Laura - glad we're on the same page!

Mark - I've actually seen relatively flew glitches in the presentation of powerpoints. I have experienced technical difficulties that were unrelated to the powerpoint itself - e.g. network connection goes down, projecter bulb blows etc. I've had these experiences though not when using powerpoint but when teaching software and demonstrating how to use it. Kinda tough when you can't get a projected image on the screen. I have actually been reduced to drawing screens on whiteboards to illustrate action. Thank goodness for participant workbooks with screenshots or we'd have been totally lost. Thankfully - the technical difficulty got resolved and I was able to project the image again and move on.

So I don't think that powerpoint introduces a higher likelihood of glitches - I think adding and relying on technology does.

I have learned one thing however, when it comes to powerpoint, all those fancy transitions and whizzing bullet transitions and even the "cool" backgrounds can be SERIOUSLY distracting when using a tool like Netmeeting to display the powerpoint. The transitions become jerky and fancy backgrounds degrade in quality - I was watching a presentation with a water themed background and lots of bells and whistles. By the time the hour presentation ended I was as close as I've ever been to being seasick and that includes years of riding in sailboat and recently being on a cruise. Perhaps next time I'll bring an airsick bag. *yuck*

As to the OP's point - there is a bad, better and best way to use powerpoint. Bad would be to put all the content on the slide and then as a trainer to read from the slide (ESPECIALLY if the trainer ends up reading to the screen), Better would be as Mitch points out - Be succinct and use bullets or graphics to highlight talking points and allow the trainer to extemporaneously speak to those points (although in my opinion doesn't that equate to note cards, and who the heck wants my speaker notes anyway?) and Best refers to the way Laura uses powerpoint - to facilitate learning through interactivity; games (yes games), discussion questions, role play; case study; etc.

A wonderful presenter once reminded me that Powerpoint was created as a tool for non-educators who never learned to create effective visuals on their own.
A common mistake Powerpoint presenters make is limiting their screen content to bulleted text. Boring. I recommend using blank unformatted slides to insert pictures that emphasize the presenter's points. (Example: Talking about conflict? Show a picture of people arguing and the expressions on the people around them). You can really get to the affective domain this way and also people will tend to remember pictures.

I have now seen several internet references to this remark "A lecture is an event where the notes of the lecturer becomes the notes of the student without passing through the brains of either."
How does this stack up when thinking about presentations or the ASTD book "Telling ain't Training"
PP is one method in the trainers toolbox but if it's the only one then you are impaling your listeners rather than helping them to learn let alone helping them to stay awake.
For long PP presentation I would suggest industrial strength espresso coffee to help attention but better still use short bursts...no more than 10 minutes or you will need to employ coma monitors!

I just found Cliff Atkinson's website www.beyondbullets.com and am fascinated by his suggestions for developing interesting powerpoint.

In a nutshell (besides selling his book) he recommends using a story telling approach to building powerpoint and rather than putting all the content on slides, putting it in the notes section so rather than giving people copies of the slides you give them copies of the note pages. He has created a template to outline the presentation in story telling format and also has powerpoint makeovers that you can watch via BB discussions with volunteers. It's quite interesting and I'll admit it's caught my attention!

I disagree with giving participants copies of notes... they should be taking their own notes in their own way. Whatever happened to the very basic principle of people being responsible for their own learning?