Slide by Slide – iPad App of the Week (not really)

Slide by Slide – iPad App of the Week (not really)


Slide By Slide powered by the SlideShare API allows the user to:

1. Conveniently search for presentations from http://www.slideshare.net
2. Enjoy the presentation ad-free and distraction-free while in landscape mode
3. Also see the description along with the presentation when in portrait mode
4. Keep a history of slideshows visited
5. Easily share presentations using facebook, twitter, or email
6. Change background color while going through a presentation in landscape mode for viewing pleasure

This week’s App is Slide by Slide.

Okay this is not so much an iPad App of the week, more why does this App actually exist?

Slideshare is a web service that allows you to upload and share a presentation.

I don’t use it that much as my presentations without the actual “presentation” don’t make much sense as the speaking gives the slides (mainly pictures and the odd word) the context.

Slideshare use Flash as the technology behind their service which means it is easy to embed into blogs like this one, or a VLE.

Of course the downside of Flash is that it doesn’t work on the iPad (or is that the downside of the iPad is that Flash doesn’t work on it).

However Slideshare have enabled their technology now to work on the iPad and have released an API to allow others to create Apps to make use of this.

Slide to Slide is one of those Apps. You can search Slideshare and it allows you to then view the presentation.

Advancing slide by slide.

In portrait mode it also shows the notes.

It also stores a history of what presentations you have viewed.

So…

Well most of that is also available from the Slideshare site direct, with the advantage that you can click URLs you have been sent in an e-mail or on Twitter. The interface is virtually the same you wouldn’t at a quick glance realise that you were on the web and not in an App.

This is the Slide by Slide interface.

This is the web interface.

Can you tell the difference?

I actually can’t see the benefit of the App, yes it has your history and notes, but you can’t log in and see your favourites, you can’t follow people and the adverts seem more intrusive than those on the iPad web interface.

For me, an App has to make it easier to view web content, make it easier to engage with and share web content, make it easier to use web content. Apps such as Osfoora HD do this for services like Twitter in that they add functionality and are better than interacting with the web.

Slide to Slide doesn’t.

It’s free so you aren’t wasting money, maybe version 2 will be better, let’s hope so.

3 thoughts on “Slide by Slide – iPad App of the Week (not really)”

  1. Hi James,

    The difference is, as far as I can see, something you mention early on! With slide by slide in portrait mode, you can read the gores pages. See my pecha kucha (search dsugden) which has notes. I can see notes on slide by slide but not on Slideshare via iPad Safari?

    David

  2. You mention not using SlideShare much as your presentations are less effective without the words. If you make a voice recording and make it available online, you can synchronise your slide set to the audio.

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