Most Useful Apps for Interactive Presentations
As I talked about in my previous article, the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend is on the rise! Here are some of the most useful tablet and smartphone apps that can help you organize meetings and incorporate the audience into your presentation.
1. Keynote
: An easy way to create and deliver visually appealing presentations that will stand out to your audience. Keynote offers a variety of creative tools and effects to enhance and enrich those dull presentations. It allows you to work cooperatively between your Mac and iOS devices, and with anyone who uses Microsoft PowerPoint. You can add and edit photos, videos, and interactive charts.
Pros:
- Free on most iOS 7 devices
- 44 themes to choose from
- Can be used on iPhones and iPads as well as Mac computers
- Designed with simplicity for easy use and navigation of the app
- iCloud-friendly so you can create and edit your presentations on any device
- Files can be exported to Apple’s file format, Microsoft PowerPoint, or PDF
- Superior graphics to that of PowerPoint
Cons:
- Not compatible with Windows and Android devices
- Can be costly if you are not eligible for the free version
Price: Free for qualifying iOS 7 devices; $9.99 on iTunes App Store; $19.99 on Mac App Store
http://www.apple.com/mac/keynote/
2. SlideShark: Enables you to upload PowerPoint presentation files and convert them to be compatible with your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. SlideShark makes your slideshows easily accessible so you can view and show them at any time. Presentations can be accessed and imported through Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, EMC’s Syncplicity or SkyDrive from within the app. Your iPhone or iPod touch can be used as a remote control and laser pointer during your presentation.
Pros:
- Easy access to your PowerPoint files
- Ideal for one-on-one presenting
- Viewable when offline (does not require internet connection)
- Quick and simple to use
Cons:
- Hardware (such as an HDMI cable and Apple Digital AV Adapter) is required in order to be able to connect your iPad to a bigger display
- PowerPoints need to be re-converted and re-uploaded after every edit
Price: Free
3. Top Hat: An interactive app where students can engage with their professors and classmates. The professor can ask questions, start discussions, or launch tournaments in which the students can respond on any mobile device. An app is available for download that allows students to interact directly from their smartphone or tablet. Students can even participate in tournaments with classmates. Top Hat includes a Gradebook feature which calculates participation grades and can be exported to Excel.
Pros:
- Students can interact using their mobile phone, smartphone, tablet, or laptop
- Professor sign-up is free
- Presentation tool for PowerPoint and Keynote
- Multiple different question types to choose from
- Feedback and discussion module
Cons:
- Professional account requires students to pay $20 to join course
Price: Free Starter Account; $20 for Professional Account
4. Polldaddy: Create online surveys, polls, and quizzes quickly and easily. Polldaddy has an easy to use survey editor with 14 different question types to choose from. You can customize polls to be incorporated in your website, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and more! Use the quiz editor to test the knowledge of your participants in the classroom, workplace, or just for fun. You can even add a rating widget to receive instant feedback on your content.
Pros:
- Fully customizable
- Surveys can be conducted on your iPhone or iPad
- App is free to download
- Collects responses from multiple sources instantly
- Provides reports and analytics of survey results
Cons:
- Polldaddy Pro and Polldaddy Corporate are pricey - $200/year and $899/year, respectively
- App can only be used on iOS (Apple) devices
- Free account only allows for 200 survey responses per month and ten questions per survey
Price: Free for Personal use
5. Meeting Pad: Overflowing with features that will help you plan and execute meetings. You can do everything from recording audio at your meetings, to creating a seating plan for your attendees or clients. Meeting Pad lets you search through meetings, view meeting actions, and even take a photo of your whiteboard to link with your note so you can easily carry your meeting notes with you at all times.
Pros:
- Ideal for large group meetings
- Data can be securely stored in the Cloud for easy access
- Note taking feature has an assortment of fonts and colors
- Can be synced across all of your iOS devices
- Ability to record audio, attendees, and actions generated at each meeting
Cons:
- Only available to Apple users
- External display feature has bugs
- Cannot use in landscape mode
Price: $4.99
http://www.sekala-software.com/
6. 2Screens – Presentation Expert: Includes an assortment of presentation tools directly to your iPad. Your presentation can be streamed to a TV or projected via AirPlay. There is a whiteboard tool that allows you to make notes on your slides, along with your audience. This app includes multi-tab support so you can switch between PowerPoint slides, spreadsheets, and images with ease.
Pros:
- Works with PDFs, images, Keynote, PowerPoint, web content and spreadsheets
- Supports audio and video
- AirShow feature makes it possible to replicate your iPad screen to the audience
- Supports the 2Screens Remote that uses Bluetooth to create a virtual remote control and laser pointer (sold separately)
- Lets you mark up your presentation and save screenshots
Cons:
- Only compatible with the iPad and iPhone
- Does not allow you to edit the content of your PowerPoint slides, etc.
- Doesn’t display animations from PowerPoint or Keynote
Price: $2.99 for iPhone; $4.99 for iPad
http://www.elpstudio.net/2screens/pe/about.html
