Cons: The navigation is a bit outdated, and classroom-friendly options are lacking. The easiest place to start is by adding some photos not only can you upload your own pictures, but you can pull them from a wide selection of websites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can choose whether your Sway scrolls horizontally or vertically (and yes, even as individual slides if you want to), the color theme, the background, and a few other things as well. Your email address will not be published. We-ell, sort of: Sway could be used as a pre-presentation tool. Its simply brilliant. Theres also a decided emphasis on storytelling, rather than presenting. The Insert feature allows students to pull in content such as images, videos, or animated GIFs from their device, OneDrive account, or the web. Sway is a Microsoft 365 app that helps you and your co-workers express ideas using an interactive, web-based canvas. Rob Woodgate is a writer and IT consultant with nearly 20 years of experience across the private and public sectors. You're free, however, to edit the fonts and colors of these via a Customize button. 7. It also integrates with email, calendar, and other Microsoft tools to make it easy to communicate with customers or clients. Create and share interactive reports, presentations, personal stories, and more. Microsoft has released Presentation Translator, a translation tool for PowerPoint. This makes it a popular choice for people who want to access it on the go. Users can pull content locally from the device in use, or from internet sources such as Bing, Facebook, OneDrive, and YouTube. Office 365 offers integration for communication tools such as Skype for Business and Outlook, so you can stay in touch with coworkers and colleagues from anywhere. When I first saw Microsoft's new Sway app for Windows 10, I wasn't sure whether it should be considered a website builder, a photo-album creator, or something else. Once you get going, the interface becomes a set of sliding panels that hide themselves when not in use. There are various thumbnails that make it easier for the reader to understand the context. This is a small but subtle distinction; PowerPoint feels like a series of steps but Sway feels like a journey, so its easier to follow the flow as if youre reading naturally. In late 2014, the company announced an invite-only preview version of Sway and announced that Sway would not require an Office 365 subscription. The Sherweb Blog is just one example of how we make this happen, and our team members frequently collaborate on content to ensure it's as beneficial as possible for our readers. It can help you easily organize documents and access data from all over. Below are some other disadvantages of Microsoft Excel: Keeping up with the changing business world; Regulatory compliance challenges; Not prepared for disaster; 1. (aka Project Moca), How to Get New Office 365 Features Up to Six Months Sooner, How to Watch UFC 285 Jones vs. Gane Live Online, 2023 LifeSavvy Media. While there are advantages to using visual presentations such as PowerPoint, there are also setbacks and traps even the most seasoned presenters can easily fall into. But recently, as video conferencing took off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft has added Zoom to its gunsights. This is only possible if your system supports the microphone. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated according to our comment policy. Start by adding your own text and pictures, search for and import relevant content from other sources, and then watch Sway do the rest. The last actually does render your presentation in a step-through, PowerPoint-like fashion rather than a scrolling Web-like presentation that the other choices produce. Of course, it can be difficult to know if what youve chosen will look good to others, and there are plenty of options to choose from, so Sway gives you a Remix button which will apply a random design to your Sway. Choose the subtype of the card to add, such as Heading, Image, or Grid. It puts the slides in the correct order and they keep playing on their own. With an Office 365 subscription, you get one year of updates and 30 days of technical support. So, if you buy Office 365 from the app store and later find that none of the programs work on your computer, its more than likely that there is no fix for this issue. And theres always a but. But Sway is really an exampleof a new class of software that lets you create "stories," similar to the iPad-only Adobe Slate. This might distract from your business or personal brand you want to reflect on the page. When you buy office 365, youll have to renew it periodically, typically every year. Sway handles the rest once youve added your text and images and searched for and imported pertinent material from other sources. PowerPoint is true slideshow software. What is Microsoft Sway, and What Can I Do with It? InEnglish language arts (ELA), use Sway to illustrate a text you're reading in class. