Flash Vs PowerPoint - Which One to Choose

Multimedia presentations have been around for a few decades now, and continue to be just as popular, especially as powerful business tools. The two prominent formats used are Flash and PowerPoint. In any presentation, the clever combination of text, graphics, audio, video and animation is what works to the immense advantage of this medium, making its impact rather forceful and the message delivery very clear. However, many businesses, big and small, face a dilemma when choosing between the choices in which to make their presentation. Both- Flash and PowerPoint have their own sets of merits and shortfalls. It is important to weigh them on some key factors to gain clarity on what suits one’s requirements best. Listed below is a comparison of how they perform on some key aspects:

Parameter	Power Point	Flash	Recommended
Time to create	Relatively Short	Needs more time	PowerPoint, if the presentation has to be made in a hurry
Who will create it	Can be created by any professional	Needs design professionals	PowerPoint, if looking to utilize only in-house resources. Flash, if you have a great design partner or an in-house design talent pool
Where it will be used	Is better as an audio-visual aid	Works equally well in self-running mode and when used by a presenter	Flash, since it is more versatile. Can be used powerfully on its own in display kiosks or at exhibitions
Editing requirements	Easily Editable	Far more difficult to make alterations	PowerPoint, if frequent changes or updates are anticipated by the organization
Mobile Compatibility	Poses no problems	Far more difficult	PowerPoint, for professionals who have high mobile usage
Need for Printing	Easy to print and be presented as handouts	Cannot be printed	PowerPoint, if printed versions are required-such as at training sessions
Presentation security	Low scores on this aspect	Added layer of security because it cannot be altered/edited by non-design professionals	Flash, especially when showcasing sensitive product prototypes/data
Ability to be compressed	A PowerPoint cannot be easily compressed	Flash lends itself much better to compress	Flash, for ease of online streaming and file sharing
Cost for creation	Very economical	Involves higher expenses	PowerPoint, especially if the content and duration is lengthy

For visual & motion display enthusiasts who have been let down on the mobile platform, there is now a great option: HTML 5. This allows presentations to be created in a mobile-compatible form without compromising on the colors, backgrounds, fonts, animations and transitions. This means that one is now in a position to truly impress audiences on mobiles with a display of technological expertise. The HTML 5 template makes the presentation easy to be hosted on the web distributed with convenience and even edited using a basic text editor on any mobile device.