Many users wonder how to make PowerPoint presentations on a MacBook without Microsoft Office. While some of PowerPoint’s features are only available on Windows, Mac users have great alternatives through Apple's Keynote app or the impressive WPS Office suite. This guide will walk through your options to easily create PowerPoints on a Mac.
Microsoft PowerPoint Version: Windows vs Mac
PowerPoint was originally created by Microsoft for Windows operating system. The Mac version was released later and had limited capability compared to the Windows version for a long time.
Over the years, Microsoft has considerably improved PowerPoint for Mac, bringing it closer to feature parity with Windows. But there are still some differences:
Presenter View Differences: Certain elements in Presenter View operate uniquely on Mac, providing a distinct user experience.
Additional Mac Features: Mac boasts exclusive features such as AppleScript and automator support, enhancing user capabilities.
Dynamic Reorder: a noteworthy addition on Mac, facilitates seamless adjustment of layered objects in presentations.
Missing Features on Mac: Notable omissions on Mac include the absence of Animation Painter, the inability to enter correctly formatted equations, the lack of support for video or animation triggers, and video trimming.
Zoom Functionality Discrepancy: Zoom, a valuable PowerPoint tool, is currently exclusive to PCs, posing a limitation for Mac users. Future availability on Mac is anticipated with Office updates.
Color Representation Variations: When opening the same Microsoft Office file on both platforms, subtle differences in color representation may be observed due to the distinct ways Macs and PCs interpret colors.
The distinctions between PowerPoint on Mac and Windows result in subtle variations in user experience.
Keynote – PowerPoint on Mac
Keynote is a presentation software developed by Apple, designed to create stunning and memorable presentations. Its powerful tools, dazzling effects, and intuitive interface stand out. Keynote enhances presentations by offering over 40 eye-catching themes, animations, and dynamic backgrounds. It allows real-time collaboration across Apple devices, including Mac, iPad, iPhone, and PC.
Keynote stands out with its user-friendly design, featuring Apple Pencil integration for illustrations and animations. It's compatible with PowerPoint – presentations can seamlessly switch between the two platforms, ensuring smooth collaboration for users of Microsoft PowerPoint.
How to Create a PowerPoint on Mac
Here are step-by-step instructions to make a PowerPoint presentation using Keynote on your Mac:
Step 1: Open Keynote, located in the Applications folder on your Mac. You can choose a theme or start with a blank presentation when launched.
Step 2: If using a theme, click to select one that fits your presentation style. Themed slides will automatically populate.
Step 3: Customize slides by adding text, changing layouts, inserting images, and more. Edit and arrange slides from the left sidebar.
Step 4: When finished, export your Keynote project to PowerPoint format. Go to File > Export To > PowerPoint.
Step 5: In the Export Your Presentation window, select a file format from the Advanced Options field and then click Next to save your presentation.
And that's it! You now have a PowerPoint presentation created completely on your Mac. The process is very intuitive for both new and experienced users.
Create a Presentation Using a Theme
Keynote offers many professionally designed themes to jumpstart your presentation building. Themed slides provide layouts, fonts, colors, and graphics matching your selected style.
Explore themes efficiently in the theme chooser by browsing categories. Double-click the one that aligns closely with your vision. Refine your options by selecting a category from the left sidebar.
Using a theme saves tons of time designing layouts and formatting – you can focus on the content! And themes are easy to make your own by tweaking fonts, colors, and images.
Free Alternatives to Make a PowerPoint – WPS Presentation
If you want a free Office suite that works seamlessly across Windows and Mac, WPS Office is an excellent choice. The WPS Presentation software has all the key features of PowerPoint for creating stunning slide decks.
Compared to older versions of Microsoft Office, WPS offers significant advantages:
Lightweight and Feature-Rich: WPS Office is a lightweight and feature-rich office suite.
High Compatibility: Recommended for low-configuration computers, ensuring widespread usability.
Comprehensive Suite: Includes Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheet, and PDF editing functionalities in one platform.
Effortless Creation and Collaboration: Users can effortlessly create, edit, and collaborate on Word, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and PDFs in a unified environment.
Airpage Cloud Documents: Real-time synchronization and seamless collaboration across platforms.
Extensive Template Library: Over 100,000 professional templates across categories for creative document designs.
User-Focused Segmentation: Tailored features for students, teachers, business users, and finance professionals.
How to Create a Presentation Using WPS on Mac
Follow these simple steps to make presentations using WPS Presentation on your Mac:
Step 1: Open WPS Office, and click on New.
Step 2: Choose Presentation.
Step 3: Select a blank presentation or template.
Step 4: From now on, you can edit slides by adding text boxes, images, shapes, and charts using WPS Presentation.
Multiply Templates of WPS Presentation
WPS Presentation offers a wide selection of professional templates and themes for free. Some of the noticeable themes are:
Blue Business Strategy Planning
This template is likely for business presentations focusing on strategic planning. Expect a professional, blue-themed design with elements conducive to illustrating business strategies.
Green Business Activity Planning
This template seems suitable for business activity planning presentations. A green color scheme might convey a sense of growth and productivity, aligning well with business-oriented content.
Blue Technology Big Data Product Display
This template likely targets presentations related to technology and big data. Anticipate a blue-themed design, possibly with futuristic and data-centric visual elements to convey a tech-savvy vibe.
Business Style Investment Analysis
Enhance your investment pitches with our sophisticated business template designed for in-depth analysis. Boasting a significant download record, expect compelling financial charts and visuals for clear communication of intricate investment ideas.
Browse all the templates at: https://template.wps.com/
How to Download WPS Office
Step 1: Go tohttps://www.wps.com/download/
Step 2: Select your operating system – Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and click on the Free Download button.
Step 3: Click on the downloaded file to open WPS Office Installer.
Step 4: Click on Install Now and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
FAQs
How do I open PowerPoint on my Mac keyboard?
To open PowerPoint on your Mac, press Command + Space to open Spotlight, type "PowerPoint," and hit return when it appears in the results.
As for useful shortcuts, here are some for Mac:
Open a new PowerPoint: Command + N
Open existing PowerPoint: Command + O
Open print preview: Command + Option + P
View and Zoom: Command + 1 (Normal), Command + 2 (Outline), Command + 3 (Slide Sorter), Command + Plus or Minus (Zoom In/Out)
Presenting: Shift + Command + Enter (Start Slideshow)
What are the disadvantages of using Keynote?
Keynote slides have limited compatibility with Microsoft systems, potentially causing issues when exporting to PPT format. Transitioning from PowerPoint to Keynote can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially for experienced PowerPoint users.
Can I collaborate on presentations with KeyNote or WPS Presentation?
Yes, both KeyNote and WPS Presentation offer collaboration features, making it easy for multiple users to work on a presentation simultaneously.
Summary
Mac users can create PowerPoint-style presentations, including Office for Mac, Keynote, or the free WPS Presentation. WPS provides a full-featured alternative with hundreds of free templates and easy compatibility for exporting PowerPoint files. Any Mac user can quickly make professional presentations by following the step-by-step instructions.
