Prezi had a pretty big run yesterday, adding some fresh augmentation to its presentation platform and picking up a very important milestone in total user count to its overall presence. Not only does Prezi now boast audio support for its presentations; it also has a large number of current users to its credit – over 20 million.
What's got 20 million people turning to Prezi for presentations? The biggest new feature is the ability to add sound to the presentation, allowing users to connect audio to certain "path points" that customers use to build individual presentations.
But it can go farther than that, allowing users to create an entire soundtrack for presentations that serves to add a little extra punch to what might have been a dull presentation.
Since Prezi is a Flash player with a focus on space rather than on slides – some compare it to a "whiteboard" style approach – Prezi has the potential to not only make unconventional, and thus memorable presentations, but also serve as a means to organize ideas into a "mind map" of sorts.
There are still some limitations to this, though. Some have pointed out that microphone support to allow full-on narration of projects would have been a valuable bit of support – but the Flash approach is still a bit limited in what it can do. HTML is even still lacking, though HTML5, with its Web-based real-time communications (WebRTC) backup, is looking to provide quite a few exciting augments, and will likely make Prezi even better once it gets fully realized.
That, however, may take some time as WebRTC is still basically just getting started.
Those interested in trying Prezi out can get their hands on the basic Web version for free, but a Pro account will cost $159 a year. That provides a desktop version, as well as a set of further premium features like private groups and extra storage.
A proper presentation can make the difference between an idea taking root and an idea being roundly ignored. Using a system like Prezi to incorporate sound, as well as some unconventional styles that go beyond the traditional PowerPoint slide system, should have a great effect in terms of overall impact, as it allows a presentation to hit the audience differently.
Many have discussed the effects of "PowerPoint fatigue," and using a different kind of presentation software helps maintain users’ interest in their own material.
So while Prezi may not make everyone agree with every presentation, it willll improve the chances of engagement, and with better engagement comes a better chance at buy-in and a better shot at consensus, helping more get done.
Edited by
Braden Becker
