Mac v Windows query Ping!
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Posted on 06/03/2009 7:20:31 PM PDT by TheBattman
OK - so - I do 90% of my work using my Macs - a 12" iBook (last generation) and a PowerMac Dual G5 desktop. The other 10% I spend with an HP Pavilion Laptop (Vista).
So - Working with Powerpoint on both platforms - I have found that there is a huge difference in functionality - with the Mac version generally being for more tolerant of media files (both audio and video)
With Powerpoint 2008 (Mac), I can throw pretty much any popular format audio file or video file and it just works.
Take that same presentation (saved on thumb drive or disc with all media included) and try to run it on a PC (in this case, a PC running Vista and Office 2007), and you get to a media file in the presentation, and you get a little speaker icon on the screen - but nothing plays.
Build the presentation on the HP - and it works very similar to the Mac version, except again - it is super picky as to media formats.
What I have found - videos in MPG work, and WMV sometimes work. Most other video file formats are a no-go.
Audio files - mp3 files won't work, aiff won't work, m4v won't work, etc. .wav works.... bleh.
So why the big gap?
bfltr
I think there is actually something with Quicktime being the default sounds handler but I can check tomorrow at work.
There are some known issues with Powerpoint and attempting to use presentations across platforms like this. Some of it has to do with the original file types inserted. Macs use Quicktime by default while Windows machines don’t, so that could be a problem. In general, if you create the presentation on a Mac, you’re going to have problems on Windows, while the reverse is also true. With high probability any two machines are going to have a different library of audio and video codecs to work with.
Also, there is a very good chance that elements of a presentation created in Powerpoint 2008 are not going to be compatible with Powerpoint 2007. Like you said, a simple text-only presentation should work fine, but as the presentations get more involved, the compatibility goes down.
Ping.
Try installing QuickTime on your PC and see what happens.
MS proprietary stuff, mainly. MS doesn't like to play AVIs. Part of it may have to do with RIAA copy protection.
MS is NOT open software.
/johnny
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Every 2 bit geek on the planet has picked up this speaking tic. Start every paragraph with "So". Makes me nuts.
You’re dealing with: 1) different hardware; 2) different operating systems and 3) different versions of the software. Those are 3 big variables regarding audio and video issues. MSFT tech support is your best bet.
So it bugs you?
So what.
;^)>
Hey, SM, there’s a new AirPort update being pushed out through Software Update.
We have Macs and PCs where we work that need to share files and presentations. We follow the KISS rule and, on the Mac side, will sometimes save the file in an earlier version of PowerPoint or Word to make sure the target PC user can open/read/present the file.
Fonts can also be a problem, so try to stick to OpenType and TrueType fonts. Especially the ones that come loaded with Office for either platform.
!
You are only partially correct.
While I am dealing with different hardware and operating systems, the application being run, Powerpoint, is the latest available from Microsoft for each platform (and are otherwise functionally very similar).
But this problem existed prior to these version of Powerpoint as well.
I can play every single media file on the Windows machine just fine - as long as it isn't within a Powerpoint presentation. So this is in no-way a hardware issue, nor an OS issue. This is 100% a functional problem with Microsoft and their Office applications. For whatever reason, MS has CHOSEN to support only a very limited list of media types in Powerpoint for Windows, but doesn't seem to mind supporting a much more extensive list on the Macintosh platform.
Actually, I have FAR fewer problems with Windows-based Powerpoint files presented on my Macs... I get sent Powerpoint files all the time created under Windows - that almost NEVER fail to play - media included.
Microsoft developed both Office (Powerpoint) 2007 for Windows, and Office (Powerpoint) 2008 for Mac.
Have the latest version of QuickTime Pro on the PC -
Microsoft has a lot of business reasons to want Macs to become extinct.
Of course they will deny taking any active steps in this direction for antitrust reasons, but if there are always a few niggling problems in crossing platforms, Windows gains...
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