PowerPoint Documentation

[rms]

I'm trying to master Office 2004 PowerPoint and once again wish with
all my heart that software companies still created REFERENCE manuals.
I want a manual that will systematically explain each and every menu
item, dialog box element, and toolbar component.

Failing that, what do you recommend as source(s) for mastery. I've
ordered "Office 2004 for Macintosh: The Missing Manual", but I'm sure
that there are other sources, online as well as paper, that will
supplement and enlarge on the material in this book.

Thanks!

Rosemary

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I'm trying to master Office 2004 PowerPoint and once again wish with
all my heart that software companies still created REFERENCE manuals.
I want a manual that will systematically explain each and every menu
item, dialog box element, and toolbar component.

100% with you. I'd love to have this kind of thing. Unfortunately, it makes
for pretty boring reading for most users and isn't the kind of thing publishers
can make money on, so ... sigh.

Failing that, what do you recommend as source(s) for mastery. I've
ordered "Office 2004 for Macintosh: The Missing Manual", but I'm sure
that there are other sources, online as well as paper, that will
supplement and enlarge on the material in this book.

For specific questions, asking here will usually get you a quick answer from
experienced users. If the question is really good, you can even get a couple
of them squabbling over the best approach. Hugely entertaining for all
concerned, spectators and participants alike. ;-)

Though there are some differences in interface and capabilities, you can learn
a great deal about basic usage and how a good presentation is constructed from
most of the PPT 2003 (Windows) books. I wouldn't get any 2007 books though ...
it's wildly different.

The PPT FAQ at http://www.pptfaq.com is searchable and has lots of useful
information, along with links to other sites.


a==========================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Rosemary,

I suggest everything that Steve said - plus there's an awful lot of
information in PowerPoint's help system.

For example, click on the yellow help button on PowerPoint's toolbar and
search for the word Animate. Explore the subheadings.

Want to see a brief explanation of every PowerPoint command? From the View
menu choose Toolbars > Customize Toolbars/Menus. Click on the Commands tab.
Then click once on each command you'll see an explanation of each and every
command. While that particular window is open you can add, move or remove
any command to or from any menu or toolbar. You can drag any command you
find in that dialog box to any toolbar or menu.

If you really want to get into PowerPoint's belly then head to the Visual
Basic Editor. To get there turn on the Visual Basic Toolbar (View > Toolbars

Visual Basic) then click the Visual Basic Editor button.

Once you are in the Visual Basic editor you have two tools that can help you
understand the inner workings of PowerPoint. When you are in the VB Editor
the help system has a completely different knowledge base. Try the same
search for the word Animation and compare the results with what you saw
earlier and you'll see what I mean.

The second tool in the Visual Basic editor is the Object Browser. Type
Animation or Animate in the form field and press Return on your keyboard and
you'll see yet another way to look at PowerPoint's structure.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

I'm trying to master Office 2004 PowerPoint and once again wish with
all my heart that software companies still created REFERENCE manuals.
I want a manual that will systematically explain each and every menu
item, dialog box element, and toolbar component.

Failing that, what do you recommend as source(s) for mastery. I've
ordered "Office 2004 for Macintosh: The Missing Manual", but I'm sure
that there are other sources, online as well as paper, that will
supplement and enlarge on the material in this book.

Thanks!

Rosemary

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
MVP info

 

[sjohnson717]

Failing that, what do you recommend as source(s) for mastery. I've
ordered "Office 2004 for Macintosh: The Missing Manual", but I'm sure
that there are other sources, online as well as paper, that will
supplement and enlarge on the material in this book.

Also check out The Missing Manual for Office 2004.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/officemactmm

Steve