Google Revamps Docs Presentations to Challenge Powerpoint

Google's Web application for presentations, also known as Google Docs Presentations, has been upgraded with more than 50 new features to compete with the likes of Microsoft Powerpoint and Apple Keynote.

The new features in Google Docs Presentations include animations, transitions between slides, new presentation themes and rich data tables.

On the left sidebar, there's now an option to create different types of documents, including presentations, forms, spreadsheets and drawings. The colorful icons for each document type resemble Google+, which is no coincidence; Google is making a concerted effort to bring its family of products closer together.

When you create a new presentation, you'll notice a variety of new tools. For one, users can now hyperlink slides, presentations, or external Web pages using shapes instead of just plain text. In addition, to enhance the visuals within the presentation, the new Google Docs Presentations lets users draw organizational charts, diagrams, flowcharts and more directly on the webpage.

To get a sneak preview of the new-look Docs Presentations, head over to Google Docs, select Document settings on the top right corner, and then check the box that reads, Create new presentations using the latest version of the presentation editor. Save the settings and make sure your browser is up to date.

Google CEO Larry Page announced third quarter financial results Oct. 13, reporting net income of $2.73 billion on revenue of $9.72 billion. Google sites were largely responsible for the company's success, as they generated about 69 percent of total revenues with $6.74 billion for the Mountain View, Calif.-based company.

The next day, Google's VP of product development Bradley Horowitz announced that Google would shutter the Google Buzz and Google Labs platform to focus more on its budding social network, Google+.