Microsoft has provided a robust suite of
content-creating software with Microsoft Office. Microsoft Word word processing
software, Excel spreadsheet, and PowerPoint presentation software have unique
strengths and applications. I have used the three different applications to
document a day in my life, which allowed me to identify which application was
most appropriate for each type of information presentation. Each application
has unique functions; there are advantages and disadvantages for each
application, and each application specializes in different aspects of
information presentation.
Comparison of
Application Functions
The word processor application is ideal for
creating formatted text (Vahid & Lysecky, 2017). Spreadsheet applications
allow users to organize, calculate, and visualize data. Presentation
applications provide visually appealing and easily digestible delivery of
information. These three types of applications can share features, such as
editing text font or other properties and insert images. Word processing
applications allow users to create primarily written documents with custom
formatting, which allows a professional and uniform appearance. Spreadsheet
applications offer the ability to organize information by dividing it into
cells, which allows for sorting, calculating, and even creating visual
representations of the data like charts and graphs. Presentation applications
like PowerPoint will enable slideshows that can provide a visual aid to
document information sequentially. Animations, images, and other effects help
the user create a visually appealing presentation to engage audiences.
Advantages and
Disadvantages of Each Application
Word processing applications have the advantage
of the ability to provide written information in an unlimited presentation.
Word processors do not require information to be abbreviated for formatting
concerns, as a presentation application might. The disadvantage of word
processors would be that they cannot organize or sort data, and they do not
allow the advanced visual presentation elements that a presentation application
would.
Spreadsheets have the advantage of allowing the
user to organize, sort, and calculate information and create visual representations
of data such as charts and graphs. However, a spreadsheet is not usually best
at presenting the information because it does not allow explanations of the
data.
Presentation applications have the advantage of
allowing appealing visual aids to help illustrate the information to an
audience. This can help keep the audience interested in the information being
presented. Presentation applications have the disadvantage of having limited
space on each slide, so it may be necessary to abbreviate some of the
information that would fit easily in a word processing application. According
to NCSL (2017), slideshows can also become distracting with excessive
animations and visual effects, so it is important to keep the focus on the
content and avoid the temptation to use too many effects.
Recommendation for
Application to Document a Day
Each application has its strengths, and the best
application to present a documentation of a day might depend on the audience
and purpose. For an analysis of time usage, a spreadsheet would be best. For
telling a complete story with unabbreviated details, a word processing
application would be better. A presentation application would work best as a
visual aid, perhaps combined with an oral accounting of the day’s details. I
preferred the word processor to describe my day because it allowed me to tell a
complete accounting without the formatting limitations of a presentation
application or the limitation to quantitative data of a spreadsheet.
There are other applications that each type of
software would be best for. A word processing application would be best for
writing an essay, creative writing assignment, or technical manual. A
spreadsheet would be best for analyzing quantitative data and creating graphs
and charts, documenting an inventory, or calculating statistical data.
Presentation software would be valuable for outlining the talking points of an
oral presentation and providing the audience a visual reference for the talking
points or creating an educational presentation. To determine which application
is best suited for a given task, consider the audience and purpose of the
information.
References
NCSL
(2017, August 8). Tips for making effective PowerPoint presentations. National
Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/legislators-staff/legislative-staff/legislative-staff-coordinating-committee/tips-for-making-effective-powerpoint-presentations.aspx
Vahid,
F., & Lysecky, S. (2017). Computing technology for all. Retrieved
from zybooks.zyante.com/
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