Google’s answer to PowerPoint

Is this now the death knell for Microsoft’s PowerPoint? Google has just announced the release of its new online presentation tool into its Google Docs product line. It is online and completely free to use.

You can see the docs suite at http://docs.google.com/

Perhaps the most useful facility of the presentation is the ability to work on the same deck of slides across the web – rather than having to e-mail a PowerPoint deck of slides backwards and forwards.

The press release says that users can create simple web-based presentations that others can update and view from their own computers, even at the same time.

“Presentations are a natural addition for Google Docs, as they are usually created with the intention of being shared. Web-based, collaborative presentations offer users much-needed relief from manually managing and compiling group members’ input in separate attachments, and they make it possible for multiple users to view a set of slides while a moderator controls the presentation. Users will see that these features are still in simple, early stages; the Google Docs team is making them available today in response to strong user demand for presentation-sharing, and updates and improvements will continue to roll out over the coming months.”

The feature set includes

• Create and keep presentations in one place on the webcomputer.
• Manage, update and share presentations with colleagues by sending them a simple e-mail invitation.
• Edit the same presentation together online and in real time on the web.
• Present and control slide shows for all viewers over the web, with no special set-up required. Chat with viewers in real time via integrated chat.
• Import existing presentations to get started quickly.
• Quickly publish presentations to the general public or individuals of their choice.