Powerpoint XP has finally added the print preview facility . You can use this to preview slides before printing . This option was not present in the earlier version .

Creating Alternative layouts in Word :

You now have the power to create a alternative layout (for making handouts ) in word , which are not available in power point XP . You can do this by exporting this slide to word through the sendTo option . From the file menu , choose the SendTo option , click microsoft word and then select the layout option . For example , if you want to print three slides per page but don’t want lines for audience notes, send the handout to word , choose the blank line next to the slide option , and delete the lines in word . Choose any layout the suites your requirement and export the slides to word. You can also make the necessary addition and deletions to the handout in word .

Add Diagrams :

Powerpoint XP offers a new diagram functionality , which make it easier to add an organizational charts . Select the diagram from the insert menu from the dialogue box and choose the left top corner chart . You could right click any of those box to add a subordinates , Co-workers or assistants to the existing charts . This reduces a work when you have to build orgnisational charts with Powerpoint XP . You can also select a Venn Diagrams , Cycles , radials , pyramids , etc . From the diagram listings .

Compress Pictures:

Presentation blues? You must have had those when your presentation became too heavy with images. Now there’s a way to make your presentation light while retaining all the images. Save the pictures that you have to insert as JPG’s GIFs, or in any other smaller format. Power point XP provides an option by which you can compress the embedded images. Click on the images you want compress by holding down the [Ctrl] key or by selecting them all. Choose the picture toolbar from View >Toolbar>Picture. click on the compress picture button, and choose ‘Delete the cropped area’ of the picture to make the presentation lighter. Just remember that if you compress pictures by selecting the Web/Screen, Print, or ‘Delete cropped areas of picture’ option from the compress picture dialog box you won’t be able to restore images to their original resolution or size.

Customize animations:

You can now customize animations in PowerPoint XP. Start off by selecting your own track for the object to move on. This could either be straight line, a curve, or a scribble. Right-click the text or the image for which the animation is to be set, and choose Custom Animation. The task pane opens and gives you a list of animations that can be assigned to an object on the presentation. To choose your own animation style, click on Add Effect and choose Motion paths. From option, choose the Draw Custom path submenu. This provide you with options to draw Straight line,Curves or Scribble paths. You can choose any of these options and draw the path on the slide. The starting position would be denoted by green triangle and the trailing edge by red triangle. you can also resize and move the path. In this manner, you can even create short cartoon movies using PowerPoint XP.

Working on forms and report is a breeze with Access XP . Mentioned below are the some shoutcut keys that would make work simpler and easier :

[Ctrl]+[Tab] : To move a subsection
[F2] : To swich between Edit mode(with insertion point diaplayed) and Navigation mode .
[F4] : To switch to the property sheet ( Design view in forms and reports in database and access projects).
[F5] : To switch to form view from Form design view .
[F6] : To switch between the upper and lower portion of a window(Design View of the Advanced Filter/Sort window only)
[F7] : To switch to the code Builder from Form or Report Design view ( Design view window or property sheet)
[F8] : Invokes the field list in a form , report, or Data Access page . If the field list is already open, it moves focus to field list . After Seletion of a field from the list, you could just press [Enter] to insert that field .

[Ctrl]+[Enter] or [Alt]+[D] : To open the selected table , query, form , report, data access page, macro, or module in Design view .