Comments on: PowerPoint 2010 is coming!

By: Ellen

Ellen — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:56:02 +0000

You can choose not to embed MP3s if you want. Compatibility with prior releases is one reason to do that. You can’t expect Microsoft to require everyone with older versions to update their software to accommodate newer versions. You also can’t use MP3s with transitions (not that I recommend sounds with transitions).

However, you CAN add a sound to an action button by using the button as a trigger. Insert the MP3 sound and move the icon off the slide. Go to the Animation tab> Advanced Animation group> Trigger button and choose On Click Of. Then choose your action button. Then go into Slide Show view and click the Action Button. The MP3 sound will play.

By: Sean Terry

Sean Terry — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:35:03 +0000

I must say that having spent £50+ on PP2010, I’ve been left feeling short changed. Why is it that mp3s embedded onto PP2010 don’t work on previous versions? Also you can’t use mp3s with action buttons. How can Microsoft justify this? There are considerably more people using mp3 files than wav files so why on earth is Microsoft intent on making using mo3s in powerpoint as difficult as possible.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:21:05 +0000

Michael,
I’m not actually sure, but that’s how Microsoft usually does things. For example, you can download a patch for 2003 that let’s you open 2007 files in 2003. The patches usually come as updates and so most people end up installing them pretty automatically. But remember, you can choose not to embed video in 2010. You might do this for compatibility reasons, as you suggest, or to keep the main file smaller, or to allow for easier updating of the video file.
Ellen

By: Michael Betz

Michael Betz — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:12:01 +0000

Hi, Ellen. Thanks for the summary.

If I’m reading you correctly, video embedded in PowerPoint 2010 will play in PowerPoint 2007 ONLY if users install a patch?

We’re trying to simplify things for a client, and installing a patch won’t help them much.

By: Max Wijgergangs | Studio-Max| Powerpoint

Max Wijgergangs | Studio-Max| Powerpoint — Sun, 02 May 2010 19:14:19 +0000

I just tried the beta and it is awesome, more and more like keynote!
Like Sander said, i hope 2010 will be fully compatible with 2007!
Time to make even more beautiful presentations with Powerpoint 2010.

By: Microsoft releases public beta of Office 2010 « PowerPoint Tips Blog

Microsoft releases public beta of Office 2010 « PowerPoint Tips Blog — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:35:53 +0000

[...] See my review of some of the new features of PowerPoint 2010. November 19th, 2009 | Tags: Office 2010, PowerPoint 2010 | Category: Resource [...]

By: admin

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:59:18 +0000

Sander, Microsoft always makes new features as compatible as possible, but of course, it isn’t always possible. For example, if you insert video, it will play in 2007, but you’ll lose the effects (such as the visual style). This works, if I’m understanding correctly, through a patch for 2007. In 2003, it won’t play if embedded.

By: admin

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:55:04 +0000

Dr. Nabil,
I forgot to mention that 2010 also embeds MP3′s by default, although you can choose to link them.

By: Sander Reijn | de Presentatie Architect

Sander Reijn | de Presentatie Architect — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:13:52 +0000

Ellen, thank you for sharing this.

What do you think?
Are the new features downwards compatible with 2007 (or even 2003)?

The most clients I have are using 2003 and more or less 2007.

Regards form The Netherlands,

Sander

By: Dr Nabil William Mourad- MCT/MCAS/MOS/IC3/ICDL

Dr Nabil William Mourad- MCT/MCAS/MOS/IC3/ICDL — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:42:38 +0000

Great News for complex presentations that I create! It will save me time and effort that I used to do to accomplish the same goals by using other Add-ins and Software(ISpring, animation Carbonm TMPEG…etc).
But so far there is no solution for embedding MP3 files instead of the Large WAV files from which I suffer!!
I hope in the future they add some of the sound editing features (like those in Audacity or WavePad) to Power Point (Say a Sound editing contextual Tab) to mix music and narration directly from Power point.
Thank you Ellen for the great information.