10.3. DECISIONS, DECISIONS

For many presenters, trying to decide between PowerPoint and Keynote, SlideRocket and PowerPoint, or anything and Prezi is going to be a little bit like figuring out the difference between blue cheese and Gorgonzola. Who cares? Just eat the cheese. However, adopting this perspective is like saying you don't believe in love or that you won't clap your hands no matter how ill Tinkerbell is. In short, it makes you a monster.

Before you were even a wink in the air between your father and mother, you were destined for one of these programs. If you try all of them and still don't have a preference, see a therapist: it has more to do with your ability to experience emotions than with the programs' weaknesses.

Discovering the ideal program for your presentation aspirations is one of those unique, only-you-can-know-what's-right decisions. It's okay to be traditional: You raised your first presentations with PowerPoint, so how could you possibly dream of trading 20-plus years of time together—some good, some bad—for some glamorous young web application? But we're not talking about people here; we're talking about computer programs. And don't you resent the PowerPoint episode in Philadelphia when your presentation went down in flames due to file corruption? What better vengeance than to ditch the old hag and go online with your future decks?

All of these programs have flaws. Prezi has limited design capabilities, and you need to be fairly savvy with the interface before hopping on stage with a Prezi deck; otherwise, the only thing you'll communicate is mass vertigo that most likely ends in synchronized vomiting. We know the risks associated with PowerPoint and Keynote, and to get the most out of SlideRocket you may have to overcome the technological reticence of more traditional co-workers.

Comfort is king. Designing quality presentations is all that really matters. One of these programs is going to help you maximize your own capabilities, which is the real benefit of trying all of them. Find the one that is easiest for you to understand and utilize, then ask for its hand in marriage. Presentations are enormous opportunities; feeling comfortable and confident with your deck depends in large part on the program you use to build it. Once you've settled down with a nice, sweet presentation design program, it's on to the final step: mastering your delivery.