Quark vs PowerPoint vs Publisher

[Guest]

We currently use both PowerPoint and Quark for presentations but want to
choose one companywide platform. Any thoughts out there?
etf

 

[Austin Myers]

Pick the one with the widest use and is most compatible.

Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team

Solutions to Multimedia in PowerPoint www.pfcmedia.com

 

[Echo S]

We currently use both PowerPoint and Quark for presentations but want
to choose one companywide platform. Any thoughts out there?
etf

Well, what is it you really need to do? Quark and Publisher are desktop
publishing programs and generally more appropriate for printed pieces. PPT
is presentation software, generally more appropriate for on-screen stuff.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

We currently use both PowerPoint and Quark for presentations but want to
choose one companywide platform. Any thoughts out there?

Unless you're talking about strictly printed presentations, I'd think Quark
would be out of the running.

Given the cost and complexity of it, I also imagine you could afford to equip
lots more people with PPT.

On the other hand, if printed work is the main goal, QXP's probably going to be
more satisfactory.

Net: PowerPoint's a presentation app, Quark Xpress is a desktop publishing
app. Which you choose depends on your needs.

 

[Guest]

Precisely the dilemma. Quark is used in the desktop group for printed,
horizontal, proposals. Nothing that can't be done in PowerPoint but of
course, we'd lose the typesetting control. There is also the issue of
automating data eventually. Can PowerPoint handle this?

 

[Echo S]

Precisely the dilemma. Quark is used in the desktop group for printed,
horizontal, proposals.

I'd probably stick with a desktop publishing program, then. If it's printed
material, PPT isn't the tool o' choice. However, you might want to consider
InDesign instead of Quark.

Nothing that can't be done in PowerPoint but of
course, we'd lose the typesetting control. There is also the issue of
automating data eventually. Can PowerPoint handle this?

PPT does not have typesetting control.

As for automating data, you'd need add-ins. PPT doesn't automate data on its
own. It can, though, update links to Excel files, so that might be a
consideration.

But Quark doesn't do screen presentations. Acrobat might be an option there,
though. It does pretty decent full-screen stuff and can mimic a presentation
okay.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

As for automating data, you'd need add-ins. PPT doesn't automate data on its

own. It can, though, update links to Excel files, so that might be a
consideration.

Of course, QXP doesn't automate data either; some sort of external software or
addins would be needed either way, no?

 

[Echo S]

Of course, QXP doesn't automate data either; some sort of external
software or addins would be needed either way, no?

You know, I can't remember. I know you can do some scripting in Pagemaker,
but I don't know about Quark.

At any rate, I doubt it would be very straightforward.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

You know, I can't remember. I know you can do some scripting in Pagemaker,
but I don't know about Quark.

It does take plugins of various sorts ... that's always been one of Ventura
Publisher's big selling points: it costs about the same as QXP but comes out
of the box already equipped with all the stuff you'd have to spend megabux to
add to QXP.

Come to think of it, VP's still very much alive, though not well
advertised/promoted by Corel. And the price of VP doesn't include Quark's
management policies. <g>