Four tools for non-linear presentations
Guidelines
Thousands of users sit through talks twiddling their thumbs while looking at bullet point parades against garish backgrounds. Four tools in the current test prove that presentations can be visually appealing, dynamic, and even exciting.
Most people listening to a lecture will not openly ask the heretical question: “Is he just using PowerPoint, or does he have a message?” However, it does reveal a dent in the market leader’s halo. The software isn’t necessarily to blame, even though it does tempt lecturers to create slides as cues, rather than underlining their message with meaningful visual information. It is more of a problem with the rigid format in PowerPoint, OpenOffice Impress, and the like, and it is always hard to keep track of a presentation with complex slides.
When an artist and a computer scientist got together in 2007 to define an alternative to dusty deserts of slides, they had no need to reinvent the wheel. Adam Somlai-Fischer and Peter Halacsy polished up the old kindergarten technique of wall collages by adding a clear guide line, and Prezi is their interactive presentation workspace for the browser. The platform-independent tool served as a template and inspiration for the other test candidates and is thus the first to enter the ring. From the rich choice of open source me-toos, the test team also picked the browser-based tools dizzy.js and impress.js, as well as the Inkscape add-on Sozi. All of our presentation experiments used Firefox 14.0.1 and Inkscape 0.48 on Linux Mint version 12.0 and Ubuntu 12.04, as well as Chromium 18.0 (only on Ubuntu 12.04).
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.