Microsoft PowerPoint was originally developed by a software company called Forethought, Inc. The program was created by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin. Forethought, Inc. released the first version of PowerPoint for the Apple Macintosh in 1987.
Key Points:
- Creators: Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin
- Original Company: Forethought, Inc.
- Initial Release: 1987 for Apple Macintosh
Acquisition by Microsoft
In July 1987, just a few months after the initial release of PowerPoint, Microsoft acquired Forethought, Inc. for $14 million. PowerPoint then became a part of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, significantly contributing to its widespread use and popularity.
Development Milestones:
- 1987: Initial release of PowerPoint by Forethought, Inc. for the Macintosh.
- 1987: Microsoft acquires Forethought, Inc., and PowerPoint becomes a Microsoft product.
- 1990: PowerPoint for Windows is released, becoming part of the first version of Microsoft Office.
Sources:
- Microsoft‘s official history of PowerPoint
- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PowerPoint” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Wikipedia – History of Microsoft PowerPoint
These resources provide detailed histories of PowerPoint’s development and its evolution into the widely used presentation software it is today.
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