PREZI IS HELPING ME to develop slideshows in a different way. Prezi is helping me think in a non-linear fashion, similar to the scratch-and-sniff method I see many people using on Twitter. With Prezi, a viewer can zoom in and out of a map rather than moving between slides. This is helpful, because when a creative multimedia student uses Prezi, it's through a mental map that is similar to a video producer using non-linear editing with a film cut.
Prezi offers a nice and easy interface. It's attractive and even somewhat numbing (My problem, because that means it fosters a little distraction in my personal use of the software.)
The application is designed entirely in Flash--a very nice use of Flash--and it’s a real pleasure to use. I think it's quick to learn, especially if you've done more than 100 hours of video editing. Prezi has a nice interface, and a nicer premise: make a presentation without creating individual slides. I think it's worth converting to the Prezi format because I am blessed with non-linear thinkers who want to jump anywhere in a presentation. Or they want to jump over the boring bits. It will take me a semester to learn how to use Prezi properly. Through those weeks, I'll reflect on the words of David Pimm, “It's not 'A picture is worth a thousand words', but 'A picture is different than a thousand words.'”
Scott Ashmann -- "Rationale for a Non-Linear Presentation", March 2000.
Much More: Why should you move beyond slides? on Prezi
