Prezi: Presentation Software with Pizazz

As I earn a partial living by public speaking on genealogical and historical topics, I have used PowerPoint for several years now.  But in my time here at the University of North Florida -- where I am composing this blog entry between classes -- I have been introduced to a different presentation software.  It's called Prezi, and it moves!  Whereas PowerPoint is static, Prezi is dynamic.

Prezi moves.  It zooms in and out, it rotates, it swings from one concept to another.  You create your presentation on a single "canvas," rather than as a series of discrete slides, as on PowerPoint.  Prezi is a lot like mind-mapping, and if you like mind-mapping, you probably will like Prezi.  There are some tricks you need to know in order to use it efficiently and well.  The website has tutorials to help you learn how to use it.

It does not have available a lot of nice background templates like PowerPoint does, but you can import PowerPoint slides as part of a Prezi presentation.  It also does not have a very large color palette, nor does it have practical ways of drawing lines.  There is basically only one line form, which is rather thick and clunky.  Since Prezi is so dynamic, it would be great if there were a variety of lines which could be vectored to bend in different ways.

However, it is rather new, and I am sure that as it develops and as users provide feedback, those aspects will show much improvement.

Disclaimer:  I have not been asked by Prezi or anyone connected with it, or anyone connected with the University of North Florida, to give this review.  I have not been given nor promised any software, but obtained my copy of Prezi using the student license.  The opinions in this review are mine alone.  Prezi and PowerPoint are trademarks of their respective owners.
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