Item: Prezi
Rating: 5
Author: Javier Schwersensky

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Prezi for my Board presentations as well as staff meetings and community/stakeholder presentations. Given the size and type of organization, I am the main presenter from a corporate standpoint. We do have other training but we use the good old Power Point for those.

Prezi makes presentations more engaging and interesting. The ability to zoom and move helps to present a topic from its more general terms and then drill down into deeper context.

The challenges I have with Prezi is their relative lack of support for Linux platforms. All my machines run Linux (Ubuntu/Debian) and the only way to make Prezi work is with Google Chrome. There is no native app, which is a shame.

Pros and Cons

Ability to present a topic in a clear manner with lots of images and videos
Export slides as PDFs, which can then be used as beautiful handouts
It can visually connect topics, something a more passive presentation tool like PowerPoint cannot do
It is very easy to share presentations online
Built-in cloud support: Prezis are stored in their servers, and they are accessible from everywhere.

Linux support is non-existent. With Android/Chrome OS being based on the linux kernel but also with lots of tech-savvy and influencers using non-Windows and non iOS platforms, I feel a pariah.
As far as I know for Android phones and tablets you can only present but not edit prezis in its native app. Again an Android users, it is a sub-par experience the app in general is lacking functionality.
Using the browser version (because I have no other alternative) uploading multiple images is very buggy
Having a version history would be great when you are editing a large presentation over several days

Return on Investment

Prezi is really a sunk cost for us. The positive is to stand out when other organizations are presenting in a more traditional way
Ability to explain complex concepts is a plus
Instant save of work and access through the cloud is another very positive aspect which makes the paid version worth it

Alternatives Considered

Microsoft Office 365, LibreOffice and Canva

Google Slides
Microsoft Sway

Prezi is ideal for lectures or explaining topics. Visually it is pleasing. It gives traditional slide programs a run for its money.

Other Software Used

Google Drive, LibreOffice, Microsoft Office 365, Zoho Creator, Adobe Illustrator CC

Likelihood to Recommend

Prezi is a great platform to explain complex topics and to break the traditional two-dimensional aspect of a slide deck.
Its cost is relatively affordable and the platform is stable and the web-based version works reasonable well.
Unfortunately there is zero Linux support and you are stuck using Google Chrome.
No native Linux app is another downside for those technologically-savvy or people who want to use a GNU-licensed operating system.
The Android app is very limited.
They have added a premium layer to the basic paid Prezi platform. I understand their pursuit of profit but...

Great to explain complex topics. I wish it supported Linux.

Overall Satisfaction with Prezi