Your review of Google Presentations (I've never in my life heard the word "preso" and I don't intend to start using it) is spot on - it's a nifty slideshow designer that has its primary strength in collaboration, not presentation.

It can't even come close to what veteran presenters need to do on Powerpoint. Its collaboration strengths, on the other hand are unparalleled in the Microsoft world.

But it boggles my mind that you think Google Docs and Spreadsheets don't have the same weaknesses. Excel is so powerful, more so that PowerPoint, that using Google Spreadsheets just doesn't work as a substitute. Sure, it will work to keep the neighborhood phone directory online. But if you're looking to do financial or statistical analysis, forget it.

These three are supplements to Office, not replacements for it. And if Google doesn't provide some real upgrades to its office software, you can bet that Microsoft will roll out its own collaboration tools that will make Google irrelevant. Why use a watered down Google version of Excel when you can collaborate with the full-powered real thing?

Free? Sure, but no business is going to kneecap its professionals with Google.

Yep; I couldn't work without Excel. but Powerpoint? It's "strength" is that it enables people with nothing to say to say it, at great length. On the other hand, it completely falls apart on the task of actually delivering a quantity of useful information.

"I've never in my life heard the word "preso" and I don't intend to start using it".

Amen to that. "Preso" sounds like something that annoying "copier guy" character from SNL would've said. "Preso. Preserino. The Presmaster..."

I've used PowerPoint (and Apple Keynote, and before it Aldus/Adobe Persuasion, Harvard Graphics, etc.) for years, and never heard that term. Let's hope Google hasn't either.

Count me as another who'd never heard the term "preso" until this article. It sounds stupid. I won't be using it.

It's not clear why the writer is so certain Google will never catch up to PP. If they add the features currently lacking, they have caught up unless Microsoft invents some new, must-have bells and whistles. That could certainly happen, but the very nature of presentation software suggests there's going to be a point where most every useful feature will have been added.

wordperfect is the worst one oby far than anyo f theo ffice applications from anyone carlye et al.

I've used "preso" for years. But I've spent too much time hanging out with Aussies as well.

Microsoft already is marching down the collaboration path very aggressively.

Furthermore they are taking the battle to Google's turf with announcements like PopFly, Facebook (no that isn't about the advertising revenue, look deeper), Project Oslo (announced yesterday at their SOA conference), and building out datacenters pretty much across the street from the Google IDCs

There are a lot of bad presenters and almost any tool will support them in creating a bad presentation. A good presentation, like a good story, requires talent. No one berates the word processor, why berate PowerPoint?