My collaborative experience with Google Slides as a free online presentation software was overwhelmingly positive! I’ve always been a huge fan of Google products, privacy be damned! With the exception of Google Circles. I have used Google Slides in the past but never in a collaborative way and not often, in all honesty. To be able to edit as a team on one presentation tool is valueable. The real time component is extremely beneficial. There were times where I would log in to work on the slides to find that my teammates were also working on the project which was great. We were able to share thoughts back and forth via the comment box. To be able to receive immediate feedback was beneficial as opposed to sending an email and awaiting a response. Additionally, I appreciated being able to give feedback on their work.
Other elements of Google Slides that I appreciated:
-Wide variety of templates
-Ease of use in formatting slides
-Revision history (it was beneficial to see what changes the other collaborators had made)
Powerpoint is great but I don’t have it on my laptop. And that is another huge win for Google Slides--the accessibility factor. It’s available for free to anyone with a Google account. Beyond that, it is easy to control who can view, comment on, or edit the Google presentations. In the past I have typically used Apple’s Keynote because I love Apple (and it’s on my Dock).
After gaining experience on Google Slides and learning the many services it provides--I’d say, it wins. Especially when working on a team project. I will make use of it during presentations perhaps during outreach programming to classrooms. Or if presenting at a conference. Or if working on a program. There are many occasions where this tool will come in handy!