Download Microsoft PowerPoint 2021 for Windows (2024)

Powerpoint is a popular presentation software by Microsoft. You can create PowerPoint presentations for various purposes, such as in business or school settings, and they allow the user to add text, images, animations, and videos to each slide. There are also several different transition effects between slides.

Powerpoint is part of the Microsoft 365 suit and is available for both Windows and Mac OS. It's similar to Google Slides and Apple Keynote but differs because it allows for more detailed animations and videos.

Create and customise presentations

Microsoft Powerpoint is used widely in businesses to present new ideas, concepts, or marketing strategies. Universities also commonly use PowerPoint to aid in the presentation of classes, lectures, and other learning materials. Additionally, many individual users utilise PowerPoint presentations as a way of showcasing their interests or sharing information.

Main features

Powerpoint comes with a number of pre-installed templates, each of which has a different layout and design on each slide. You can use these templates for a number of purposes, but they often include bright colours and flashy graphics that are intended to grab the attention of an audience. They allow for quick customisation with minimal effort by the user.

Every pre-installed template has its own set of transition options so that each slide can appear in whatever manner desired. The number of transition options available is vast, with close to two dozen variations.

Users can also add their own text or images to any slide and incorporate additional multimedia such as video clips, pictures, and audio files into the slides. These objects can be adjusted and moved around the screen to fit the needs of the user.

Powerpoint also has a number of predefined animations that can be added to slides to make them more interesting. These include text or graphic movement, appearance, and shape changes. There are over 50 different animation variations available.

Microsoft Powerpoint also allows for presentations to be put together and designed collaboratively. This is done through the use of cloud storage so that changes made by one user will update all other copies of the presentation.

Presentations can be played back on any device that has Powerpoint installed. This allows for the presentations to be viewed in real-time during business meetings or at conferences, and it also offers a way for teachers and professors to put together student lesson plans.

Accessible for all skill levels

Powerpoint is the most widely used presentation program because it's simple to pick up and use. The range of templates available allows even novice users to be able to create presentations that have flashy graphics while being easy to navigate. At the same time, more experienced users have access to a number of tools that can be used to further customise presentations.

Powerpoint alternatives

There are a number of different presentation software options available that can be used in place of Powerpoint. These examples vary widely in their features and user interface, but they all provide a way for users to put together slideshows that can be shown to an audience.

Google Slides: Google's online presentation software is known for its collaboration features and advanced editing options (like editing charts and adding equations), but it lacks some of the template variety found in Powerpoint. It has a number of templates for common business presentations, but it also allows the use of Google Docs and Google Drive to store files.

Apple Keynote: This Apple software is similar in some ways to Powerpoint because it has a range of built-in templates with simple formatting options. It's less complicated than Google Slides but lacks advanced editing options.

An excellent choice

Powerpoint has a number of useful features that make it easier for users to create the desired presentations. The user interface of Powerpoint is straightforward and easy to understand, with all the tools that are needed for creating a presentation just a click away. The toolbar along the top of the window allows for quick access to all functions available, while each slide can be edited by clicking on it.

There are also a number of cloud storage options that allow multiple people to work on the same project. Additionally, many of Powerpoint's features can be accessed from other software, such as Microsoft Word. This makes it easy to transfer files back and forth between programs and to use multiple programs together for tasks like business presentations and school assignments.