Dennis Austin Powerpoint

The Dennis Austin PowerPoint records contain materials assembled, and mostly authored, by Dennis Austin as a key designer and developer of the slide show presentation software, PowerPoint. The records span 1984 through 2007 with the bulk of the collection being from 1985 to 1994. The collection follows the design and development of PowerPoint from its beginnings at Forethought, Inc. when its name was 'Presenter,' to its initial release for the Apple Macintosh in 1987, its purchase by Microsoft later that same year, and through the software's subsequent versions — with the bulk of this collection covering versions 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0. The records in this collection include Dennis Austin's notes and design drawings, PowerPoint source code, program and feature descriptions, correspondence, user's manuals, promotional materials, and business records from Forethought and Microsoft's Graphics Business Unit (GBU). Since the late 1980s, PowerPoint has had a significant cultural impact on how people give presentations.

Description

The Dennis Austin PowerPoint records contain materials documenting the design and development of the slide show presentation software, PowerPoint. The bulk of the collection is from 1986 to 1994 during the time that Dennis Austin was working as a software developer on what became PowerPoint, first at Forethought, Inc. and then at Microsoft after Forethought was purchased by Microsoft in 1987. The records in this collection include Dennis Austin's notes and design drawings, PowerPoint source code, program and feature descriptions, correspondence, user's manuals, promotional materials, and business records from Forethought and Microsoft's Graphics Business Unit (GBU). PowerPoint has been included with Microsoft Office from Office's first release in 1990. Dennis Austin had an important role in PowerPoint's design and growth and his records form a unique perspective on one of the most widely-used pieces of software in the world.

Author

Doub, Bo; Hayden, Kim; Lott, Sara Chabino

Extent

4.67 linear feet in 3 record cartons and 1 oversize box

Subject

Austin, Dennis; Computer programming; Computer software; Computer software design; Computer software--Development; Microsoft PowerPoint (Computer file); Source code (Computer Science)

Collection Title

Dennis Austin PowerPoint records

Author

Doub, Bo; Hayden, Kim; Lott, Sara Chabino

Extent

4.67 linear feet in 3 record cartons and 1 oversize box

Subject

Austin, Dennis; Computer programming; Computer software; Computer software design; Computer software--Development; Microsoft PowerPoint (Computer file); Source code (Computer Science)

Collection Title

Dennis Austin PowerPoint records

Lot Number

X6642.2013