disadvantages of slideshow presentation

Disadvantages & Advantages of a Powerpoint Presentation

Part of the Microsoft Office suite, PowerPoint is used to create presentations for personal, professional and educational use. The software comes with numerous advantages when it comes to making engaging presentations, collaborating and sharing information. Even better, little training is needed to get started. Despite these advantages, you should consider concerns such as cost, possible technical problems, and the potential for ineffective presentations. Understanding all the PowerPoint presentation pros and cons can help you use this software more effectively.

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Basics of PowerPoint Presentations

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PowerPoint presentations feature slides where you can put text, images, videos, audio, tables of data and mathematical formulas. You have control over placing and formatting the content and can annotate slides, make custom drawings, and record narration that goes along with the presentation. The software comes with a variety of animations and transitions and gives users control over whether they want to use an automated slideshow or present the slides manually.

Advantages of PowerPoint Presentations

When considering making a PowerPoint presentation, consider the benefits that using the software can offer:

• Flexible uses : Individuals, businesses and educators often use PowerPoint presentations to share information in slideshows, but the uses go far beyond that. For example, you can use PowerPoint to create graphics such as banners, brochures, charts and logos for a business. Other uses include calendars, photo albums and collages, invitations, screen recordings, brainstorming maps and resumes.
• Engaging presentations : PowerPoint gives you the tools to make engaging presentations that go beyond only text and images to include videos, narration and animations. When used correctly, such presentations help teachers and trainers keep their learners interested and appeal to multiple learning styles.
• Detailed customization : PowerPoint gives you full control over your slides' appearance so that you can align content, add annotations, use lists and highlight important information visually. You can also control the slide size to fit your needs.
• Suitable for beginners : While training helps with using PowerPoint's advanced features, beginners can quickly get started thanks to the program's huge selection of templates. These templates come with a variety of backgrounds, layouts and themes. You can search by project types such as resumes, posters or charts.
• Easy sharing and collaboration : Microsoft Office comes with tools that let you share your PowerPoint presentation to the cloud where others can view and work on it with you easily.

Disadvantages of PowerPoint Presentations

While PowerPoint can offer many benefits for personal, educational or professional use, keep in mind these disadvantages of PowerPoint presentations:

• May not always engage users : Although you can make engaging PowerPoint presentations that use multimedia effectively, not all presentations end up that way. Sometimes, the presentations hinder learning when the slides contain distracting elements or contain only text and narration that viewers tune out.
• Technical issues : Using PowerPoint can create some headaches when you face compatibility issues, corrupted files or internet problems. For example, Microsoft included a compatibility mode in the program to open older files, but some elements might not work correctly. You might also face hard drive problems that cause you to lose your presentation file if you haven't backed it up, and internet outages make it impossible for users to see your presentation when you share it online.
• Potential cost : While Microsoft offers a free basic version of PowerPoint online, you likely need to pay for an annual subscription if you want to use the desktop and mobile apps and gain access to all features. The price depends on whether you need a home or office version of Microsoft Office and how many users you have.
• Lack of flexibility during slideshow presentations : Once you start a slide show, you can't easily make changes or annotate any slides during the presentation. Instead, you control moving through slides or ending the presentation. So, you need to ensure your presentation is ready to go beforehand.
• Drexel University: Advantages and Disadvantages of Powerpoint Presentations in Business
• 24 Slides: 30 Amazing Things You Can Do and Create in PowerPoint
• Commonwealth of Learning: Facilitating Using Powerpoint
• Brandon Gaille: 10 Pros and Cons of Powerpoint Presentations
• Microsoft: Buy Office
• Microsoft: What Is Powerpoint?
• Microsoft: Work Together on Powerpoint Presentations

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Home » Pros and Cons » 10 Pros and Cons of Powerpoint Presentations

10 Pros and Cons of Powerpoint Presentations

If you need to make a formal presentation, one of the best supportive tools you can use to create visuals for those attending is Microsoft PowerPoint. It can be found in Office 365 subscriptions for both personal and business use.

The primary advantage of using PowerPoint is that visual representations can help to reinforce the key points you’re speaking about. Humans are visually orientated when learning new skills or ideas, so having a graphic representation of what you’re speaking about makes it easier to retain the information.

The primary disadvantage is that it takes time to learn how to use this software. For those unfamiliar with visual presentation software, the process can become difficult. It may even cause some to give up trying to learn it. Here are some of the other pros and cons of PowerPoint presentations that are worth thinking about as well.

What Are the Pros of PowerPoint Presentations?

1. It is easy to download and use virtually anywhere. PowerPoint is considered a standard product in many professional settings. This allows you to take your user license virtually anywhere to be able to create the graphics needed for your presentation. It is so expected, in fact, that you may create a negative first impression if you don’t have a PowerPoint presentation to offer.

2. It can make a presentation more interesting. Even interesting presentations can grow long and boring. With an animated presentation or interesting quotes or other fun slides, you can bring people back from their boredom.

3. It is easy to customize each slide to meet specific needs. Images on a slide can be decreased or increased in scale to fit your needs. It only takes a few clicks to insert, alter, and align images to create a needed visual representation. You can even use arrows, pointers, or other shapes to highlight key areas of information you want people to know about.

4. It is a simple process to create follow-along hand-outs. You can print each slide directly from PowerPoint. Then you can copy those slides to become a helpful hand-out that can be given to each presentation participant.

5. It is reasonably affordable for most professionals. Business plans for Office 365 start at just under $10 per month. This gives you 1 license to use on a computer of your choice. For $15 per month, you receive 5 computer licenses to use.

What Are the Cons of PowerPoint Presentations?

1. There’s always the chance of running into technical difficulties. Even tech-savvy individuals can run into presentation issues when the technology doesn’t work as intended. Maybe the computer stops working. Or you lose power to your outlet. Or the overhead display doesn’t work right. This can alter the positive first impression of a presentation very quickly.

2. Slides with too much information on them can become overwhelming. Because there are so many options that can be included on a PowerPoint presentation, it can be easy to go overboard on the number of colors, sounds, shapes, and other items that can be used. By adding to many things, you can detract from the information that needs to be shared.

3. It isn’t a substitute for what a presenter must do. Many who use PowerPoint tend to rely on the information on the slide instead of providing a learning narrative. It is easy to become too reliant on this software and forget that there is an actual presentation that needs to be completed.

4. Costs are always ongoing. Because it is part of the Office 365 package, you no longer receive a proprietary software license for one specific cost. You must pay a monthly or annual subscription cost, which over time can add up to more than what the proprietary license once offered. You must also download the software to each computer, which consumes data that may be capped for some small business owners.

5. Some participants may tune out your narrative. If your PowerPoint is very detailed, some participants in your presentation may focus on your handouts and slides more than your actual narrative. This may make it difficult to make the call to action that you want participants to follow at the end of the day.

The pros and cons of PowerPoint presentations show that with careful planning, any narrative can be enhanced for those who are participating in the event. Without that planning, the presentation may do more harm than good to the narrative.

Do you use Microsoft PowerPoint for your presentations? What helpful tips do you have to refine the presentation creation experience?

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What are the advantages and disadvatages of PowerPoint

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PowerPoint is one of the most popular software for presentations. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite and can be used for personal, business, and educational purposes. Most known for its templates and easiness of use, PowerPoint had conquered the presentations game. 

From beginners to professional speakers, this software allows you to build your own presentations using text, images, video, audios, tables of data. There are a variety of animations and transitions that can help in delivering the presentation the way you want. 

We’ve been working for five years in Presentation Design, and most of our work is done using PowerPoint.

Even though I’ve been using it over the past 5 years, I’m learning something new every once in a while. I’m always looking to improve my process, do things differently or executing the wrong command. Some mistakes are good too, eh? I feel like PowerPoint is a tool which is overlooked by many people in the design industry. When I switch to other software, I’m thinking <<oh, I could have done this a lot faster in PowerPoint>>. I like order and precision. Through PowerPoint’s  grid and guides features, I’m able to satisfy these cravings of mine and create consistent and neat presentations.

Bogdan, Visual Hackers Designer

Advantages of PowerPoint

1. It can be used virtually anywhere

Put your presentation on a USB flash drive or in any cloud storage app and you will have your PowerPoint presentation at hand anytime. It is also included in standard professional settings, so with your user license, you can access your presentation from anywhere.

2. It is a collaborative solution

Work from home is now a normal thing to do. Tools that provide solutions for working together with your team even if you are in different locations are in high demand. PowerPoint adapted to this situation and with its online cloud storage, you can now work on presentations at the same time, or work on the same presentation without sending it to each other. 

3. You can choose to create your own design or use existing ones

PowerPoint offers you full control over your slides’ appearances. You have the freedom to customize your presentation with your own design. As it is easy to modify and play with the elements given by this software, you can create the perfect presentation for yourself. 

There are also templates already integrated into the software for visually appealing presentations and for those who want a quick and nice design. Furthermore, PowerPoint will give you design ideas with the images and elements you chose to have on slides.

If you customize the slides you have the Master Slide, it will help you set the fonts, images (logos), and other preferences for all the slides. The master slide is the top slide in the thumbnail pane on the left side of the window.

4. Multiple uses 

An adaptable and perceptive tool is how our founder described PowerPoint in a previous article. That is because this software is not only for presentations (even though it is most known for them), but also for other types of materials, such as flyers, marketing materials, gifs, videos, or CVs. We do PowerPoint infographics, our social media posts, and presentations for clients. 

89% of people use PowerPoint to create presentations.

Read more about how you can use PowerPoint:

PowerPoint is more than just a presentation tool

5. Export in different formats

With PowerPoint, you can export your materials in other formats than .pptx. We talked previously about all the types of materials you can create in this software and for them, it offers alternatives of saving you work. 

