does powerpoint show need app installed to run?

[sonoma]

hi...

i've been working on a powerpoint project that i'd like to launch from a cd. i can get the powerpoint show to cd no problem but i'm curious if it'll be able to play on a computer that doesn't have powerpoint installed. i'm also unsure if it'll play on both pc's and macs. i appreciated any and all help on this issue. thanks.

[Idontwantspam]

Yes/no.

Not if you just put the .ppt or .pps file on a cd. But what version of powerpoint do you have? In PowerPoint 2003, and possibly XP and 2007, there is a presentation cd feature. Open the presentation you want to put on the CD. Click file > package for cd. It will let you choose options including whether or not to add other presentations, add any linked files (like other ppts or pdf or videos or whatever), etc. It will also include a copy of the powerpoint viewer. You will be able to open the powerpoint (but not edit it in any way) from any PC with windows 98se (i think) or later. I have verified that it works on Windows 2000 and XP, but I don't know about vista.

This WILL NOT work on a mac. I highly advise against using the same presentation on macs and pcs, or between different versions even. Big problems surface, trust me. You may want to look into converting the final presentation to a .avi or better yet a flash video. That way you could play it with any media player or with flash player.

Good luck!