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. You can create more sophisticated Sways with more content when you use Sway as part of an Microsoft 365 subscription. Updated tutorials would help inspire users to discover Sway's potential. What Is a PEM File and How Do You Use It? One of these is Sway, a friendlier alternative to PowerPoint. Review by Marianne Rogowski, Common Sense Education Students can also collaborate on presentations via a shared URL. Sway: Whats the Difference? Version 2.0 was available for both Windows and Mac . PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Presentation Approach. The Microsoft Planner interface makes use of task cards in . Such as diagrams, charts, graphs and so on. The Microsoft Office Roadmap did not include any items related to Sway ever since. Slick presentation: A major issue with PowerPoint presentations is that they can seem unprofessional or lack finesse. With the help of this option, you can put all the slides and content pages in a loop. One of the disadvantages of Google Slides is that it is lack of features that fulfil users need. Theres the activist who presents about endangered species, the little girl doing a school project, and the designer who pitches the octobrolly. Using it on a laptop feels like youre not getting the most out of it it feels a bit clunky using a mouse or touchpad. Presentations can be mixed up,too, toggling the format (such as changing a story that scrolls vertically to one that scrolls horizontally) or functionality (such as changing a swipeable stack of photos to a static gallery). It suggests art with Creative Commons licenses, advising you that "you are responsible for respecting others' rights." It seems to be amalgamation of different programmes, as well as websites and social channels. This software helps inproducing interactive reports and presentations with a number of customizations like narrations and audio recordings. If you are an Office 365 user, this feature also extends to video files uploaded in the same way. Prior to my current role, I covered software and apps for ExtremeTech, and before that I headed up PCMags enterprise software team, but Im happy to be back in the more accessible realm of consumer software. But unlike PowerPoint slides, the cards work together seamlessly as you scroll through the finished Sway. A PowerPoint presentation design company. It comprises of numbered tiles. Links and embedding get around this a little, but the basic Sway site structure is a single track. Microsoft Sway is a great way to create newsletters, pres. A newsletter for clients. On the other hand, Microsoft Sway uses a new approach for delivering the content. There are some differences between the free version and the Office 365 version, but these are mainly on the admin side and let you do things like password protect a Sway (oh yeah, Sway documents are called Sways) or remove the footer. Theres only so much to say about this before we run out of superlatives, so really, try it yourself. It is limited by its lack of editability. Important elements are: the flexibility, easy integration of many different files, and the sharing. Advanced PowerPoint and presentation skills training. Sway's self-paced experience is nice, but more interactive features such as tools for annotation or commenting would make it even better. Platform. Under the Styles menu in the top right of the Design tab there are a few customisation options. Different rates and plans are depending on which package you choose, but typically you can expect to pay a yearly fee. Teachers need to be sure to balance images, videos, and text, though -- too much or too little of any will make presentations seem dull or incomplete. Viewing Sway on the Web works at any screen resolution, but creating and editing Sway requires a minimum screen width of 600 pixels or larger. Most people are not specialists in design and layout, so Microsoft has provided a bunch of templates (18 at the time of writing) for common presentations to help get you past the creators block and started designing. With its REST APIs, you can use Office 365 tools to create innovative workflows such as automating data entry or tracking project status. [5] An iOS app was released as a preview on 31 October 2014,[6] but was discontinued on 17 December 2018 due to low usage.[7][8]. As of July 17, 2021, the Sway iOS app's discontinuance in 2018 was the last piece of news posted in the Sway tech blog. on January 10, 2020, 6:45 AM PST. Office 365 is constantly being updated to ensure you have the latest and greatest features. Sway is web-based, with a Sway app from the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 devices. You can't resize pictures so you have to guess where Sway will put them so that it doesn't look awful; you can't align them with each other either. Microsoft also uses a multi-layered approach to security with firewalls, malware scanners, anti-spam filters, and intrusion detection systems to protect against unwanted intrusion. In fact, you can download the software as an application on popular platforms like Windows and Apple. They Have Different Intents. From the Authors button, you can also send a link to give access to a co-editor. While working with this application, you have the option to add running voice commentary and narrations according to your own requirements. The layout changes with Accessibility View mode. I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine, the Windows 7 review, and Ive witnessed every Microsoft win and misstep up to the latest Windows 11. This feature provides a clearer view of the content. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken. The browser has built-in malware, tracking, and privacy protection and doesnt send your data to Google. On the other hand, PowerPoint is cross-platform with both web and desktop applications for Windows and Macintosh operating systems. The program also provides native integration with other services, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Mixcloud, and Infogram.