Presentations can be saved also in .pdf, this will reduce their size, videos can be exported as mp4 and for gifs, there is the specific option to save them as Animated gifs. Of course, there is also the option of saving a slide as .png or .jpg.

6. It facilitates an effective way of communication with the audience

Most of the time, PowerPoint is used for presenting to a larger audience (a few things have changed in 2020, but a zoom presentation looks just as good), as it is easier to be projected. Choose your communication style, do you want to rely more on images, text, or videos, all of them can be easily integrated into PowerPoint.

65% of the population are visual learners

7. You can insert multimedia formats

Visuals are the key in PowerPoint. Images and videos help you explain your idea better and in an engaging way in any presentation. There are some basic sounds that you can use or insert your own audio for the desired effect. 

Play with all the functionalities of this tool and use it to its maximum. 

8. Extremely efficient tool

Once you get familiar with the software, there are all kinds of features that you can use to become an expert in PowerPoint. We can even name 84 shortcuts that will change the way you use it and will also save you a lot of time.

Learn for yourself:

84 PowerPoint Shortcuts To Improve Your Presentation Game

9. It is accessible for all categories of users

Most of the time employees/staff have already the Microsoft license on their work computers, with PowerPoint included. Also, universities acquire the suite so students and teachers cand use reach out and use them.

Disadvantages of PowerPoint

1. High risk of technical issues

It can happen anytime, there are a lot of variables that intervene when you are about to use PowerPoint for presenting. Your computer can stop working, get an update right before you start, or lose power in the middle of the presentation. There is always the connectivity issue, do you use HDMI, VGA or do you have an adaptor. PowerPoint also has some specifics ada[ted for your computer, like fonts or videos, and if you don’t embed them or you don’t put them in a folder with the presentation they won’t work on somebody else’s computer.

2. Overuse of information 

After you accommodate with the software it becomes very easy to get lost in all the options you have. How much text is too much? Are there enough images? What font to use? How many fonts to use? By adding a lot of things you will lose sight of the purpose of the presentation. 

We know that there is a lot of important information you want to transmit, but leave some mystery for the delivery part. 

3. Predisposal to death by PowerPoint

PowerPoint presentations are very common in conferences, business meetings and universities, therefore your audience has seen quite a lot of presentations before yours. You need to catch your audience’s attention from the beginning with your presentation looks or with your way of presenting, otherwise, they will get bored and won’t listen to you present.  Make sure you put enough time into preparing your PowerPoint material, a good presentation with a fine speech will hit the target. 

Avoid templates as much as possible if you want to impress, or work on them and add your unique style to them. 

4. Presenters rely too much on slides 

Sometimes when you are too focused on preparing the slides you may forget to actually prepare to deliver the presentation and you will end up reading from the slides. The audience wants to hear more from the speaker than what is presented on the slides, otherwise they could have looked over the presentation themselves.

5. Overuse of presentations 

There are situations when you get so used to the tool that you will start making a presentation for everything. Every report or status will become easier to do in PowerPoint for you, but it won’t be that fun for your colleagues and will cost you time. 

We recommend using Powerpoint for all kinds of materials, not just presentations. This tool can give you freedom in design and also help you with predefined elements. 

If you want to make a presentation yourself, invest time, look for tutorials or just reach out to an agency to help you create the right presentation. 

Here’s When You Really Need A Presentation Design Specialist

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The advantages and disadvantages of powerpoint.

• Disadvantages

1. PowerPoint— Advantage or Disadvantage for the Presenter?

PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software. It is regarded by many as the most useful and accessible way to create and present visual aids to the audience.

On the other hand, others believe it has created its own mind-set which forces presenters to spend countless hours thinking in PowerPoint and developing slides. A political party has even formed to ban PowerPoint in Switzerland. Depending on one's perspective, it seems that many advantages could easily be viewed as disadvantages.

Look over the list below to see where you stand— with or against PowerPoint.

term to know PowerPoint An electronic slide presentation created and presented using the program (verb) to communicate to (an audience) by electronic slides.

1a. Advantages

Quick and easy: The basic features are easy to master and can make you appear to be organized, even if you are not.

Simple bullet points : It can reduce complicated messages to simple bullet points. Bullet points are a good basis for a presentation and remind the speaker of main points and the organization of the message.

Easy to create a colorful, attractive design: Using the standard templates and themes, you can create something visually appealing, even if you do not have much knowledge of basic graphic design principles.

Easy to modify: When compared to other visual aids such as charts, posters, or objects, it is easy to modify.

Easily re-order presentation: with a simple drag and drop or using key strokes, you can move slides to re-order the presentation.

Finally, PowerPoint is integrated with other products that allow you to include parts of documents, spread sheets, and graphics.

Audience size: PowerPoint slides are generally easier to see by a large audience when projected than other visual aids.

Easy to present: You can easily advance the slides in the presentation one after another with a simple key stroke while still maintaining eye contact with the audience.

No need for handouts: They look good visually and can be easily read if you have a projector and screen that is large enough for the entire room.

term to know Bullet Points Bulleted items – known as bullet points – may be short phrases, single sentences, or of paragraph length; used to introduce items in a list.

1b. Disadvantages

Design power pointless: Gives the illusion of content and coherence, when in fact there is really not much substance or connection between the different points on the slides.

PowerPoint excess: Some speakers create presentations so they have slides to present rather than outlining, organizing, and focusing on the message.

Replaces planning and preparation: PowerPoint is a convenient prop for poor speakers, as it can reduce complicated messages to simple bullet points and elevates style over substance.

Oversimplification of topic: The linear nature of PowerPoint forces the presenter to reduce complex subjects to a set of bullet items that are too weak to support decision-making or show the complexity of an issue.

Feature abundance: While the basic features are easy to use and apply, a speaker can get carried away and try to use all the features at once rather than simply supporting a message. Too many flying letters, animations, and sound effects without seeing much original thought or analysis can be a real issue. In many cases, the medium shoves the message aside.

Basic equipment required: You will need to have a computer and projection equipment in place to display the slides to the audience.

Focus on medium, not message: Too many people forget that they are making a presentation first and that PowerPoint is just a tool.

Source: Boundless. "The Advantages and Disadvantages of PowerPoint." Boundless Communications Boundless, 17 Mar. 2017. Retrieved 3 Jun. 2017 from https://www.boundless.com/communications/textbooks/boundless-communications-textbook/preparing-and-using-visual-aids-16/using-powerpoint-and-alternatives-successfully-85/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-powerpoint-323-5654/

Bulleted items – known as bullet points – may be short phrases, single sentences, or of paragraph length; used to introduce items in a list.

An electronic slide presentation created and presented using the program (verb) to communicate to (an audience) by electronic slides.

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11.1: Pros and Cons of PowerPoint

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Learning Objectives

• Present evidence for your conclusions
• Determine when to use PowerPoint as a report writer rather than a presentation tool
• Describe the conditions under which PowerPoint fails to communicate well

Introduction

When applying for a business loan or seeking investors, you will have to present your project. You are likely to fare better if you follow accepted standards of business presentations. One of those standards is the schematic report .

You are probably already familiar with the use of PowerPoint to create presentations for an audience. Such presentations will be covered in more detail in the next chapter. However, in this chapter we look at PowerPoint as a report generation tool.

In business, PowerPoint has been gaining traction as a page layout tool to generate reports. These reports use smaller fonts, mix text and graphics, and are designed primarily to be read rather than projected on the screen. Businesses use different names for this type of report including decks, reading decks, and schematic reports.

Used in this way, PowerPoint becomes equivalent to a poor man’s desktop publishing package—but with the added advantage that the report also fits neatly on the screen.

However, it is difficult for an audience to read a font smaller than 24 point onscreen. Small font presentations (around 11 point) raise the obvious question as to why the presentation should be projected at all.

Where Are We in the Life Cycle?

Many information systems projects are conceived of in a life cycle that progresses in stages from analysis to implementation. The diagram below shows the stages that we touch in the current chapter:

Focus on Evidence

Rarely can you prove anything in business. The best you can do is give evidence for your position. Your audience will decide whether your evidence is compelling. And if it is not compelling, well then you have learned something for next time.

In most business presentations, you will need to get across information that inspires your audience to take action. Design is not a substitute for good content, but the combination of the two produces excellent results. The table below demonstrates a method of critical thinking. The method shows how to organize an argument in order to support a claim. Note that every point is supported by hard evidence. This format can be used both in papers and presentations:

PowerPoint as a Report Writer

Traditionally students are taught to write reports using a word processor such as Microsoft Word. The emphasis in the reports is on grammar and composition. However, much of corporate America has been moving in a different direction. The primary means of formal communication in corporations is with PowerPoint.

PowerPoint was developed as a presentation graphics package. PowerPoint presentations are designed to supplement a live presenter. For this reason, the fonts used tend to be large (around 24 point) and the words few (less than fifty per page) so that the audience can read them. The bullet points also serve as a cue for the presenter in lieu of note cards.

To put this in perspective, a single page of a word processed document could have 500 words or ten times as many words as a slide. The words would be set using a smaller font—usually 10 or 11 point.

With relatively few words to express oneself, every word should be carefully chosen. Unfortunately, very often we see the opposite—presentations hastily assembled at the last minute.

However, there is a growing movement to create presentations that can stand with or without the presenter. This requires using smaller fonts and adding far more text. The small text creates a presentation that can no longer be read easily by the audience. What should be a presentation turns into an eye test. To compensate, many times audience members are each provided with a copy of the presentation. So while they may not be able to read the screen, they can follow along.

Hopefully the copy provided to the audience contains one slide per page. Unfortunately, sometimes in an effort to save paper, the presenter will use a PowerPoint handout with three slides per page and a space for the audience to write notes. This simply transfers the eye test to paper.

