't know if the PPT export function has improved.
By this I mean many of the finer Keynote advantages don't translate well into PPT, and certain transitions and effects with text are lost, replaced with a generic fade-in or out.
Microsoft, realising the ubiquity of Powerpoint (sounds better than monopoly doesn't it?) has available a Powerpoint Reader, so those not owning the individual app. or Office product can still access a .ppt file as intended by its author.
So why can't Apple do the same? Is it the case that it's not just that Keynote's abilities so surpass Powerpoint's that a Windows-based PC won't keep up, or is that Apple's OS X software with its Core Video and Quartz components have no equal in Windows rendering any XP-based Keynote Reader useless?
Perhaps Apple would prefer to keep Keynote to itself entirely? After all, I note on the web various blogs popping up saying it's worth getting an iBook or Powerbook just to run Keynote, especially for those who make a living doing presentations, or at least need high quality non-cookie cutter presentation software for part of their work.
Even Microsoft, selling its own wares, doesn't use Powerpoint in some cases, but goes for very high end 3D graphics packages from a company, Ventuz, it will no doubt purchase one of these days.
As much as I am detecting a backlash against the malware and security issues posed by some of Microsoft's products, I am also detected a disenchantment with Powerpoint - not so much from users, but from viewers who in the corporate setting must sit through dozens of these things a week, and amuse themselves by guessing the name of the theme or background rather than attending to the content.
Perhaps more use of Keynote (have you ever hooked a Powerbook to a video projector to see how such an installation should work?) in the corporate setting will turn the tide, and allow greater penetration of the Mac in this domain.
My guess is having a Keynote Reader for Windows (my reading of early adopters' reviews is that the Flash export doesn't yet cut it) will allow further dissemination of Keynote's qualities amongst the Powerpoint set. Who will then ask how to repeat the look and feel in their own PPT shows, only to discover it's not doable.
One way or the other, it adds to the momentum bringing the Mac back on the corporate radar.
Expect to see more Keynote presentations in workshops, conferences and corporate settings in 2005.
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