In hindsight, I agree with you both (tudor and nutty) about powerpoint and word being good.
I was trying to make a few good infographics to explain my concept and making diagrams/infographics in Office is pretty horrible. I tried both Inkscape and illustrator, while very good for graphics they are woeful for text and making a poster. I would clarify and say that if you want some nice graphics, make them outside powerpoint and then just import them. So much easier.