The term used in corporate America to describe a PowerPoint presentation is a deck. The term has obvious ties to a deck of cards. And like a deck of cards, one can easily reorganize a deck to customize the presentation for a new audience. The term deck is used whether the slides are primarily designed for a presentation or primarily designed to be read. However, to be clear about which we mean, we will use the term schematic report to describe a deck intended to be read rather than projected.

Distributing handouts to the audience is only helpful if the slides are readable. Here they are not, nor would they be readable projected on the screen. The only way to make this presentation readable is to print one slide per page.

How to Overcome the Cons

PowerPoint has four advantages over Word. First, it does help keep everyone on the same “page.” A PowerPoint “page” fits conveniently on one screen—a Word page would not. Second, PowerPoint allows for easy integration of text and graphics. Text boxes and images stay put and resize intuitively without creating awkward page breaks. You can similarly integrate text and images in Word—but it is less intuitive. Third, PowerPoint themes allow the presentation to take on a slick and unified look, almost like a brochure. Each theme has a number of layouts associated with it so that each slide can be structured to accommodate the material for that slide while still having the same look as the rest of the presentation. Fourth, because each slide tends to encapsulate a complete idea, it is fairly easy to reorganize the deck to customize it for a new audience. There is even a slide sorter view to help with this task.

PowerPoint also has some disadvantages as a report writer, as compared with Word. First, without text flow the presenter is tempted to fit each idea, no matter how complex, onto a single slide. Lack of text flow can lead to over abbreviation of complex concepts—sometimes with disastrous results. Second, PowerPoint resizes text automatically to fit on the slide. As you add words to a slide, the font shrinks in size so that all the text will fit. If the subsequent slide has fewer words, the text will be larger; if it has more words, the text will be smaller. Auto text resize leads to awkward differences in text size among slides—which does not look professional.

To expand on the text resize point a little bit more, consider that memos and other office documents are normally set in around 11 point type. PowerPoint slides usually opt for at least 24 point type. The no man’s land between 11 point and 24 point might be around 16 to 18 point. This looks like the font of a children’s book, which is not professional. The example below shows the body text at both 12 point and 18 point.

Both PowerPoint disadvantages—auto text resize, and one idea per slide—can be overcome. Some PowerPoint templates, such as Pitchbook , suppress text resize. With the font locked at 11 point, the writer can avoid a no man’s land 16 or 18 point font. Overcoming the text flow problem is harder. Our recommendation is that the writer create all content in Microsoft Word and then flow the content into PowerPoint. In fact that is how we created the slides below.

11 point (above) is good for a written report. 16 point (following) looks like the font in a children’s book.

Does PowerPoint Corrupt Us?

There is a third, more controversial, disadvantage of PowerPoint. Edward Tufte argues that PowerPoint encourages the pitching of ideas rather than dispassionate reflection. He cautions that when we pitch out, we corrupt within. In other words, if we tend to use a medium designed to sell ideas, rather than discuss them, we might lose our own objectivity to the detriment of our message—and our organization. Certainly there is some evidence for Tufte’s position. A quick look at the built in PowerPoint templates, reveals a decidedly marketing orientation. For example, there is a built in Pitchbook template, but there does not appear to be a built in “weigh all angles” template.

Tufte terms the tendency to market and simplify ideas the cognitive style of PowerPoint. He is especially troubled by the use of bullets rather than complete sentences and paragraphs to convey information. Such presentations he argues should not circulate alone as though they are documents. He provides a compelling example of the dangers of PowerPoint reports with the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. On February 1, 2003, the Columbia Space Shuttle disintegrated and burned up on reentry, when its heat shield was compromised by a foam hit 16 days earlier. The official presidential report faulted the way that the potential danger had been poorly communicated by Boeing using bulleted lists rather than paragraphs and complete sentences.

Tufte goes on further to claim that for on screen presentations, PowerPoint should only be used as a slide projector to project images. Words should be supplied by the speaker. There is some truth to the slide projector position as we shall see in the next section.

Having said that, however, perhaps Tufte’s remarks should be taken as a caution, rather than a condemnation of the PowerPoint medium. Having fewer words makes it more challenging to communicate, but does not preclude effective communication.

Columbia Disaster

On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere. All seven astronauts on board perished. The cause of the accident was a piece of hard foam insulation the size of a small briefcase and about the same weight as a basketball, which broke off the external fuel tank, slamming into the wing at 500 miles per hour during liftoff sixteen days earlier. The impact would be the equivalent of a 100 pound weight dropped from 200 feet in the air.

NASA knew about the foam hit the day after liftoff. They asked the fuel tank manufacturer, Boeing, to analyze the foam hit. Boeing developed a computer program called Crater to analyze the effects of foam hits. The program was calibrated using the history of foam hits on previous flights. To be safe, Crater was programmed to over predict damage. As it happens, foam hits on prior launches were a regular occurrence. However, most of the foam pieces were tiny and put only minor chinks in the ceramic heat shield tiles. However, this piece of foam was much bigger. Nonetheless, NASA’s reading of the report back from Boeing was that there was no danger to Columbia. They took no further action.

Unfortunately, the report back from Boeing took the form of a poorly designed PowerPoint deck. Edward Tufte presents a compelling case that one of the contributing factors in the Columbia Space Shuttle accident was this deck. The key slide from that deck appears on the following page. Tufte argues that PowerPoint encourages the type of sloppy writing that appears on the key slide. As you read the “Before” slide, it will appear that there is very little danger to Columbia. The title of the slide, “Review of Test Date Indicates Conservatism for Tile Penetration,” gives a false sense of reassurance. In fact, they are talking about the Crater program being conservative, not the projected damage to Columbia. Tufte feels that an author writing in complete sentences and paragraphs in a report would be less likely to be misunderstood. Maybe.

However, we would argue that the real culprit is bad writing. Bad writing is bad writing whatever the medium of expression. To us, it appears that the authors of the slide were trying to sell the virtues of the Crater program rather than acknowledge its limitations. Selling has a place at the beginning of a presentation to engage the audience interest. However, selling should never be mixed with content.

To make our point, we rewrote the key slide to remove the selling, express clearly what it really provides evidence for, and what it should have concluded. We believe that our rewrite would not have been similarly misunderstood.Tufte, Edward, The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint , Graphics Press, May 2003.

The original Boeing slide (above) and the authors’ rewrite to clarify the material below. Lead off with your conclusion and then give evidence.

Key Takeaways

• Reports should use a font size around 11 point.
• Disadvantages of PowerPoint include oversimplification of ideas, inconsistent font sizes, and a tendency to pitch rather than discuss ideas.

Questions and Exercises

• Does the abbreviated style of PowerPoint require even better writing? Explain.

17 Pros and Cons of Google Slides! (Should You Use it?)

By: Author Shrot Katewa

If you are new to Google Slides and wondering whether it makes sense to spend the energy and time to learn how it works, then perhaps you may first want to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of Google Slides!

For years, Microsoft PowerPoint has been the quintessential presentation software. But over time, Google Slides have been gaining in popularity. 

A quick note here – if you want to make jaw-dropping presentations, I would recommend using one of these Presentation Designs . The best part is – it is only $16.5 a month, but you get to download and use as many presentation designs as you like ! I personally use it from time to time, and it makes my task of making beautiful presentations really quick and easy!

Okay, so Google Slides does provide unique features that are attractive to some users. These features give an advantage to Google Slides over other presentation applications. But, do these pros outweigh its cons? Let’s find out!

What are the Advantages of Using Google Slides?

One more thing before we begin – if you prefer to watch the video with the details instead of reading this article, you can do so by clicking on the video below –

When Google Slides was first launched in 2006, while some were excited about its prospects, many were actually skeptical about its success!

However, with time, Google Slides has made a solid case for itself. It has further re-iterated that Google Slides is here to stay!

A graph indicating an increase in popularity over time in Google Slides vs PowerPoint

As the above graph indicates, Google Slides is slowly but gradually increasing interest amongst users of presentation applications.

I’ve created a short video that explains the advantages and disadvantages of using Google Slides. You can watch this video. Alternatively, if you prefer reading, you can continue with the article below.

So, let’s look at some of the benefits of Google Slides –

1. Google Slides is FREE to Use!

One of the biggest advantages is that Google Slides is completely FREE to use for all its users.

There aren’t many powerful presentation applications that provide such flexibility and features as that of Google Slides and yet are completely FREE to use for the users.

The option to use Google Slides for free makes it a go-to presentation application for students, non-profits and other organizations who may not be in a position to spend on licenses of presentation softwares.

2. Allows Real-time Collaboration

What made Google Slides an immediate hit amongst its early adopters was the capability to provide real-time collaboration on presentations with other team members.

Real-time collaboration allows you and other members of your team to prepare, edit, or even work together on the same presentation at the same time! This means, you no longer have to wait for your team members or your reporting manager to confirm the final edits.

Other well-known presentation applications such as Keynote do not provide scope for such collaboration. While PowerPoint has recently added the collaboration feature, it is nowhere nearly as easy and convenient to use as it is in Google Slides.

In fact, in PowerPoint, you will have to manually save your slides in the OneDrive and invite team members to collaborate using PowerPoint. Moreover, the collaboration feature of PowerPoint is not that great for real-time editing compared to Google Slides.

3. Google Slides is a Web-based Tool (No Software Downloading Required!)

One of the biggest challenges that users face with some of the other most common presentation applications is the constant need to download or the need to update the software for it to function correctly.

If you are using Google Slides, you do not need to worry about this anymore as it is a web-based tool.

This means, you are ready from the get go to use Google Slides. There is no setup required, and no downloading and running of heavy software.

Moreover, Google Slides works directly in a web browser which ensures that your computer will not slow down due to overutilization of your computer’s processing power.

