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. When possible I use impressive (formerly keyjnote). It provides fast transitions and pressing tab gives a contact-sheet style preview for rapidly finding slides in response to questions. I turn off the distracting animated transitions between slides.

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.