Microsoft Office Reference Guide

Mar 26, 2004

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There's something about the energy of a huge trade show that gets your juices going and lets you see some things you've never thought about before. This used to be the domain of COMDEX, for the computer field, but with its demise, CES has become the confluence of the electronic universe, at least for humans.

The problem for a computer writer is that there is so much extraneous hardware, and for me, the relevance is mostly for the presentations area affecting PowerPoint.

For example, while Microsoft has a great presence, there was virtually nothing about the Office client – just a bit about Office LIVE. But Microsoft is plainly a big new player in broadcasting with its HD formats and the media PC interface. However, like everything else geared to the consumer (at this show), the new technology has repercussions for the presentations industry.

The HD samples at the Microsoft Windows Media site have been greatly expanded, but the dolphins that I used were seen all over the show wherever the Microsoft influence was felt; that is, Microsoft's affiliation with the HD DVD format was widespread. (The competitor, as you may know, is the Blue Ray.)

The other area greatly affecting Office users is mobility. While Microsoft has been in this space for a while with various operating systems that were "almost" Windows, this time it thinks it has the mobility space covered. Previous versions of Windows CE had Office apps that needed conversion to the desktop, and they were very spotty. Now people want to run PowerPoint, Word and Excel on their telephones, or at least to view the files.

Windows Mobile 5.0 is the latest and greatest, affording developers the chance to create totally portable applications using .NET and SQL Server solutions. Probably the app from MS Office that most needs to "get" Windows Mobile is Outlook – since you're likely to want to synchronize your contacts, calendar, and e-mail between your PDA and your desktop.

While you can theoretically get mobile functionality on many devices, the Palm Treo 700w (about $400), which can handle mobile Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, is the one that is featured at the Microsoft Web site.

Is mobility a software or a hardware issue? If you look at it from the latter perspective, you have to familiarize yourself with the HP solutions. HP solutions integrate hardware, software, and services to support your specific needs whether you are taking entire elements of your office wireless or just want to increase your mobility.

Whether it's the OS or the devices themselves, a full scale wireless solution needs to address:

E-mail and collaboration
Hosted Exchange
Sales force automation
Device management
Mobile printing
Mobility services

Wireless networking Security

But with presentations — specifically with PowerPoint — this means exporting the file to all sorts of PDAs, notably the iPod. I've tried to keep up with the trend of podcasting PowerPoint but now that there's video involved, it's a whole new ballgame.

We've also covered converting PowerPoint to video, using programs like Camtasia Studio 2.0, but with some many devices, how are you to keep track of video formats and codecs and actually transfer the files effectively?

One solution came away from the main show at ShowStoppers, a terrific event for the press. Diversified Multimedia, makers of the Video Vault, offer various packages that connect to various devices, or a the Complete Solution for just $99. Besides the iPod, the solution works with the PSP (Playstation from Sony) PVP (Personal Video), DVD, PDAs, and just about anything else, so once your PowerPoint is in video format, you can show it on a device as small as a smart phone.

Another company that claims that conventional video editing is dead and has a no brainer solution is Muvee. Again once your PowerPoint is a video, a program like this can move it anywhere.

There were also lots of products that could easily belong at InfoComm, a conference related directly to the AV/presentations industry. ZVOX mini is billed as the first portable, high performance surround system. Combine it with an iPod, laptop, or DVD player, and you have perfect portable audio for a presentation.

But why present from a PDA when a tiny PC is not much bigger? DualCor is a table PC that fits in your hand – really – a full-powered Windows Tablet ready computer. It can run either Windows Tablet or Windows Mobile 5.0.

OQO is in its next generation of miniature PCs that run the full version of Windows XP. And their models also feature Tablet PC capability.

For those really on the move, how about a barebones PC for your car for $300. Check out Ituner, a car PC using Via mini-ITX system boards.

Even Hi-Def is going mini and low power. S3 Graphics demonstrated ChromeS27, a low processor card capable of dual display and hi-def – perfect for the high end PowerPoint presenter who wants portable high definition video and use of the presenter view (dual display) extended desktop.

Showing how PowerPoint-like applications are going mainstream was Telling Stories, Inc., another video for families application. It takes all of your analog and digital assets from personal video to photos, and outputs it to anything from DVD to a cell phone.

I think video storytelling in the world of blogs is also of great potential interest and importance. To that end, Serious Magic, one of my favorites, is about ready to release Vlog It!, an application that will automatically post video created with Visual Communicator online and make it searchable. This area, particularly the search aspect for WMV movie files, is potentially a major application. It's like a living video presentation that is continuous – and a terrific training tool.

CES is exhausting, just as COMDEX used to be. It's always a question whether being there is worth the hassle, since the Web can get you the information you need from your arm chair. However, the intensity of interhuman contact and the coincidences of finding what appeals to you almost by accident as you walk around make the show exciting. It's one example of how what happens in Las Vegas doesn't always stay there – but affects the entire electronic universe. At least in this solar system.

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