What's New in PowerPoint 2007?

• Ribbon - No more menus and toolbars - at least not as we know them in the past. The Ribbon contains category tabs like the menus of old. When you click on a category tab the Ribbon changes to reflect tasks that are pertinent to that category. For example, the Slide Show Ribbon contains buttons for each task you can perform pertaining only to slide shows.
  
  
• Contextual Tabs - Ribbon category tabs contain only commands that are not object-specific. Once an object such as a picture is selected, the contextual tab contains only commands pertinent to a picture. Saves reading through menus of disabled commands for the one you want.
  
  
• Previews - Preview a design theme or transition by hovering your mouse over the design button. Instantly preview your slide with the new design. You do not have to apply it first as in earlier versions.
  
  
• Design Themes - Design templates have been replaced by design themes which contain families of colors, fonts and formatting. Edit a theme by choosing a new color family which will change the background, fonts and template features to reflect this new color grouping. Global effects, such as line types, can be quickly applied to all objects in the presentation.

• New Formatting Tools - Add texture, shadows and many other effects to add impact to your pictures, charts, text and other slide objects.
  
  
• SmartArt - SmartArt allows you to create simple and effective diagrams, organization charts, flow charts with many more options than in past versions of PowerPoint. Now make bulleted lists using these new SmartArt diagrams.
  
  
• Save as PDF - A great tool for sharing your presentation by email for editing purposes or fast printouts at a reduced file size.
  
  
• New XML File Format - Reduces file size dramatically. Chances of data recovery when files are damaged is improved with this new XML file format.
  
  
• Custom Slide Layouts - You no longer have to edit an existing slide layout to suit your preferences. Just create your own custom layout and save it to use again and again. This is a great feature to keep company slide shows consistent.
  
  
• Shared Slide Libraries - You can now share or copy individual slides in the slide libraries on your company network. You no longer have to recreate existing slides. A shared slide in your presentation can also be updated when the original is changed. **Note - MS Office SharePoint Server 2007(MOSS) must be installed in order for this feature to work.

Insert
If you want to insert shapes, more slides, tables, text, media clips or anything else, use the Insert Ribbon.

Design
How do you want your slide(s) to look? Here is where you set the page orientation, add themes, change background colors or the arrangement of objects.

Animations
Add movement to slides or slide objects here. Hover the mouse over the transition icon and see the effect on your slide. Choosing Custom Animations opens up the task pane that we are familiar with in earlier PowerPoints, to apply effects and timings.

Slide Show
Look here for anything to do with a slide show - rehearsals, custom shows, record narrations, hide slides.
New slide show features -

• change the resolution of your slide show for best viewing
• choose which monitor to show this presentation on if you are connected to more than one
• with two monitors connected - show the slide show on one monitor (or projector) and read speaker notes and timings from the second monitor

• spell check, translate text, and quickly research on the web or within PowerPoint
• editor's comments and markups can be added

View
All the different views of your slides

• a quick click to show notes, slide sorter as well as the slide masters
• show what your slide show will look like in color, grayscale or pure black and white without having to preview in printing view
• open more than one view of the same document - for example, view in slide sorter at the same time as normal view

Add - Ins

• any add-ins you have installed on your computer, such as Microsoft Producer, are located here for quick access

Read my thoughts on this new PowerPoint 2007 on the next page.