4. Slides are Automatically Saved (No More Data Loss!)

If you have ever used other presentation applications such as PowerPoint, you’ve surely at least once in your life experienced the agony of losing hours of hard work simply because you forgot to press Ctrl+S or save the file!

With Google Slides, you don’t have to worry about this anymore!

Your presentation will be automatically saved in the cloud. Whatever change or edit you make will also be saved instantly. It is also possible to revert and restore any edits that you may have made.

PowerPoint and Keynotes do not offer the instant auto-backup feature as that in Google Slides. You will have to manually save the presentation file using other presentation applications. 

If you are using Google slides, you don’t have to worry about losing the changes you made in the presentation slide because perhaps your computer shut off suddenly. Your presentation is saved automatically and always available.

5. Embedding Videos (and Other Elements) is a Breeze!

One of the other benefits of using Google Slides is the ease with which you can embed elements such as video, images, maps, etc. Embedding YouTube videos works especially well which otherwise is a cumbersome process if you are using other presentation applications.

I wrote a detailed article on how to embed literally anything in Google Slides. I showed just how easy it is to embed various elements in Google Slides through that article. Be sure to check it out!

How to Embed in Google Slides? The ONLY Resource You Need!

The flexibility to embed various elements along with the ability to embed them with ease is critical in a presentation application.

So, if you are a teacher and need to use some wonderful videos from YouTube to explain a concept, then Google Slides will work great for you!

There are several other use cases for just this feature alone for Google Slides.

6. Accessibility – Your Presentation is Always Accessible!

Remember the days when you had to carry your presentation on a pen drive (or a thumb drive) to your meeting just in case your boss was not able to open the presentation on his or her computer?

With Google Slides, those days are well behind us! And if you are still carrying a thumb drive to a meeting, then perhaps it is time to switch to Google Slides!

With Google Slides, accessibility to your presentation is not a problem since the presentation is stored in the cloud just like your email.

This means, even if you forgot your presentation on your computer at home, you can still access it during the meeting without having to rush back home to pick up your laptop!

7. Sharing a Presentation is Really EASY!

With PowerPoint or Keynote, one of the biggest challenges that people face is sharing the presentation with the client! But, this is really easy if you are using Google Slides. Let me explain.

Creating a presentation is not a 1 or 2-hour job. In fact, creating a good presentation can sometimes take days or even weeks together. Furthermore, if your presentation is quite detailed and has several slides in it, the file can easily exceed 10 or 20 MB in size. Such presentations files are a pain in the rear to share with clients or over email! Google Slides solves this problem for you.

If you are using Google Slides, your presentation is shared via a link to your file. This means, no more “Delivery Failed” notices on your email due to your presentation size, and you never have to worry whether the intended stakeholder received the presentation or not!

One of the other problems you encounter while sharing files with clients or beneficiaries if you are using traditional presentation applications is that if you have used some special fonts or colors, the formatting of your file may change once you have shared it with your clients.

However, with Google Slides, your slides ALWAYS look the same when shared with others ! It doesn’t matter who or which computer you may be opening the slides, the formatting and the look and feel of your presentation always remain the same!

8. Cross-Platform Availability

One of the other major advantage with Google Slides is that it is available across all the major devices and operating systems. In contrast, most other major presentation software is not available across all major devices and operating systems.

Table showcasing the cross-platform availability of Google Slides and other popular presentation applications

As you can see from. the table above, Google Slides can easily be accessed across any device as it is a web-based tool. While it also provides an app for android and iOS, but even without the app, it works just about fine on any device by simply using a web browser.

9. Google Slides also works Offline

By now, I’m confident that you have understood that Google Slides is a web-based tool. So, you may be wondering – “What happens if your computer get disconnected from the internet?”

Well, that’s exactly why Google Slides is now provided with a feature to function even when it is offline! Granted that some of the internet based embedded elements may not function while you are offline, however, you will surely be able to edit, add, remove and save your presentation.

Once you are back online and your computer is connected to the internet, Google Slides will automatically sync and update the file in your Google Drive!

So, not only does Google Slides work very well online, but it works flawlessly offline as well. To do all this without the installation of any software is quite impressive, to say the least!

What are the Disadvantages of Using Google Slides?

After reading the advantages mentioned above, I won’t be surprised if you are wondering what disadvantages can Google Slides possibly have!

After all, Google Slides is FREE, there is no software installation required, no loss of data and it has features that other applications can only dream of! What possible disadvantages can Google Slide have?

Don’t junk your current presentation software yet! Let’s read through some of the disadvantages of Google Slides first –

1. You need a Google Account to use Google Slides

In order to use Google Slides, you need to have a Google Account.

While some of you may not consider this as a disadvantage at all, but for those users who still find it hard to make a shift from Yahoo Mail or other email addresses, it is a task to not just learn how to operate Google Slides, but also an email account with Google.

That said, if you already have a gmail account, then you can pass this off of this list.

2. Availability of Limited Themes

Many people today like to use themes in order to make their presentation look nice.

Unfortunately, Google Slides comes with a very limited collection of themes for its users. This is perhaps one of the improvement areas that Google Slides may need to focus for the future.

Although you can easily overcome this issue by using a presentation template for Google Slides. There are a number of third-party presentation template providers. However, you may have to pay a few bucks for accessing these templates.

Furthermore, you perhaps will have to spend some time identifying just the right template design for your presentation. Additionally, you will also need to have some basic understanding of how to work with templates (which should not take too long to understand though).

3. Learning Curve

Like any new software, there is a bit of a learning curve when you first start using it. So, that is not really a challenge.

However, if you have used other presentation applications in the past, you will find a few things to be really annoying!

For example, when I first started using Google Slides, it took me FOREVER to get used to zooming in and zooming out on the slides! Now, I know you may be thinking – “How hard can it be!”.

Try this – if you have used PowerPoint or Keynote before, try figuring out how to zoom in on a slide (without searching this on Google obviously).

If you want to know the answer – you can read the article that I wrote about zoom in and zoom out on Google Slides.

How to Zoom in & Zoom Out in Google Slides? A Simple Trick!

I found it to be really annoying even after I found out how to do it simply because I had to first unlearn the way you zoom in on slides and then train yourself to learn again to do it the right way for Google Slides!

That said, a lot of the basic features work quite the same way and the slides look and feel pretty much the same way it does in PowerPoint or Keynote.

So, if you have used other presentations applications before, you won’t have to learn from scratch, but you will have to unlearn a few things first and then learn it specifically for Google Slides.

If, however, you have never used any of the other common presentation applications before, you won’t notice a thing different. Perhaps, you may be wondering what the fuss is all about!

4. Limited options for Animations and Transitions

Google Slide provides very few options when it comes to animations and transitions.

Animations and transitions often make a presentation a little engaging especially when used appropriately. While Google Slides does provide a few animations and transitions, the options are very basic.

While some would argue that the options provided for animations and transitions in Google Slide may get the job done, the fact of the matter is they are nowhere nearly as expressive as it is on PowerPoint or Keynote.

This is also one of the key reasons why you lose the animation effects when you open a PowerPoint file using Google Slides.

This part of Google Slides just feels very basic. It is one of those things that you would miss in Google Slides especially if you are transitioning over from other presentation applications. If you are creating presentations for the first time directly in Google Slides, you may perhaps have no clue on what you are missing out!

5. Formatting Loss when Importing to Google Slides

One of the key features that Google Slides provides is that it allows you to import a PowerPoint file. That’s great because if you decide to take a plunge and start using Google Slides while others around you are still using PowerPoint, you will definitely be able to open the presentations created by your colleagues.

The disadvantage, though, is that there is a loss in formatting when importing such presentation files into Google Slides.

This means, you may lose some of the animations or transitions, you may lose some of the fonts (if specialized fonts are used), and many other smaller tit-bits here and there.

One could argue that such an issue is faced by most presentation applications when importing a file format from a different software. For example, you face similar issues when opening a PowerPoint file using Keynote too. Nevertheless, this definitely remains a disadvantage.

6. Limited File Types for Exporting

One of the other disadvantages of using Google Slides is the limited options of converting your presentation into a different file type.

For instance, a Google Slide presentation can only be exported as either a PPTX file (opened using PowerPoint), ODP or Open Document Presentation (opened using Open Office), PDF file, Image (JPG & PNG), or an SVG or Scalable Vector Graphic file type.

PowerPoint and Keynote on the other hand provide great flexibility in the type of file format you want to export your presentation as. PowerPoint allows you to export a presentation as a PPSX file which opens directly as a PowerPoint Slide Show.

PowerPoint also allows you to save your presentation as a video (which greatly expands the ways in which PowerPoint can be used). Keynote also offers similar solutions.

That said, if you don’t intend to do something fancy and simply want to make a presentation, these limited file type options to export a presentation from Google Slides should be good enough .

7. Lack of Advanced Features

While Google Slides does provide some really innovative features, it doesn’t suffice the needs of advanced presentation creators.

There are several advanced features that can be seen missing in Google Slides.

For instance, if you feel the need to edit characteristics of the images that you are using in Google Slides, you will be disappointed with the lack of options.

Likewise, advanced designers who wish to ensure that all the text boxes on all the slides are aligned, will surely miss the ruler and grids in Google Slides.

The option to create unique shapes by merging or subtracting shapes is also a loss that is felt in Google Slides.

These are just a few of the advanced features that are lacking in Google Slides.

That said, such features are mostly used by advanced designers and are perhaps not needed for most people.

8. Access to Google Accounts is Restricted in Many Corporations

One of the biggest drawback of Google Slides is that access to this application requires a google account, and many corporate organisations avoid giving access to personal email accounts such as Gmail for security reasons.

Thus, even if you were to use Google Slides, but you work with a lot of large multi-corporations, sharing Google Slides with your clients may not work well with them.

