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I too have problems with the use of Powerpoint, but as someone who has finished watching nearly 175 student presentations this term I don't think that the low-tech alternative--acetates on an overhead projector--is much better. For one thing, it is difficult to use the platform space effectively when handling overheads. Moreover students often try to save money by cramming as much text on one sheet as they can.  And despite prepatory class discussions on giving presentations and the negative example of their classmates, many students read from the screen, whether the projection is Powerpoint or not.  Though it's true that overheads give students the opportunity to interact more meaningfully with their visual aids than with ppt slides, some anxious student presenters lose whatever calm they began the speech with when handling acetates.

For me, the pros and cons of all presentation aids present opportunities for learning.  The cons of Powerpoint are obvious.  However, the templates provide some discipline by prompting users to create titles and avoid using tiny fonts.  Finally, like it or not, Powerpoint slides generally look more professional than textual graphics on overheads--at least at my institution where the machines are old and noisy, and the image surface scratched and off-kilter.  I assume these are some of the reasons the software was created in the first place.