PowerPoint 2007: The Missing Manual

Appendix A. Getting Help

In a lot of ways, PowerPoint 2007 is easier to work with than its predecessors—after you get the hang of it. (And after you’ve had a chance to read this book, of course.) But sooner or later, you’re going to run into a snag and need some help—and getting you that help is what this appendix is all about.

Help with PowerPoint starts right there in the program’s window and extends into the far reaches of the Internet. There are descriptive screen tips that pop up when you mouse over the item in question, help screens stored on your computer and on Microsoft’s Web site, and a vast community of PowerPoint experts on message boards and Web sites.

Getting Help from PowerPoint

In PowerPoint 2007, help’s never far away. In fact, the program gives you a helpful description of just about every item onscreen before you even click it—in the form of a screen tip. You can also get help from wherever you are inside PowerPoint by displaying the Microsoft Office PowerPoint Help window.

Displaying Screen Tips

To get help on a specific button, menu, or dialog box option, first mouse over the option. A good-sized screen tip pops up with a description of the item, and advice on where to get further help (Figure A-1).

NOSTALGIA CORNER: Goodbye, Clippy

And good riddance, some would add. Earlier versions of Microsoft Office programs, including PowerPoint, included a contextual help system known as the Office Assistant, an animated character that lived in a small onscreen ...