You can, however, perhaps circumvent this issue by sharing a PDF file which will allow your client to surely open and read the presentation. However, features that are unique to Google Slides such as real-time collaboration get nullified if you are sending them a PDF file.

Nevertheless, if you are a student or if you work in such a workplace where there are no restrictions on access to Google Slides presentation, this drawback will not be applicable to you.

Verdict – Should you Use Google Slides?

Let’s face it – Google Slides is not a power-packed presentation software like PowerPoint and Keynote. But, it is an application that will get the job done for most users.

The Pareto Analysis is very much applicable in Google Slides. It almost feels like makers at Google have taken 20% of the most important and commonly used features of a typical presentation software that serve 80% of the needs of the users and bundled it together to form Google Slides .

So, should you be using Google Slides? If you are a graphic designer having an advanced understanding of presentation design applications and use advanced tools, then perhaps Google Slides will turn out to be a disappointment for you.

Google Slides is great if you just want to design a simple but attractive presentation. It is perfectly suited for beginners, amateurs, or even professionals. It has been created keeping in mind the requirements of the modern generation. It is easy to use has got some great collaboration tools.

For most presentation requirements, Google Slides will be good enough . Best of all, it is completely FREE. So, if you ever feel the need to move to the next level, you can surely shell out some money and go with PowerPoint or other presentation software.

Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Which is Better?

Google Slides and PowerPoint both come with strong advantages. PowerPoint with its vast clientele is more convenient to use in different situations. Its refined looks and various effects offer scopes for tasteful slide making. 

On the other hand, Google Slides is quickly climbing the popularity ladder with its easy to use innovative features. One such feature is the Q and A feature that allows for the presenter and audience to interact in a live meeting. 

With the growing popularity, there are also many Google Slides templates available online. You can persue them to make creative slides online. 

As to which is better between the two – my suggestion would be to self-assess and understand the type of presentations that you create.

If you like to create simple, basic, clean yet attractive presentations that do not have too much animation or transition, or if you feel that real-time collaboration is important for you, I would suggest going with Google Slides. Your budget is another factor when choosing between PowerPoint and Google Slides.

On the other hand, I would suggest going with PowerPoint if you find yourself using some of the advanced features of PowerPoint quite often. It does provide great flexibility in designing presentations and expressing creativity. So, if that’s you, choose PowerPoint.

Final Thoughts

Your presentation slides can be game-changing. It can turn a dull presentation topic into an interesting one. Hence, the importance of the presentation application you use cannot be understated. 

At the end of the day, choosing the right presentation application boils down to your situation, needs, comfort, and budget. 

However, I hope knowing  the pros and cons of Google Slides  helps you come one step closer to choosing the right presentation application for you. Best of luck with your presentation. Thank you for stopping by!

20 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Google Slides

Google Slides is a powerful web-based presentation program that offers several distinguishable features compared to other presentation programs. However, like any other program, it also has a few disadvantages that users should be aware of. In this article, we will explore the 20 advantages and drawbacks of Google Slides so that you can decide if it’s the correct presentation program for you.

1. It’s Free

2. easy to use, 3. real-time collaboration, 4. web-based (no software required), 5. easy accessibility, 6. export/import in multiple formats, 7. works offline, 8. auto-save docs, 9. embeds different elements, 10. support add-ons, 11. cloud storage, 12. relatively secure, 13. easy to track the changes, 14. compatible with other google apps, 15. limited templates, 16. lack some features, 17. limited functionality while offline, 18. possible security risks, 19. formatting loss when importing, 20. no dedicated desktop app, advantages of google slides.

Let’s begin with  the advantages of Google Slides:

One of the main advantages of Google Slides is that it’s free to use. There are no subscription fees, and you can use all the features without paying anything. This makes it a great option for individuals and businesses who want to create professional-grade presentations without spending any money.

There are not a lot of free presentation programs out there that can compete with Google Slides in terms of features and presentation quality.

Google Slides is very easy to use, even if you’ve never used a presentation program before. The user interface is straightforward, intuitive, and uncluttered. You can easily access any of the features with just a few clicks. The learning curve is also very short. And there’s also a wealth of tutorials and resources available if you need assistance.

Google Slides offers real-time collaboration, which means multiple users can contribute and make changes to the same presentation simultaneously. Many other presentation programs also offer this feature, but Google Slides does it better by allowing users to see the changes being made in real-time. This is extremely useful for team projects as it allows more efficient collaboration.

While most of the popular presentation programs require you to download and install software, Google Slides is web-based, which means you don’t need to install anything. All you need is a web browser and an internet connection. That means there are no compatibility issues, and you can use Google Slides on any computer, regardless of the operating system.

As Google Slides is web-based, it’s easy to access from anywhere. You can simply go to the website and log in with your Google account. Since there is no device restriction, you can access your presentations without any restrictions (even from smart TVs). This is very convenient, especially if you need to make changes or present your slides while you’re on the go.

Google Slides allows you to export your presentations in multiple formats (PDF, PPTX, JPG, etc.), which is a great feature to have if you need to share your slides with someone who uses a different program. You can also import supported formats of presentations from other programs into Google Slides. This is very useful if you need to edit an existing presentation or convert it into a different format.

You can use Google Slides offline on Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser by installing an extension . It enables you to continue working on your presentation even without an internet connection. Although a few features will be disabled when you’re offline, you can still do a lot, such as adding new slides, editing text, etc.

Google Slides automatically saves your presentations as you work on them, so you don’t have to worry about losing your work if the power goes out or your computer crashes. While other programs also offer this feature, Google Slides does it more efficiently by autosaving the work more frequently.

You can embed different types of content from other sources, such as images, videos, charts, shapes, etc., in Google Slides. This is a very useful feature for adding multimedia content to your slides without having to download or insert them separately.

Google Slides supports add-ons, which are basically small pieces of software that add new features and functionality to the program. There are many useful add-ons available, such as the one that allows you to add a timer or stopwatch, icons, additional fonts, etc., on your slide, which can be very useful for different purposes.

When you create a presentation in Google Slides, it’s automatically saved to your Google Drive account. This means you don’t need to worry about losing your work if your computer crashes or if you accidentally delete the file. You also won’t need to be bothered about the storage capacity of your device. Other alternatives like MS PowerPoint also offer cloud storage, but you need to activate it manually.

Google Slides is relatively secure as your presentations are stored in the Google Drive cloud storage, which is a very secure platform. Google utilizes top-notch encryption and security measures to keep your data safe. However, as with any other online service, how secure your data is also depends on how you use it.

Google Slides also makes it easy to track the changes made to your presentation. It keeps a record of all the changes and allows you to see who made them and when. This is a very useful feature, especially if you’re working on a presentation with others.

Google Slides is compatible with other Google apps, such as Google Docs and Sheets. You can easily insert content from these apps into your slides and vice versa. This is very convenient for showcasing data on your presentation from your spreadsheet or document.

Disadvantages Of Google Slides

Here are some disadvantages of Google Slides:

Google Slides offers a limited number of templates as compared to other alternatives like MS PowerPoint. While there are some good templates available, you might need to use a different program if you’re looking for more variety. You can also download additional templates from the internet, but finding good ones can be time-consuming.

Google Slides lacks some features that are available in other programs, such limited ability to add animations or transitions to your slides. While you may still achieve these by using add-ons or workarounds, it’s not as convenient as having built-in features.

While you can still use Google Slides offline, some features like spelling and grammar check will be disabled. You won’t be able to access your saved works, either. Moreover, the offline mode might not work if it is not properly set. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re working on a presentation and suddenly lose the connection.

As we said earlier,  Google Slides is relatively secure, but it’s still possible for your data to be hacked or leaked. This is especially true if you carelessly share your presentation with others. Be careful about what information you include in your slides and who you share them with.

When you import a presentation from another program like MS PowerPoint to Google Slides, the formatting might not be retained. This can be very annoying, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time working on the original presentation.

Google Slides is web-based, which means you can access it from any device with an internet connection. However, there’s no dedicated laptop app for it. Some institutions or workplaces block access to certain services, including Google, which can make it difficult to use Google Slides.

Google Slides is a great program for creating presentations, especially if you’re working with others. It’s free, easy to use, and includes features like real-time collaboration and cloud storage.  Apart from a few disadvantages, like limited templates and features, Google Slides is a good choice for those looking for a highly-capable and free online presentation program.

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Pros and Cons for PowerPoint and Google Slides

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Free pros and cons for PowerPoint and Google Slides. Stunning and eye-catching presentation template to compare advantages and disadvantages. Editable graphics with text placeholders.

Pros and Cons

Do you want your audience to think you are a pro and not a con artist? Then choose this free Pros and Cons template to make your point!

The design of this slide offers two clear-cut sides. On the left, you can indeed make the list of your cons or disadvantages over a strong red background. On the opposite side, your pros or advantages will appear over a green background. Last but not least, a thunderbolt symbol stands in the center to separate both sides.

Good versus bad, positive versus negative, pros versus cons: the eternal dichotomy! This free Pros and Cons template is ideal to present your comparisons and oppositions in an electrifying way!

Shapes are 100% editable : colors and sizes can be easily changed.

Includes 2 slide option designs: Standard (4:3) and Widescreen (16:9).

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Google Slides Vs. PowerPoint: Which is the Ultimate Presentation Tool?

Dive into the realm of presentation software with a head-to-head comparison of Google Slides Vs. PowerPoint. Discover what Google Slides has to offer, its key features, advantages, and drawbacks. Explore the world of PowerPoint, its features, pros, and cons. Uncover the key differences between Google Slides and PowerPoint.

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Table of Contents  

1)  What is Google Slides? 

    a)  Key features of Google Slides 

    b)  Advantages of Google Slides 

    c)  Disadvantages of Google Slides 

2)  What is PowerPoint? 

    b)   Advantages of Google Slides 

3)  Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Key differences 

4)  Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Factors to consider 

5)  Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Use cases 

6)  Conclusion 

What is Google Slides?  

