Microsoft Access is a database management system with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, included in the Professional and higher editions or sold separately. Access is produced for the Windows platform only.
Microsoft Powerpoint is slide show presentation software. The user develops slides with text, graphics, charts, animations, videos, sounds, and other multimedia content to display during a presentation. The slides proceed in a linear fashion either at a timed pace or according to the user prompt. Slides can then be exported to pictures, PDF documents, videos, or web pages. Powerpoint is available on the MacOS and Windows platforms.
Powerpoint has also been used for basic graphic design, flow charting, and digital signage. Though other tools are often more appropriate for this kind of function, a user can save time by using a tool they are thoroughly proficient in. For other tools proficient in these functions see GIMP, Inkscape, or Dia.
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Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheet application in the Microsoft Office Suite. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. It has been a very widely applied spreadsheet for these platforms. Excel also facilitates basic statistical functions and data visualization. Excel is available on the MacOS and Windows platforms.
