KeyNote 1.0 Mac

Keynote ( v. 1.0 ) - complete package

Apple has another weapon in its campaign to end Mac users' reliance on anything Microsoft. Its new presentation software, Keynote, takes on the formidable foe PowerPoint and exploits some of the cracks in that program's Goliath-like armor. PowerPoint is the most lackluster app in Microsoft's Office X for Mac suite, so its drab colors and stuck-in-the-'80s themes are no match for Keynote's crisp, fresh graphics. And while a single PowerPoint license goes for $399, Keynote costs $300 less and can import and convert PowerPoint files. PowerPoint does offer some wizards and clip art that Keynote lacks, but we can live without them, especially given the price. If you're looking for presentation software on the Mac, give Keynote a try.Installing Keynote from the CD is a simple operation that takes but a minute--just double-click the installer and follow the onscreen instructions. Keynote is compatible with Macs running only OS X 10.2 Jaguar or later (there's no Windows version), a more stringent requirement than PowerPoint X, which runs on OS X 10.1 or better systems. Once you have Keynote installed, you can open a sample presentation that highlights what the program can do.

On the flip side, it's incredibly easy to add audio (MP3 or AIFF) or video (MOV or Flash) to slides: just drag files where you want them. Or, you can click the Edit pull-down menu, select Place/Choose, then browse to the file that you want. Unfortunately, you can add a music file to only one slide at a time--you can't get a song to play across several slides or your whole presentation.

The app can save to the PowerPoint format, but we found a few glitches when we saved and opened a Keynote presentation with PowerPoint for Mac. Images loaded into precreated frames in Keynote displayed in front of their frames in PowerPoint. Also, background colors and images in charts and tables came out rough and pixelated. Keynote fares better at importing PowerPoint presentations; elements aren't always aligned perfectly, but they don't look horrid.

Unlike PowerPoint for Windows, Keynote doesn't have collaboration features that let you e-mail your presentation to coworkers, then collect their changes. But PowerPoint for the Mac lacks this feature as well.Apple offers a reasonable support package for Keynote. In addition to the comprehensive, 97-page manual, you'll get 90 days of free telephone support (every day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT), onscreen help, and Web-hosted documents and forums. Don't waste time looking in the help files for the free phone number: you'll find it in the Keynote box on a sheet of paper labeled AppleCare Software Service and Support Guide. There is no e-mail-based support.