Powerpoint should let me change slide orientation within a presen.

[Guest]

I use maps in powerpoint presentations. Sometimes the orientation of the map
is not the orientation I want to use for all the slides. It would be helpful
if it were possible to have some slides landscape, and some portrait.

 

[Bill Dilworth]

The only critical need for mixed orientations that I have been able to come
across is for use in printing. Otherwise, in my opinion, mixed orientations
is counter-productive rather than helpful. Here is why I feel that way.

The monitor or projector displays at a set size (usually laid out landscape
4:3 ratio). This will not usually be changed during the course of the
presentation, since it would require rotation the projector on it's side or
rotating the screen 90 degrees. When you change the orientation of the
slide, without changing the orientation of the projector, there is a large
area on either side that is left unused. The resolution of the part that
the 'off-orientation' slide that can be used is severely degraded due to the
reduced working area.

Therefore, it would be better to plan out the presentation based on a single
orientation. If you need a portrait oriented object within a landscape
presentation, just place the object on the slide with a black background.

Of course this is just my opinion.
--
Bill Dilworth
Microsoft PPT MVP Team
===============
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[Sonia]

Shared by many. Well, me at least. <G>

 

[Guest]

Never had that problem. I think it might be better to let people who use the
product decide what works best for them, and if there was software that let
me switch slide orientations within a presentation, I would be using it.

 

[Bill Dilworth]

I understand you feelings, and if development time/funds were unlimited,
this would be the best option. I used to feel the same way, until I began
to understand the pressures on the development teams at MS.

What other function(s) would you want to see sacrificed in order for them to
develop this mixed orientation option? In real world software development,
each aspect of a program has to be given a priority and to raise this one up
would in effect lower many others. What priority would you suggest this
get? Is it a top priority, or somewhere a little further down the list?

Keep in mind that in addition to how important you feel something is, there
is also the consideration of 'will this increase the demand for the
product?' Will developing this feature make more people buy PowerPoint? If
users don't see why upgrading their product will help them, then they will
not provide funds for the next development cycle.

So, while it would be nice to see this flexibility built into the next
version, I would rather they spent their budget on something else, like more
output options (AVI, EPS, etc), or resolving the embedded font issues, or
enabling the embedding of any linked content, or any of a hundred things I
would give a higher priority. Think of it as walking in the most fabulous
Willy Wonka candy store with only $1 in your pocket, what will you spend it
on? Sure the taffy is nice, but since you can afford only one, wouldn't
you rather have an everlasting-gob-stopper?

Now, I also understand that this is probably not the answer you would like
to hear. At first, it made me a little bitter, too. But I understand a
little better after having met some of the people behind the programming.
They are caring and hardworking folks who want to continue to lead the
industry in presentation software. They are all about customer experience,
and making it not just the best, but setting the bar for the rest of the
industry. So here is an offer for a compromise:

Send your idea to the MS feedback site, and explain why you think it is a
significant improvement to their product. If others do the same and feel
the same, it will bump up the item's priority. With enough feedback, the
development team can justify spending the time required to enact your
suggestion. Fair enough?

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

--
Bill Dilworth
Microsoft PPT MVP Team
===============
Please spend a few minutes checking vestprog2@
out www.pptfaq.com This link will yahoo.
answer most of our questions, before com
you think to ask them.

Change org to com to defuse anti-spam,
ant-virus, anti-nuisance misdirection.
..
..

 

[Guest]

For whatever good it will do (and I am NOT holding my breathe), sure why not.
So who do I have to send the request to port MS Access over to MacIntosh OS?
Or is that asking too much of the benevolent Microsoft programmers. I
always love the fact that I pay the same amount for Office that the PC crowd
pay yet never get quite the same functionality.

 

[Bill Dilworth]

By all means, ask; but I agree I wouldn't hold my breath. Changes take time
even after they have been targeted for development.

Besides, is blue really your color? Maybe crossing your fingers would be
better.

Bill D.