Before we compare Google Slides and PowerPoint, we will first define What is PowerPoint and Google Slides . Beginning with the latter, Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation software developed by Google. Slides is part of the Google Workspace suite, allowing users to create, edit, and share presentations online. With its intuitive interface and collaborative capabilities, Slides has gained popularity among individuals and businesses alike. 

Key features of Google Slides  

Google Slides offers a plethora of features to elevate your presentations. Some of its key features include:  

1)   Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can work on a presentation simultaneously, making it ideal for teamwork and remote collaboration.  

2)  Cloud-based storage: All your presentations are automatically saved to Google Drive, ensuring easy access and seamless syncing across devices.  

3)  T emplate gallery: Slides provides a wide range of pre-designed templates to kickstart your presentation and save time. 

4)  In tegration with other Google Workspace apps: You can effortlessly embed content from other Google apps like Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Google Forms.  

5)  E asy sharing and publishing options: You can share your presentations with specific individuals or make them accessible to the public. It also offers options to embed presentations on websites.  

Advantages of Google Slides  

Google Slides offers several advantages that make it a compelling choice for many users:  

1)  C ost-effective: Slides i s free to use, making it a budget-friendly option for individuals and businesses. 

2)  Co llaboration made easy: The real-time collaboration feature allows multiple users to work together on a presentation, enhancing productivity and efficiency.  

3)  A ccessibility and cross-platform compatibility: Slides is web-based and can be accessed from any internet-connected device. Slides is compatible with various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. 

4)  Automatic saving and syncing: Your presentations are automatically saved to the cloud, reducing the risk of data loss and ensuring seamless access across devices. 

Disadvantages of Google Slides  

While Google Slides offers numerous advantages, it also has some limitations to consider: 

1)   Limited offline access: Slides requires an internet connection to create and edit presentations. Offline access is available, but it requires additional setup. 

2)   Advanced features: Compared to PowerPoint, Slides may have fewer advanced features and customi s ation options. 

3)  Compatibility issues with PowerPoint: Some formatting and design elements may not translate perfectly when importing or exporting presentations between Slides and PowerPoint.  

Master Google Slides and unleash your presentation potential with our comprehensive Google Slides Masterclass Course . Sign up now!  

What is Powe rPoint?  

PowerPoint , developed by Microsoft, has been a dominant player in the presentation software market for years. It offers comprehensive features and tools for creating visually stunning presentations.  

Key features of PowerPoint  

PowerPoint boasts a wide array of features to enhance your presentations. Some key features of PowerPoint include:

1)  Extensive design options: PowerPoint offers a rich collection of templates, themes, animations, and transitions to create visually appealing slides.  

2)  Advanced customi s ation : Users have precise control over design elements, allowing them to create unique and polished presentations.  

3) Integration with Microsoft Office suite: It seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel, enabling easy import and export of content. 

4)  Multimedia support: I t allows embedding multimedia elements like images, audio, and video to enhance the presentation. 

Advantages of PowerPoint  

PowerPoint's strengths make it a popular choice among professionals:  

1)  Robust feature set: PowerPoint offers a wide range of advanced features, animations, and transitions, empowering users to create dynamic and interactive presentations.  

2)  O ffline access: Unlike Slides , PowerPoint provides full functionality even without an internet connection. 

3)    Compatibility: PowerPoint presentations can be easily shared and accessed across different devices and platforms.  

Disadvantages of PowerPoint  

Despite its strengths, PowerPoint has a few limitations to consider:  

1)  C ost: Unlike Google Slides, PowerPoint is not free. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite and requires a subscription or one-time purchase.  

2)  Steeper learning curve: Its extensive features and customi s ation options can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring time to master. 

3)   Limited collaboration: While PowerPoint offers collaboration features, they are not as seamless and real-time as Slides . 

Unlock the full power of Microsoft PowerPoint with our comprehensive Microsoft PowerPoint Masterclass Course . Join today!  

Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Key differences  

1) Cost: One significant distinction between Google Slides and PowerPoint is the cost. Slides is available for free as part of Google Workspace, whereas PowerPoint requires a subscription to Microsoft Office or a one-time purchase. If budget is a concern, Slides may be the more cost-effective option. 

2)  Offline access: PowerPoint offers full functionality without an internet connection. Once you've downloaded and installed it on your device, you can create, edit, and present it offline. On the other hand, Google Slides primarily operates in the cloud and needs an internet connection for real-time collaboration. While Slides does offer limited offline access, it requires additional setup. 

3)  Advanced features: PowerPoint is known for its extensive range of advanced features and customi s ation options. It offers intricate animations, transitions, and design tools, allowing you to create highly polished and visually stunning presentations. Google Slides, while offering a comprehensive set of features, may have fewer advanced options compared to PowerPoint.  

4)   Integration: Consider the ecosystem in which you primarily work. If you heavily rely on Google Workspace apps such as Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Google Docs, Google Slides seamlessly integrates with these applications, allowing for easy importing and exporting of content. Similarly, PowerPoint integrates with other Microsoft Office suite applications, such as Word and Excel, providing a cohesive experience for users familiar with the Microsoft ecosystem.  

5)   Platform compatibility: Slides operates in a web-based environment, making it accessible across different devices and platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. PowerPoint, while available on both Windows and macOS, also provides dedicated mobile apps for iOS and Android users, ensuring compatibility across devices. 

Enhance your PowerPoint skills and create impactful presentations with our Microsoft PowerPoint MO300 Training Course . Get started now!  

Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Factors to consider when choosing  

To determine the ultimate presentation tool for your needs, consider the following factors: 

1)  Purpose: Identify the purpose and goals of your presentation to determine which tool aligns better with your objectives. 

2)    Team collaboration: If you work in a team or require real-time collaboration, prioriti s e a tool like Google Slides.  

3)  D esign and customi s ation : Assess the level of design control and customi s ation you require for your presentations. 

4)  B udget: Consider your budget and whether you are willing to invest in a subscription-based tool like PowerPoint.  

Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Use cases  

Google Slides is particularly useful in the following scenarios:  

1)  Team presentations: Slides' collaboration features make it ideal for team presentations where multiple individuals need to contribute.  

2)  Education: Many educational institutions use Slides for student presentations and assignments due to their accessibility and ease of use. 

3)   Remote work: Slides' cloud-based nature enables seamless collaboration and sharing in remote work environments.  

PowerPoint finds its strength in the following use cases:  

1)  Professional presentations: PowerPoint's extensive design options and advanced features make it a popular choice for professional presentations.  

2)   Offline presentations: If you frequently present in locations without reliable internet access, its offline functionality is advantageous. 

All in all, while both Google Slides and PowerPoint offer powerful features for creating presentations – they have distinct advantages and limitations. Both tools differ in terms of cost, offline access, advanced features, integration capabilities, and platform compatibility. When choosing between the two, consider your specific needs, budget, and the level of collaboration required. Ultimately, your choice of presentation tool should depend on your needs and objectives. 

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Google Slides In Presentations

Have you been pondering whether to put time into Google Slides? Google Slides is gaining popularity as an alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint because of innovative features offered by Google. Is it worthwhile to make the change, though? We’ve listed the pros and cons of using Google Slides so you can make a well-informed decision. 

Google Slides offers several advantages, including its web-based availability and collaboration features. Is Google Slides the ideal presentation programme for you? Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages to help you decide.

10 Reasons Why You Should Use Google Slides

Google Slides is a popular cloud-based presentation software among consumers and corporations due to its many advantages. Because of these qualities, it is often considered among the best-presenting programmes available. The top 10 advantages of using Google Slides for creating beckoning presentations are as follows:

• Simple to work with

Collaborative

• Accessible from anywhere
• Highly Cost effective

Wide Choice of Customization

• Adding Multimedia with ease
• Easy to integrate with other platforms by Google
• Accessibility features

Backup of Edits

Simple to work with, accessible from anywhere, highly cost-effective.

Adding Multimedia with Ease

Easy to integrate with other platforms by google, accessibility features.

READ MORE: Microsoft PowerPoint V/s Google Slides

5 Drawbacks Of Using Google Slides For Your Presentations

While there are many advantages of Google Slides, there are also some disadvantages of using this cloud-based presentation software. Users should weigh the pros and cons of Google Slides carefully to determine whether it is the right tool for their needs. Here are the five disadvantages of using Google Slides for presentations:

• Limited offline functionality
• Potential formatting issues
• Security concerns
• Fewer advanced features and customization options
• Dependency on internet speed

Limited Offline Functionality

Potential formatting issues, security concerns, fewer advanced features and customization options, dependency on internet speed, when to choose google slides for presentations.

Google Slides is a great place to start if you’re looking for a free alternative to expensive presentation software. Besides the pros and cons of Google Slides, as discussed above, it is a powerful presentation tool thanks to its intuitive design, cloud-based availability, and collaborative features. Some examples of when it would be a good idea to use Google Slides are as follows:

• Collaborative Projects Made Simple: Whether you’re working on a group presentation or a school project, Google Slides lets multiple participants collaborate and make real-time changes.
• Accessible Online Projects: Since Google Slides is hosted on Google Cloud, it is accessible from any internet-connected device, making it a perfect choice for producing online presentations that can be shared with people worldwide.
• Suitable for Basic Presentations: Because of its user-friendly design, Google Slides is ideal for generating presentations in less time, making it more convenient. 
• Multimedia Integration: Google Slides provides straightforward methods for adding elements such as photographs and videos to presentations, making it an effective tool for organising and illustrating content in a presentation.

MUST READ: Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using PowerPoint In Presentations.

Get the Most Out of Google Slides: Profession-Based Use Cases

Google Slides has become popular as a flexible and user-friendly presenting tool across various professions. We’ve produced a table that covers profession-specific use-cases to help you understand how Google Slides can be utilised for your presentation needs. 

