Mac users ended up that way for a reason; they know that their machines are that much easier, quicker and more pleasant to use than the everyday PC. And once upon a time, that decision was final; you embarked down the PC or Mac route and could never switch over. The software was so distinct and incompatible that, when it came time to upgrade your computer, moving from a PC to a Mac or vice versa would mean both losing all your existing work and learning to use a whole new array of software.

Things have changed, happily; files and software across the two platforms can now communicate and share work, and many applications are available to run identically on either device. Indeed, Microsoft have been releasing their long-established Office software for the Mac since 1998, so all the names familiar to PC users - such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint - are available to Mac users too.

However, just because the more well-known software has been carried over, does that mean you have to use it? What if the specialist Mac alternative offered something different and positive, some unique benefit for you or your business? After all, Mac users have already made the choice to go down the less obvious path in buying their computer - what if there was alternative office software that better fitted their demands and expectations from their distinctive machine?

Clearly, this article wouldn't be in front of you if the answer was that, no, there isn't any such software, you'll just have to make do with Microsoft. And although PowerPoint dominates the market for presentation software, Apple's Keynote offers something unique to the Mac - and also conforms appealingly with the company's reputation for style and intuitive simplicity.

And that latter is at the heart of Keynote. It's easy to start creating your presentation right from the word go, with a wide range of themes appearing as soon as the program is opened. Hover over a theme, and you can see all of its different aspects and features, so you can be sure that you're getting just the style that you need. Select the theme you want, and you already have the foundations of your presentation; you'll start with a title page, which can be customised with a single click to insert your own text. A dropdown menu shows you all of the different master slides that make up the themes, and any of these can be slotted into your show and customised in the same simple way. And many slides incorporate a slot for an image - Keynote links directly to your images folder, so you can simply drag and drop graphics into place - whilst a wide selection of stylish transitions and effects can be placed into your presentations just as easily. You can even preview the impact of effects upon your work, just by hovering over your selection in a pop-up menu.

That really is all you need to create a professional and effective presentation with Keynote. Every aspect of your presentation can be put together intuitively, the software showing you clearly what can be done and giving you the most straightforward and comprehensible means to select what you need. Keynote even takes advantage of the natural touchscreen approach of the iPad, giving you the power to construct displays on the move, and to present your work wherever you are.

The unique tools and opportunities that Keynote provides make it a must for any Mac or iPad business user - and a short training course to better understand all that if offers could certainly prove useful. Given the tremendous benefits of a winning presentation, why not give it a try? Keynote could be the key to success.