PowerPoint equivilent freeware

Kernowc

Hi,
I sometimes get sent email attachments from friends which can only be opened with a PowerPoint application. It's just not worth my while buying the real thing so I would be greatful if anyone can suggest a freeware alternative which I can download to open these?
Thanks

nunnygirl

try this

http://www.openoffice.org/

I use it and it's almost identical to microsoft office without the price

Kernowc

Brilliant.
Thanks :j

nunnygirl

You're more than welcome!

hubris

If it's just for viewing, there's Powerpoint viewer, from M$: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=428D5727-43AB-4F24-90B7-A94784AF71A4&displaylang=en

but, I'd agree with the first response, open and transparent file formats are the way to go.

superscaper

hubris wrote: »

open and transparent file formats are the way to go.

Isn't that what Microsoft have done with the Open XML formats?

buglawton

Hehe - MS have managed to subvert the standard and there will now be 2 Open XML formats in future...

(or to be more exact, M$ has introduced it's own OpenXML as the new 'standard' and it does not match ISO standards and is not multi-platform, nor is it fully & openly documented yet)

Kernowc

Thanks hubris,
I think that the open office will be the way to go & it will give me other benefits too. At least if I have any problems I know that the microsoft option is also open to me now.

superscaper

buglawton wrote: »

Hehe - MS have managed to subvert the standard and there will now be 2 Open XML formats in future...

(or to be more exact, M$ has introduced it's own OpenXML as the new 'standard' and it does not match ISO standards and is not multi-platform, nor is it fully & openly documented yet)

I thought it was an approved standard. ISO/IEC 29500

buglawton

Yes M$ managed to shunt their standard thru the Standards committee and get it approved. Apparently Word 2007 (the new docx format) does not conform to the new OXML standard which itself does not conform with the (ISO/IEC 29500) draft standard.

So we are not quite in the clear for a universal document standard just yet.

superscaper

buglawton wrote: »

Yes M$ managed to shunt their standard thru the Standards committee and get it approved. Apparently Word 2007 (the new docx format) does not conform to the new OXML standard which itself does not conform with the (ISO/IEC 29500) draft standard.

So we are not quite in the clear for a universal document standard just yet.

Well I really like the newer formats anyway in practical terms (not for widespread compatibilty yet though). It's absolutely shrunk my existing files etc.