Co-Creator of PowerPoint, Dennis Austin, Dies at 76
Dennis Austin, the co-creator of the widely-used presentation software PowerPoint, passed away at his home in Los Altos, California, on September 1st. According to a report by The Washington Post, Austin’s son, Michael Austin, revealed that his father had been battling lung cancer that had spread to his brain. He was 76 years old.
Austin’s journey in the tech industry began with his studies in engineering at top universities such as MIT and UC Santa Barbara. He later joined software company Forethought as a software developer, where he collaborated in the development of PowerPoint. The software was first released in 1987, and just a few months later, Microsoft acquired Forethought. Austin continued to serve as PowerPoint’s primary developer until his retirement in 1996.
Described as a significant contributor to PowerPoint’s design, Austin’s impact on the software was acknowledged by Michael Gaskins, the other co-creator. Gaskins stated in his book, “Sweating Bullets: Notes about Inventing PowerPoint,” that Austin was responsible for at least half of the major design ideas. He further emphasized that without Austin, PowerPoint may not have gained the recognition it has today.
Despite PowerPoint’s tremendous success and dominance as presentation software for the past 36 years, it has faced criticism from notable figures. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, famously banned PowerPoint presentations within his company and considered it one of their smartest decisions. Similarly, the late Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, once declared that individuals who truly understand their subject matter do not need PowerPoint to communicate effectively.
Notwithstanding the detractors, PowerPoint has amassed a large following over the years. The Atlantic published an article in August titled “The Great PowerPoint Panic of 2003,” noting the initial concerns that the software would harm communication and waste time. However, there have also been advocates for PowerPoint, such as David Byrne, the lead singer of The Talking Heads, who viewed it as an artistic tool rather than solely for professional use.
PowerPoint has remained a crucial component of Microsoft’s suite of office tools, continuously evolving to meet the needs of users. Recently, the company introduced AI tooling to PowerPoint through Copilot, an AI assistant for Microsoft 365. Copilot can assist users in creating presentations, generating images, and adjusting formatting and tone within a presentation.
The passing of Dennis Austin marks the end of an era for the tech industry, as his contributions to PowerPoint have undoubtedly shaped the way presentations are made and delivered worldwide. His legacy will continue to impact the lives of millions of PowerPoint users for years to come.