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Did you know Microsoft is working on a PowerPoint alternative of its own? The company first announced Sway back in Nov., but hid its new presentation software behind a long wait list. Now, the Sway Preview is finally available for everyone.

It might seem strange that Microsoft would release a new service that’s so similar to PowerPoint, but really, it seems the company is hedging its bets in case the 24-year old software falls out of favor compared to flashier alternatives. After all, Redmond is already competing with Google Slides and Prezi, another popular cloud-based app that’s cutting into Microsoft’s market share. Of course, PowerPoint is still an important product for Microsoft that comes bundled with Office, but it’s always good to have a backup plan.

Sway attempts to take on the competition with an easy-to-use program that works in any major web browser. Some of its key features include the ability to add web content from sources like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and preset design themes you can switch between with a “change my mood” option. You can even hit the “Remix!” button and let Sway choose a theme for you.

Microsoft is also rolling out a bunch of new features for Sway based on early feedback. One simple but extremely useful improvement is the addition of much-needed undo and redo buttons. The company also added quick access to bullets and numbering for presenting lists of information, while making it easy to re-order sections by dragging and dropping.

Finally, Sway’s iPhone app is expanding in availability, though for now you can only download it in New Zealand and Australia. Microsoft says apps for Android and Windows Phone are also “coming soon,” though it’s unclear when they’ll actually be available.

For now, you can hit the source link below to check out Sway for yourself.

 

http://youtu.be/Jw-g6IuBVJE

Source- Microsoft