Presentation slides

What I use

I use LaTeX or a pen to make slides. I’ve heard good things about MagicPoint (which can include TeX maths), which is mentioned amongst many other packages in the review I mention in my LaTeX notes.

Powerpoint users

I haven’t used any of the following. But I imagine they might be useful:

• TeX4PPT — looks good if you have Powerpoint 2002.
• EmbeddedTex — embed LaTeX as an OLE object. This should work with any Windows application. Possibly useful if you’re unfortunate enough to have to write something technical using Word. Doesn’t do the pretty vector and transparency stuff that TeX4PPT has.
• TexPoint — another Powerpoint add in.

Important: I’ve seen lots of things go wrong when people have a Powerpoint presentation on someone else’s computer. Often embedded objects don’t work properly or there are font problems. Unless the presentation has (genuinely useful) animations, making a .pdf of the presentation and showing that is probably a safer bet.

Showing slides

I have tended to use acroread to show PDF slides. Although some of the other PDF viewers will also fullscreen. I have recently been impressed with keyjnote. Not so keen on the transitions, but the rapid slide preview and selection is very nice.

If you want to do fullscreen postscript instead of pdf, I’ve found pspresent to be a neat and tiny utility, which compiled and worked first time for me.