[10]. With Sway, your images, text, videos, and other multimedia all flow together in a way that enhances your story. What is SSH Agent Forwarding and How Do You Use It? So try Sway the more people that give it a go the better it will become! Sway also suggests creating a travel log, so I used the suggested images function to gather some gorgeous images of Scotland and gave them over to Sway. Select the + button to add a new card. PowerPoint vs. It also has some new, innovative additions such as Sway (for creating interactive presentations), Delves (for viewing insights about your work and organization), and Teams (for communication, meetings, and chat with coworkers). I like it, especially the stack of pictures the user can click through, though not being able to really edit the size or layout of something is becoming the bane of my life! Students of the world, give this a go. Ready to close more Office 365 deals? Can Anybody Use It? Or have your students create a digital history presentation, researching a topic and then adding appropriate images to heighten the effect. After the troubleshooter is finished, check if the problem is still there. You could use Sway to create: A presentation for work. Common Sense Media. Furthermore, you can show these presentations live or upload them onto a public platform. You can add groups of images in a slideshow or side-by-side comparison. If you enter a termwe used technologySway will produce the outline of a presentation for you, with definitions, uses, areas to cover, suggested linked topics, images, and more. This is all powered from Wikipedia data and gives full links back to the pages it uses. What is Microsoft Sway? How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. Anybody can use Sway if they sign up for a free Microsoft account. Occasional errors when opening a project on different devices. Disadvantages of Microsoft Teams: How It Could Be Slowing Down Productivity. Sway does a great job of combatting that with its easy navigation view. Welcome to Microsoft Community. [9] The Sway feature blog has not received an update since April 2017. In order to facilitate easy reading, the content changes to black and white color and this ultimately leads to higher contrast reading. A brief 1-2 sentence summary of your posting. The Sway feature blog has not received an update since April 2017. And while it really is easy to figure out, there's no help aside from an explanatory video. Its easier to work with, you can edit things (hallelujah), and you can put a presentation on your iPad and show the same eager person in the lift, just with more information and more control over it. Learn more about our privacy ratings. Some of the integrated services are owned by Microsoft, including OneNote, Bing, and other Sway sites. Your email address will not be published. You might end up paying for programs that you only use once every few months. All Rights Reserved. The iPad app is also intuitive and, of course, supports finger input for selecting content and swiping through templates and options. Readers can likeand comment on your Sway on Docs.com; your view on Docs.com shows a tally of views and likes, as well as comments. When you choose a focus point, Sway shows you how the image will appear on a PC screen and a mobile screen. Here are a few pros and cons: Sway is hip. Microsoft doesnt always get things right, but with Sway, theyve created something handy, at the best possible price. With the help of this option, you can put all the slides and content pages in a loop. In addition, you have flexible navigation and integrations with multiple apps like Microsoft Sway. Whether youve picked a template, started with a topic, or are beginning with a blank Sway, you add what Sway calls cards to enter new content. He's also worked as a trainer, technical support person, delivery manager, system administrator, and in other roles that involve getting people and technology to work together. The Office Online version of Sway is remarkably similar to the installed Windows 10 app. Sometimes, the presentations hinder learning when the slides contain distracting elements or contain only text and narration that viewers tune out. Microsoft Office is one of the largest and most widely used productivity suites. As part of the Office 365 suite, Microsoft Teams pulls together several functional tools from Office 365 to produce a distinct and . There has been a lot of misinformation about the Sway service from Microsoft being a replacement for PowerPoint. After the Incognito window opens, try accessing the Sway website. Depending on your privacy settings, the viewers can see your Sways online, without having to sign up for anything or having to download the deck. Known as Sway, he is known for hosting music, news, and culture programming. But when youre sitting with a blank Sway sheet in front of you, its not entirely clear what youre meant to use it for. You can add various content blocks and chose how much emphasis that section of content is given. There are also Sway apps for iPad and iPhone. Your subscription has been confirmed. Join the BrightCarbon mailing list for monthly invites and resources. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Sway? For instance, as a Sway user, you will be able to lock your documents and presentations securely by using passwords. Sways automatically adjust to suit the dimensions of the device they are displayed on. Anybody can use Sway if they sign up for a free Microsoft account. Starting Up You get started with Sway by hunting it down in the Windows Store, Microsoft's answer to Apple's Mac App Store. PC hardware is nice, but its not much use without innovative software. It is a powerful app that can change the way you work and learn with innovative tools for collaboration, communication, content management, and more. The application is free to download and works on even iPads, and iPhones. The most common cause of Sway not working is issues relating to Microsoft servers; Microsoft Sway may be down. Therefore you dont need a computer every time you need to access it. Malware execution method using Sway as a delivery platform. Rob Woodgate is a writer and IT consultant with nearly 20 years of experience across the private and public sectors. Sway is now also available for Windows 10 as a desktop app which can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. This is important because it allows you to understand the viewership on your deck. How to Run Your Own DNS Server on Your Local Network, How to Check If the Docker Daemon or a Container Is Running, How to Manage an SSH Config File in Windows and Linux, How to View Kubernetes Pod Logs With Kubectl, How to Run GUI Applications in a Docker Container. And, if it had basic editablity (nudge, nudge Microsoft), this would definitely be our recommended go-to program for any kind of education project. With Outlook, a little over 4 gigabytes of email can be stored in your mailbox. At first, Microsoft Teams took direct aim at Slack. A highspeed connection isn't required. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/microsoft-sway-for-windows-10, $8.25 Per User Per Month with Annual Commitment, How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files, How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac, Read Our Squarespace Website Builder Review, Read Our Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 Review, The Best Project Management Software for 2023, Document Editing on the Cheap: How to Use Microsoft Office for Free on the Web, Easy Collaboration: 35 Must-Know Tips for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. When you publish your page it includes the Microsoft branding. When your Sway meets your satisfaction, tapping the Share icon offers a few ways to get it out to your contacts and the world. Sway is designed for a narrative structure that flows, either left to right or up to down, and the presenter (or reader) can use a mouse wheel to move through it rather than a button or a click. You can click Remix as many times as you want, and it will be quite a while before it starts repeating designs. Select Sign in on the top menu bar with your Microsoft account or work or school account for Microsoft 365. So, these are some advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Office 365. A slideshow of embarrassing photos for a friend's Zoom birthday party. All without registration and send SMS! When you turn the accessibility view on, the following happens: This is another important feature. The text or content of Sway is now displayed in a vertical manner so that the readers can focus on only one part of the content at a time. Teachers of the world, give this a go too! Allows you to edit pictures to fit your specific needs and color choices. These templates include things like business presentations, portfolios, resumes, and newsletters. Guiding you with how-to advice, news and tips to upgrade your tech life. Alluring Exhibition. So, its good to think about all the features that come with office 365 and weed out what you arent using before committing. It might look suspicious to some users. Thats not entirely fair, because you can produce brilliant presentations in PowerPoint. Consider using Sway as a digital portfolio tool where students can offer highlights of their written and visual work on the web. Its tools are optimized for smartphones so users can access documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and more with ease. Its not complicated, it doesnt require a degree in graphic design to work, but at least you can crop your pictures. Another unique feature of Office Sway is its closed captioning feature. When used correctly, most professional presentation software allows you to create fascinating presentations with minimum effort and leverage templates power to focus and polish the material to be delivered. Its built-in design engine helps you create professional designs in minutes. They would also come in handy. After spending time with the lead of the Sway team at the recent Microsoft MVP Summit, I came away with a much clearer understanding of how Sway differs from PowerPoint and when you might use each product. It allows users who have a Microsoft account to combine text and media to create a presentable website. Some Other Disadvantages of Microsoft Excel. Not associated with Microsoft. Though making a PowerPoint or Google Slide often seems like the obvious next step in sharing information with a group at work, you may want . 1. While Sway lacks the animation features that other presentation tools offer, powerful images paired with a just-right amount of text can offer a polished look and engage your audience. You cant in Sway. This fear has always been one of the biggest problems with PowerPoint. Instead, concentrate on communication and storytelling, and choose software based on the storyline you wish to tell. Pros and cons of MS Word Let me discuss some of the pros and cons of MS Word:- Advantages of Microsoft Word Spell check: If . Suggested searches appear in the sidebar, but teachers should note that studentsare responsible for complying with copyright laws. Other text options include bullet and number lists, and regardless of the theme, you can use bold and italics to emphasize text. Microsoft bought the Presenter for $14 million in 1987 and renamed it PowerPoint. Your options are pretty limited, though. Overall, it is a great way to share, collaborate, and build simple documents and spreadsheets but it does not include many of the advanced features of the MS Office suite. As part of the full package with Microsoft 365, it has a monthly fee. Sway was created more for adults than for kids, but middle school and high school students could find the flexible features and simple interface engrossing and empowering. With all the amazing features of Office 365, there are a few downsides to consider. Building a Sway You start by clicking or tapping Create New, after which new options abound. It will sit alongside the regular Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote apps as a . Whether youve got your phone, tablet or laptop, your Sway will look good. The interface of Sway is based on the principle of "drag and drop" and aims to allow a user to add to its web panel varied content (videos, maps, tweets, interactive graphics, graphics and G Teachers can take advantage of Sway's easy design templates and simple creation platform, too. This storage limit applies across all OneDrive accounts created under the same Microsoft account. Any card you've added displays a Plus button allowing you to add another card below it; if there's already one below it, the new card squeezes in between the two. You cant resize pictures so you have to guess where Sway will put them so that it doesnt look awful; you cant align them with each other either. 