Starting PowerPoint 2003

In this tutorial, whenever we indicate that you need to click a mouse button, it will mean to click the left mouse button – unless we indicate that you should click the right mouse button. So, always move the cursor over the “place” we indicate and “click left” unless we tell you otherwise.

If you have been using PowerPoint 97 or 2000, PowerPoint 2003 will be a whole new adventure. For those using PowerPoint XP/2002, you will find many exciting new features. Almost everything is now “graphical.” So, when PowerPoint loads, the appearance of the monitor screen will be very different. Once you get used to the new 2003 features (which apply to all Office 2003 modules) we think you’ll find it much easier to use as you create and edit your PowerPoint slides.

Double click quickly on the PowerPoint 2003 icon on the Windows desktop (see image to the right), or click-on the Start button, in the lower left corner of the screen, then click-on Programs, and then on Microsoft PowerPoint.

Notice that in the image below, that the screen is “sort of” divided into three sections. On the left (left arrow), you’ll see an area that indicates Outline and Slides at the top. When you first open PowerPoint 2003 you’ll notice that the Slides Tab is “white.” This means that you’ll be able to see a small version of each slide as we create it.

In the center of the screen (center arrow) you’ll see a PowerPoint Design Template. We’ll be using these templates to create our slide show. We’ll come back to this in more detail in a few minutes.

On the right side of the screen (right arrow) you’ll see a New Presentation Task Pane. This is “really” new in PowerPoint 2003 – if you’ve been using the 98 or 2000 versions. This is where you’ll select and edit all of the various screen templates, images, and sounds that you’ll use to create your slide show.

In the image on the right (New Presentation) especially notice the Blank Presentation icon in the New group (see arrow at right). Move your cursor over the small white image to the left of Blank Presentation. When you do, you will see the “small pointy hand” that indicates that this is a link to the Template Pages. When you see the pointy hand, click the left mouse button.

This Apply slide layout – Text Layouts to the right will be the screen we will use to select different templates for each of our slides. As we move through this tutorial, you’ll see how to do this.

You’ll notice in the Text Layouts area, that the top left slide has a blue line around it. This marks this Title Slide as the first slide in your presentation.

In PowerPoint 2003 the Title Slide always appears first. PowerPoint “thinks” that you want to start your presentation with a title. So, logically, the Title Slide appears in the middle section of the screen.

After you understand PowerPoint a bit more, you can choose any of the templates in the Apply slide layout area to be your first slide. You’ll see how to do this as we proceed through the tutorial.