Google launched an Ajax based presentation tool yesterday called Presently. Available now at Google Docs, the application has a very simple and intuitive interface for creating applications. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't work well in Safari (v. 3.0.3) - I couldn't edit any text in any of the slides at all. The top of the application also has a nice note for me: "Presentation features are not fully supported on your browser. Please consider upgrading to the latest version of your browser or switching to a supported browser." Unfortunately, they don't tell me what a supported browser is, but I assume that IE and Firefox work fine.

Personally, and I know I'm biased, but Sliderocket blows this application out of the water. First of all, its built with Flex, so it will work in Safari, and all the other browsers. More importantly, it has all the graphical elements that I like from PowerPoint and Keynote. I prefer to create stunning presentations with nice graphics and transitions. Presently appears to be geared towards those people who are need to create basic slideshows easily and quickly.

Duncan Riley at TechCrunch agrees with me, though he prefers the simplified UI to what's available in PowerPoint. "Presently doesn’t have all the bells and whistles PowerPoint has, but that’s in part the appeal... Presently, like Docs and Spreadsheets before it is straight to the point." I guess I don't think it has to be one or the other - I'd like something easy to use that let's me create really great presentations, like Keynote does. And from what I've seen, Sliderocket fits the bill.

Having said that, I haven't used the application enough to try any other other features it has, like the collaboration elements. Try it out, and let me know if I'm wrong.

Via TechCrunch