In conclusion, the slides you make for a presentation have the potential to alter the outcome completely. It can liven up even the most mundane of presentation subjects. Therefore, the presentation software you employ is crucial. Your circumstances, needs, comfort level, and money are all factors to consider when deciding on a presenting app. Ultimately, whether to use Google Slides for presentations depends on your specific needs, and weighing the pros and cons of using Google Slides will help determine if it’s the right tool for your job.

Can I Use Google Slides Without An Internet Connection?

Is google slides safe to use for sensitive information, how do google slides compare to other presentation software, is it possible to export a google slides presentation to other formats.

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10 Common Presentation Mistakes

Avoiding common pitfalls in your presentations.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Most of us have experienced dull, irrelevant or confusing presentations. But think back to the last really great presentation you saw – one that was informative, motivating and inspiring. Wouldn't you love to be able to present like that?

This article looks at 10 of the most common mistakes that speakers make when giving presentations. By avoiding these, you'll make your presentations stand out – for all of the right reasons, and none of the wrong ones.

Mistake 1: Not Preparing Enough

Steve Jobs was a famously inspiring speaker. His speeches may have looked effortless, but, in reality, each one took days or weeks of preparation.

Careful preparation is essential. The amount of time you spend on planning depends on your situation, but it's a good idea to start early – you can never be too well-prepared.

Proper preparation also helps you to manage presentation nerves . When you know your material inside and out, you're far less likely to feel nervous. Our presentation planning checklist and Skillbook " Even Better Presentations " can help you to plan your next event properly.

Mistake 2: Not Familiarizing Yourself With the Venue and Equipment

Imagine that your presentation starts in an hour. You arrive at the venue and, to your horror, the projector won't work with your laptop. The slides you spent hours preparing are useless. This is a disaster!

You can avoid a situation like this by taking time to familiarize yourself with the venue and available equipment at least once before your presentation.

Often, the sorts of problems that can jeopardize your presentation will be situations beyond your control, but this doesn't mean that you're helpless. Conduct a risk analysis to identify potential issues, and come up with a good "Plan B" for each one.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Your Audience

Sometimes, speakers can get so wrapped up in delivering their presentations that they forget about the needs of their audience.

Start your presentation by telling your audience what to expect. Let them know what you'll cover first, whether and when you'll stop for a break, if you'll be taking questions during the presentation, and so on.

Providing these "signposts" up front will give your audience a clear idea of what to expect, so that they can relax and concentrate on your presentation.

Mistake 4: Using Inappropriate Content

The primary purpose of any presentation is to share information with others, so it's important to consider the level you'll pitch it at.

Do some research on your audience. Why are they here? How much do they already know about your topic, and what do they most want to learn from you? It's no use giving a presentation that's so full of jargon that no one understands you. But you wouldn't want to patronize people, either.

Try to put yourself in people's shoes, to get a clearer idea about their needs and motivations. You can also greet individuals as they arrive on the day, and ask questions to get a feel for their level of knowledge. This will also help you to personalize your presentation and make a connection with each person in your audience, so that they'll be more attentive to what you say.

Mistake 5: Being Too Verbose

Short, concise presentations are often more powerful than verbose ones. Try to limit yourself to a few main points. If you take too long getting to your point, you risk losing your audience's attention.

The average adult has a 15- to 20-minute attention span. So, if you want to keep your audience engaged, stick to the point! During the planning phase, make a note of the themes you want to cover and how you want to get them across. Then, when you start filling out the details, ask yourself: "Does my audience really need to know this?"

Our articles on the 7 Cs of Communication and Communications Planning have more tips for communicating in a clear, concise way.

Mistake 6: Using Ineffective Visuals

Poor slides can spoil a good presentation, so it's worth spending time getting yours right.

We've all seen slides with garish colors, unnecessary animation, or fonts that are too small to read. The most effective presentation visuals aren't flashy – they're concise and consistent.

When choosing colors, think about where the presentation will take place. A dark background with light or white text works best in dark rooms, while a white background with dark text is easier to see in a brightly lit room.

Choose your pictures carefully, too. High-quality graphics can clarify complex information and lift an otherwise plain screen, but low-quality images can make your presentation appear unprofessional. Unless an image is contributing something, embrace the negative space – less clutter means greater understanding. Use animation sparingly, too – a dancing logo or emoji will only distract your audience.

Mistake 7: Overcrowding Text

The best rule of thumb for text is to keep it simple . Don't try to cram too much information into your slides. Aim for a maximum of three to four words within each bullet point, and no more than three bullets per slide.

This doesn't mean that you should spread your content over dozens of slides. Limit yourself to 10 slides or fewer for a 30-minute presentation. Look at each slide, story or graph carefully. Ask yourself what it adds to the presentation, and remove it if it isn't important.

Mistake 8: Speaking Incoherently

Even though we spend a significant part of the day talking to one another, speaking to an audience is a surprisingly difficult skill, and it's one that we need to practice.

If nerves make you rush through a presentation, your audience could miss your most important points. Use centering or deep breathing techniques to suppress the urge to rush. If you do begin to babble, take a moment to collect yourself. Breathe deeply, and enunciate each word clearly, while you focus on speaking more slowly.

Our article on better public speaking has strategies and tips that you can use to become a more engaging speaker. One useful technique is storytelling – stories can be powerful tools for inspiring and engaging others. Our Expert Interviews with Annette Simmons and Paul Smith have tips that you can use to tell great stories.

Mistake 9: Showing a Lack of Dynamism

Another common mistake is to freeze in one spot for the duration of your presentation.

Some presenters feel most comfortable behind the podium. Try to emulate great speakers like Steve Jobs , who moved purposefully around the stage during his presentations.

As well as working the stage, he used gestures and body language to communicate his excitement and passion for his subject. Pay attention to what your hands are doing – they're important for communicating emotion. But only use gestures if they feel natural, and avoid being too flamboyant with your arms, unless you want to make your audience laugh!

See our Expert Interview, " Winning Body Language ," to learn more about body language and what it says to your audience.

Mistake 10: Avoiding Eye Contact

Have you ever been to a presentation where the speaker spent all of their time looking at their notes, the screen, the floor, or even at the ceiling? How did this make you feel?

Meeting a person's gaze establishes a personal connection, and even a quick glance can keep people engaged. If your audience is small enough, try to make eye contact with each individual at least once.

If the audience is too large for this, try looking at people's foreheads. The individual may not interpret it as eye contact, but those sitting around them will.

It takes practice and effort to deliver a good presentation. But, if you know how to avoid the pitfalls, your presentations will be great.

Common presentation mistakes include not preparing properly, delivering inappropriate content, and speaking poorly.

Time spent on careful planning always pays dividends. Check out the venue, and familiarize yourself with equipment in advance to avoid possible problems.

Keep your content clear and concise, with visual aids to match. And make sure that you pitch it at the right level for your audience's understanding, so that your presentation doesn't patronize or bewilder.

Remember, public speaking is a performance. Practice speaking clearly with a slower pace than your normal speech to avoid "rapid-fire" delivery. Use eye contact, body language and gestures that complement your message to keep your audience engaged.

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Microsoft PowerPoint

No one is a stranger to extensive use of Microsoft PowerPoint in offices, schools, businesses let alone homes. Every field demands convincing presentation slides that only Microsoft PowerPoint can originate. Even if the presentation is corrupted, it can be repaired by PowerPoint Repair Tool . 

Microsoft PowerPoint is considered an accessible and widely used tool for professional, educational and personal purposes. With its appealing graphics and easy-to-handle style, this program leads the race for the most popular software application. 

However, every benefit comes with a price. Microsoft PowerPoint retains disadvantages along with numerous advantages. The costly program, technical difficulties, and high-risk virus attacks may prove inconvenient for many users. 

Let us go through the advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft PowerPoint with the intent that you can maximize the efficiency of your presentation. 

What Is Microsoft PowerPoint? 

Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation program included in MS Office 365. This program uses graphics, videos, text fonts, audio, animations, and transitions to make the presentation more appealing and interactive. The slides can be shared and collaborated among the users. 

Research by Statista indicates the number of active Microsoft users has almost doubled in the Covid-19 endemic from 150 million users in 2021 to 270 million users in 2022. 

Background of Microsoft PowerPoint 

It was first developed by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin at a software company Forethought Inc, with the name presenter in 1987 . After three months, Microsoft acquired the presenter for $14 million and renamed it PowerPoint. The updated version of this program kept getting better and now it’s available for windows, smartphones, or tablets, carrying thousands of interesting features.

Check  MIS Webmail

How to Use Microsoft PowerPoint? 

Using PowerPoint is easier than you think! You need a good choice of words and a visual aid that complement your ideas. And the deal is yours. 

Here is a complete beginner’s guide to using Microsoft PowerPoint efficiently: 

If you are on your windows, you can download the free version of Office 365 and select the PowerPoint app. 

Then you can select from different designer layouts, title patterns, visual styles, and many more. Most of the brilliant features are included in the free version as below. But if you are up to a profitable presentation then do look for the paid version.

For precise guide to preparing PowerPoint Presentation, do read below.

How to Make a Presentation with PowerPoint?

The step-to-step guide to making the most intriguing presentation:

•   Open Microsoft PowerPoint and select new presentation.
•   Select a designer layout from the right corner.
•   Add your presentation title and subtitle on the first slide.

•   Insert new slides by clicking on the left corner.

•   Consider the text and font ideas you want to include. Keep the text short within a slide.

•   Add images or audio by clicking ‘insert’ and then the ‘picture’ or ‘audio’ option.
•   Add appealing transitions and animation with the button at the upper corner.
•   Review various slideshow patterns and in the end, save your presentation.

