LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
Automating Projectors
To the Editors:
In Henry Petroski's wonderful article "Next Slide, Please"
(Engineering, September-October), PowerPoint 1.0 is
given as the first presentation graphics software program for the
personal computer. From my experience, that distinction should go to
"Harvard Presentation Graphics," a software package that
appeared in 1986. A minor point, but from the perspective of one who
explored those early programs, an interesting detail nonetheless.
Ira Yermish
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA
To the Editors:
"Next Slide, Please" omitted one important development. In
1978, Hewlett-Packard came out with a personal desktop computer
which would control a transparency generator pen-plotter. It came
with Basic language software which could easily be modified to
generate almost any kind of a graphical presentation page. This
development revolutionized our economical and statistical
presentations. We could generate items in minutes without having to
use pre-programmed specific formats or professional graphics departments.
James I. Morgan
Midland, MI