The Animated Step-by-Steps™ are Microsoft PowerPoint files.
They are cross-platform, meaning they will work with both Windows-based and Mac-based PowerPoint applications. There are some subtle differences in how things look within each program …. but functionally … they are equivalent.
In addition, I’ve
created the Animated Step-by-Steps™on a Mac using PowerPoint version 14.5.9, but have saved the
files as PowerPoint Show files 1997-2004.
This ensures that the file will be readable by earlier versions of PowerPoint. Again
there may be some subtle differences if you are using a much earlier version of
PowerPoint, but the Animated Step-by-Steps™ should continue to be ‘functional files’.
When I create the Animated Step-by-Steps™, I typically use .wav sound files rather than .aif
files (the latter is native to the Mac platform). Although .wav is a format
not typically associated with the Mac platform, the Mac version of PowerPoint
is designed to accommodate .wav files to promote cross platform exchange.
Initially,
I had hoped that the Animated Step-by-Step™ PowerPoint files would be an ‘easy
import’ into Keynote, the Mac-based
equivalent of PowerPoint.
I was genuinely disappointed when this was not the case. Not
all the animations import (drats!!!) … and … .wav files do not play in Keynote (double
drats!!!). I did experiment with using
.mp3 files (which are reportedly cross platform) but it is my understanding
that MP3 will not ‘embed’ within the PowerPoint program making file transfer more
problematic; they must be linked to an outside folder.
Soooo Mac Users …. you have three options for viewing your Animated Step-by-Steps™:
1. purchase
a current version of Microsoft PowerPoint
2. download
an earlier Mac version of PowerPoint for free from the web.
3. download
the free Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13
which allows you to view but not edit the Animated Step-by-Steps™. This third
option might just be the simplest option.
Don’t forget … the Animated Step-by-Steps™ also display
beautifully on iPads using the free Microsoft
PowerPoint app
Although I have not tried it myself, there is a free Microsoft PowerPoint app for use with
Android tablets! If you try this
option, please let me know how it works with your Animated Step-by-Steps™.
…’til the next post …
(new posts every Monday)
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©2016 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.
Augmentative Communication Consultant
Speech-Language Pathologist
Special Educator
