What's the difference between using a Presentation and a Template?

[Bigfoot]

I'm trying to educate users on when they should use a PPT Presentation .ppt
file and when they should use a template .pot file?

Can anybody spell this out simply?

Thanks

 

[Katt]

You create a template to preserve a format that you will use more than once,
and to help you from writing over an existing file. Templates always create a
copy of themselves for you to work with, while preserving the original file
for use over and over.

Example: Let's say you created a PPT for a monthly report (Jan), which you
will want to use over and over (Feb - Dec).

If this is saved as a simple file (ppt or pptx), then there is the danger
that you will open the Jan file, update it with Feb data, and hit Save
instead of Save As, to change the file name. You have now just lost your Jan
file.

When you create a template, and save it in the Templates directory, you can
simply go to File > New, pick the template, and open a file. Note that it
will automatically open up a new ppt/pptx file, and not a pot file. The
template is always safe.

This concept is true of all templates through the Office suite. Hope this
makes sense...

 

[phtar]

I'm trying to educate users on when they should use a PPT Presentation .ppt
file and when they should use a template .pot file?

Can anybody spell this out simply?

Thanks

Free PowerPoint templates for education are available at:
http://www.sameshow.com/template-download/powerpoint-to-flash-ppttemp6.html#110
Free Christmas PowerPoint templates are available at:
http://www.sameshow.com/template-download/template-christmas.html#110

POT is a template format - "pre-made" presentation shell. You may
create any presentation and save it as POT-file. After that you may
apply that template to any new or existing presentation.
PPT is a PowerPoint presentation format. In case you'd like to save
POT file as PPT you have to choose in main menu File - Save As... and
choose PPT in 'file type' drop down menu.

How do you install a downloaded PowerPoint template?
1. Find the PowerPoint template your have downloaded which has a POT
postfix.
2. Move the .pot file to: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates
\. Or try to copy files into this location:
C:\Documents and Settings\%user%\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\
Here %user% is your windows' login name.

How to apply PowerPoint template to PowerPoint presentation?
1. From the Format menu, choose Apply Design Template
2. Navigate to the location of the PowerPoint templates and select the
template you want. You'll see a thumbnail image in the navigation
palette.
3. Choose Apply.

 

[Echo S]

In theory there may be a difference, but in reality, there's not much
difference between the two. You can use a presentation as a template -- when
you go to Format | Slide Design, you can browse and choose a PPT file just
like you can a POT file.

I think this is the biggest difference:

When you double-click a PPT file, the PPT file opens. (If you have sample
slides in the presentation, you will have access to them.)

When you double-click a POT file, a new PPT file *based on that template*
opens. (No sample slides, even if you had them in the template.)

If you want to open the POT file itself, you must use File | Open and
navigate to it. (If you have sample slides in the template, you will have
access to them.)

 

[Aaron Rykhus [MSFT]]

I'm assuming you're using 2003. Use ppt when you're not going to reuse the
content and just want the presentation saved. Save as a pot when you're
going to reuse the design (masters, backgrounds, and everything else that
gets saved in the template). Also, you can apply the pot (templates) from
the Slide Design task pane in 2003.

Here's some template help articles that apply to 2003 if you need some
references -
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/CH063500561033.aspx.

Note in 2007, in a nutshell Themes replace Slide Design but Themes can also
be used in Word and Excel.