You might check this Microsoft 365 Review: Everything Important You Need To Know

Advantages of Microsoft PowerPoint

High customization .

Microsoft PowerPoint offers high customization with various designer layouts and interactive templates. There is a wide variety of creative options available. You can add interesting text fonts and patterns. 

Export Options

You can save your presentation in .png or .jpg format. You can download a pdf or a document file of the presentation and even animated gifs. It is highly useful if you have run out of space on your application. You can download the presentation on the USB Drive. 

Multimedia Facility 

Visual learning is often considered better. In this regard, Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to add images, animated gifs, videos, graphics, and audio to your presentation. This keeps the presentation engaging and practical. 

Easy to Use 

Microsoft PowerPoint is considered one of the easiest tools in the presentation world. A beginner can master its skills within a few days. You just have to select a suitable template, theme, and text font. You may add multimedia. And Microsoft PowerPoint will award you an amazing presentation. 

Check Everything You Need To Know About This Alternative To Microsoft 365

Virtual Use

You don’t necessarily need your laptop or smartphone on which you edited the presentation to view it. You can log in to your account from virtually any other device. Furthermore, you can access your presentation anywhere after storing it on the USB drive. 

Collaborative Features

Microsoft PowerPoint adopted a lot of features in the lockdown and collaboration solution is one of them. Now multiple users can work on the same presentation. They can view or edit the slides without sharing them. 

Multiple Uses

About 89% of people use Microsoft PowerPoint to make presentations. But surprisingly, it offers a lot more uses than that. It is used in making brochures, banners, flyers, resumes, gifs, videos, invitations, collages, logos, and far more. 

Disadvantages of Microsoft PowerPoint

Potential cost.

Even though the free version offers most of the features you can use to make a decent presentation. But for professional use, you have to buy an annual subscription. It may prove costly software for the users. 

Source of Distraction 

The presentation can be a source of distraction if the listener focuses more on the fancy templates and text rather than the actual point. The key points usually don’t stress enough the complexity of the matter and serve as a distraction for the audience. 

Technical Difficulties 

There is always a chance of running into technical difficulties or a virus attacking your program. There can be connectivity problems and your computer can turn off in the middle of the presentation, leaving you in chaos. Moreover, it is not as well adaptable for every computer. Your font may be altered on another computer having a different version. 

Non-Editable Presenting

You cannot add, remove or change the slide while presenting. Hereafter, you have to prepare the slides carefully to avoid any inconvenience. 

Overused Features

Due to a lot of options among templates, text fonts, layouts, and designs; it may appear confusing. Additionally overusing the features can make the presentation boring and less interactive. 

Microsoft PowerPoint is a tremendously functional tool for creating presentations. It covers a long list of benefits that interests the users. However, the disadvantage mainly depends upon the object of the user.  You can utilize this tool to create interactive presentations as guided in the article. 

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More From Forbes

New york, illinois, and california lawmakers propose higher taxes.

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New York State Capitol building

The most recent state-to-state migration data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that California, New York, and Illinois continue to experience population loss to red states such as Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia. While relatively high taxes are not the only reason so many people have fled large blue states, they’re certainly a factor, along with high housing costs and crime.

“This population shift paints a clear picture: Americans are leaving high-tax, high-cost-of-living states in favor of lower-tax, lower-cost alternatives,” writes Katherine Loughead, senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation. “Of the 32 states whose overall state and local tax burdens per capita were below the national average in 2022, 24 experienced net inbound migration in FY 2023. Meanwhile, of the 18 states and D.C. with tax burdens per capita at or above the national average, 14 of those jurisdictions experienced net outbound migration.”

Yet, rather than reduce their tax disadvantage, blue state lawmakers are taking action in 2024 to increase it. The new state budgets passed in March by the New York Senate and Assembly, for example, both include the same provision raising the state’s top two income tax rates, as well as the state corporate tax rate. Under the Assembly and Senate budgets, New York’s corporate income tax rate would increase by more than 19%, rising from 7.25% or 9.00%. The Assembly and Senate budgets raise the tax rate on income between $5.0 million and $25 million from 10.3% to 10.4%, while the tax rate on income above $25 million would jump from 10.9% to 11.4%.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-New York) has voiced opposition to the tax hikes included in the Assembly and Senate budgets. As negotiations between leaders from the two chambers and the Governor begin, some progressives say the tax hikes passed by the Senate and Assembly don’t go far enough.

“Both budgets prudently raise the top personal income tax and corporate tax rates,” Fiscal Policy Institute director Nathan Gusdorf said about the New York Assembly and Senate-passed budgets. “However, the budgets only increase taxes on the top 0.3% of taxpayers, and only on a temporary basis through 2027. The State’s long-term fiscal health would be better served by broadly increasing the progressivity of our tax system for all high earners on a permanent basis.”

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While Governor Hochul downplayed the tax hikes passed by the New York Legislature, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) is leading with proposed tax hikes in his state. Governor Pritzker’s budget proposal for FY 2025 calls for a nearly billion dollar tax hike.

“On net, these changes—mostly tax increases—would increase state tax revenues by nearly $900 million to help fill a projected budget deficit while increasing spending ,” the Tax Foundation’s Loughead wrote about Pritzker’s budget proposal. “Specifically, individual and corporate income taxes, state sales taxes, and sports betting excise taxes would increase, while the only substantial reduction (from a revenue standpoint) would reduce local, not state, revenues.”

As Governor Pritzker seeks to balance the budget with higher taxes in Illinois, his counterpart in the nation’s largest blue state, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), has blocked a number of tax hikes proposed by California legislators. The fate of another proposed income tax hike, however, will be up to California voters this November and not Newsom.

California voters will make a decision this November on a ballot measure that seeks to raise the state’s top marginal income tax rate, which is already the highest in the nation. The California Pandemic Early Detection and Prevention Initiative (AKA the Pandemic Prevention Tax ), which will appear on the Golden State’s November ballot, seeks to impose a new 15.15% top marginal state income tax rate, up from 14.4%, on earnings above $5 million. The new top rate would expire after a decade.

The Pandemic Prevention Tax (PPT) qualified for the 2024 ballot with the help of millions of dollars provided by former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. It remains unclear what, if any semblance of a campaign there will be in support of the PPT this fall. Another variable that will have an effect on the outcome of the PPT is what the California Teachers Union and Governor Newsom decide to do. Should they actively oppose the PPT, as they did with another income tax hike on the 2022 ballot that was rejected by 57% of voters, a similar result can be expected for the PPT in November.

Red State Lawmakers Act To Increase Fiscal Advantages

As lawmakers in the most populous blue states advance proposals to raise what are already relatively high tax burdens, their counterparts in the red states they’ve lost population to are taking action to strengthen their tax advantage. In Georgia, for example, lawmakers are debating a bill that would build upon the income tax relief that Georgia lawmakers have enacted in recent years, which moved the state to a flat income tax of 5.49%.

House Bill 1015 , if enacted, would cut Georgia’s flat individual income tax rate from 5.49% to 5.39%. The rate would then continue to fall by 0.1% every year until the rate hits 4.99%. While Georgia has a much lower top income tax rate than California and New York, it’s not lost on lawmakers in Atlanta that there are no-income-tax states on their northern and southern borders with Tennessee and Florida, along with another bordering state, North Carolina, that has income tax rate reductions scheduled for the coming years that that could take North Carolina’s flat tax from 4.25% down to 2.49% by the end of the decade.

As in Georgia, Iowa lawmakers are looking to improve upon the rate reducing and flattening tax relief they’ve enacted in recent years. Governor Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa) has enacted tax reform moving the Hawkeye State’s income tax code from a progressive system with a top rate of 8.53% to a flat tax of 3.9%.

Members of the Iowa House Ways and Means Committee recently introduced H.J.R 2006 . H.J.R 2006 would refer a constitutional amendment to voters that, if approved, would prohibit the reimposition of a progressive income tax. H.J.R. 2006 would also require that any proposed income tax hike receive a two-thirds majority vote in order to pass.

To date, 16 states have a supermajority requirement to raise taxes. The most recent state to enact a supermajority vote requirement for tax hikes was Florida in 2018, when 65% of Florida voters approved Amendment 5, which created a two-thirds vote requirement to raise taxes.

Governor Reynolds isn’t done reforming her state’s tax code. During an interview at the Iowa State Fair last August, Reynolds said her goal is to put Iowa’s personal income tax rate “on the path to zero.” During that interview, Reynolds noted the competition she’s up against, saying “you’ve got Republican governors that are trying to outdo each other, so that’s why I’ve got to come back and cut taxes again.”

Legislators in Sacramento, Albany, and Springfield who want to raise taxes further haven’t been deterred by the fact that competing states are cutting taxes for individuals and employers. But that fact is not lost on the Washington, D.C. city council members and other community leaders who are being asked to support a proposed Business Activity Tax.

“If you have 30% of the law firms left [in D.C. already], the patient is in the ICU, it’s in the operating room,” former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, chair of the D.C. Tax Revision Commission, said earlier this year explaining his opposition to the proposed tax hike. “This is not the time to experiment with a brand new tax system. There’s too much uncertainty. And we just don’t even know how the damn thing works.”

Yesim Sayin, head of the D.C. Policy Center and another member of the Tax Revision Commission, echoed Williams’ point, noting that when looking at the businesses, firms, and other employers who would be hit by the proposed tax hike, “their relocation decisions are increasingly moving to Sun Belt states where the business climate is arguably better. And, to me, that’s giving me concern with the concept.”

Williams’ and Sayin’s comments indicate an understanding that policy decisions are not made in a vacuum. Employers currently based in their city can relocate if the business tax climate becomes too inhospitable relative to the alternatives. This recognition, however, is clearly not shared by many of their counterparts in New York, Illinois, and California.

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