PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007

Introduction
About PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007
Features
Pricing and Support
Conclusion

Introduction

Presentations with pizzazz require a lot more than slides with text content. To make the slides look relevant, interesting, and coordinated is almost as important as the content these days -- but probably something that's even more important is that your presentations need to look different and stand out in the crowd.

The addition of visual content and rich media can help, and PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007, the product I am reviewing is a one stop solution to resolving that problem. Does it succeed? Read on.

About PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007

PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007 is from CrystalGraphics, a company based in Santa Clara, California, USA that creates add-ins for programs like PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, etc. You can learn more about PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007 at their site.

PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007 is not a single product but a combo of nine PowerPoint products that include 3D transition effects, full-screen still and moving backgrounds, Flash animations, TV-style animated 3D titles, templates, inspiring photos, music and more.

All the PowerPlugs add-ins can be installed at once, or you can choose the product you want to install. This new version of the Ultimate Combo plug-in suite is compatible with both PowerPoint 2007 and Windows Vista, and can also be used in previous versions of PowerPoint and Windows.

My contact at CrystalGraphics for this review was Dennis Ricks - thank you, Dennis.

Features

In this section, I'll look at the individual add-ins -- some of these have detailed reviews on this site, and I'll link to those individual reviews where available.

1. PowerPlugs: Templates for PowerPoint
2. This again is an annual subscription -- an e-coupon for this subscription is provided as part of the Ultimate Combo purchase. Sign in to download unlimited templates from a range of 6000 template designs.
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4. An individual review of PowerPlugs: Templates can be found here.
2. PowerPlugs: Transitions I - VII
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4. PowerPlugs: Transitions adds 3D slide effects to your presentations between the slides. There are 7 volumes of PowerPlugs: Transition styles which includes more than 300 transitions and realistic synchronized sounds.
5. Here's a link to an individual review on PowerPlugs: Transitions.
3. PowerPlugs: Video Backgrounds
4. Video Backgrounds for PowerPoint are full-screen moving backgrounds. The actual moving backgrounds are contained as an annual subscription which entitles you to download up to 100 PowerPlugs background videos at any time during the year. PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007 also includes the Video Backgrounds Player which plugs right into PowerPoint and allows you to place these video backgrounds behind the text of your PowerPoint presentations
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4. PowerPlugs: Pictures
5. PowerPlugs: Pictures is subscription product that's bundled with the purchase of Ultimate Combo. You will be provided with an e-coupon that allows to select and download presentation/web-quality pictures with over a million pictures to choose from.
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Note: An annual subscription allows you to download any 100 pictures during the course of a year.
5. PowerPlugs: Classic Menu for Office
6. This product is for Office 2007 users who prefer using the classic menus and toolbars rather than the new Ribbon tabs. Classic Menu for Office also retains all the Ribbon tabs, so you get the best of both worlds.
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6. PowerPlugs: Flash Ready
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8. PowerPlugs: Flash Ready makes it extremely simple to insert a Flash animation into PowerPoint. That is something that is otherwise quite difficult to do unless you are a programmer. It also includes over 90 readymade Flash Animations clips, banners, etc. that you can place on your PowerPoint slides.
7. PowerPlugs: Animator
8. Provides quick animation schemes that includes several high-quality text animations like Roll Down, Spiral Background, Threaded Bars and many more. Sound effects can be applied to the entire presentation as well.
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10. Here's a link to our individual review on PowerPlugs: Animator.
8. PowerPlugs: 3D Titles I and II
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10. Creates animated 3D title slides. Includes 60 different 3D title animations inspired by television and film which can be customized with text and color schemes.
9. PowerPlugs: Presentations to Go
10. Presentations to Go consists of a series of professionally designed presentation layouts that include backgrounds and outlines - covering 23 of the most common presentation topics.
10. PowerPlugs: Music I and II
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12. Each of these two volume collections include 30 professional soundtracks made up of 180 unique music clips in the WAV format. Styles include jazz, rock, Caribbean, modern, traditional, country, etc. Also included is an easy to use software tool that makes it very easy to add music to your PowerPoint presentations, with all the various options preset for optimum results.

Pricing & Support

PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007 costs $599.

Support is through email, online FAQ and phone.

In Conclusion

The release of PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo 2007 makes this suite of fine PowerPoint products compatible with the newest PowerPoint and Windows versions. The bundled price makes this product a great investment for those of you who need to present often.