350 million people use Opera daily, a fully-fledged navigation experience that comes with various built-in packages, enhanced resource consumption and great design. Office 365 is the closest thing to being able to work from anywhere. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Note: Sway is free to use for anyone with a Microsoft account (Hotmail, Live, or Outlook.com). Since there's not a huge learning curve, it's a good fit for kidswho get distracted by more complicated presentation tools. Slideshow apps and websites that let student work shine. Can Power Companies Remotely Adjust Your Smart Thermostat? Plus, Sway gives you access to lots of images and videos to use in your Sways for free. The best way I can describe it is a cross between a notice board and a scrapbook. For this reason, Sway doesnt have slides;it has a single storyline. There is no offline editing or viewing function, but sites can be accessed using apps for Windows 10 and iOS. In that case, youll have to contact Microsoft support and explain your problem. It removed grid lines and stacks in order to give the readers a bigger and clearer space for the content. Skype for Business allows you to connect with coworkers instantly through voice and video calling, while Sway makes it easy to create slideshows complete with text, video, and images. One of the most important concerns for people using todays technology is the safety aspect of the applications in question. It offers 360 degrees of text placement options like left-aligned, right-aligned, scroll texts over an image, and so on. The Microsoft Office Roadmap did not include any items related to Sway ever since. Whenever you are viewing a file with a CC symbol on the bottom right corner of the screen, it indicates that the closed captioning feature is on. Whatever the Microsoft Sway error, here are your best solutions. This removes risk and stops duplication of work that you have to re-do when you lose unsaved data. Microsoft Sway is a digital storytelling website that integrates with the Office online suite. View an example. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. We select and review products independently. Office Sway essentially works with the latest version of Google Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Though it may prove a little inconvenient in the short term, its probably a way of Microsoft showing theyve got their eye on the end-game. With integrated apps and tools, professionals can work on documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and more from one app that is always accessible and up-to-date on your computer, tablet, or mobile device. Instead of marching on as the granddad of software suites creating the most reliable, but most outdated programmes, Microsoft have tried to jump to the front of the queue and give us something that we can use as much as we use some of our favourite content sharing websites. When I visited a Sway created by another account and then chose "Duplicate this Sway," the Web version of Sway opened, but the duplicated Sway was also now in my app's My Sways page. Pros and Cons of Microsoft Sway Pros It helps you create interactive presentations. By default, a sway is vertically arrangedyou scroll down, but the Navigation menu gives you a couple more choices: Horizontal scroll and Optimized for Presentation. If you have something to present or just want to share an experience, whether you think of it as a blogging tool, a site builder, a presentation creator, or something else, Sway offers an appealing way to get your message out. One of the best features in Office Sway is its ability to work across different platforms. Besides, you can change your privacy settings later in order to limit or modify your audience. . What is Microsoft Word Microsoft Word or MS Word is a word processing software that was created on 25 October 1983. The net effect of an anti-roll bar is that the inside wheel is unloaded and thus has less normal force to generate grip; while the outside wheel has more down force and generates more grip. Office 365 offers a variety of document management tools such as Delves to give you a better idea of whats happening in your organization. Keeping Up with the Changing Business World. Integration of all tools in a single place. Technical issues: Using PowerPoint can create some headaches when you face compatibility issues, corrupted files or internet problems. You should note that to perform actions like edits, you must be logged in. Back on the My Sways page, however, you can simply copy a link. Because Im also a classical fan and former performer, Ive reviewed streaming services that emphasize classical music. Remember, this is a cloud-only app, so theres no file to download, but you can embed a Sway in a web page if you want people to view it without having to go to a specific sharing link. Benefit from faster and secure navigation that assures accesability for various applications. For instance, if you are in the middle of a presentation and need to check something in the first few segments, you can do so by selecting the right numbered tile.