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Guide to the Kenneth Einstein papers
X8138.2017  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
The Kenneth Einstein papers, which range in date from 1975 to 2001, hold materials related to Einstein's career at Ansa Software and Borland International, as well as records from his consulting work. The collection can be divided into four parts: professional files, conference materials, mixed reference materials, and software. The professional work files are from companies such as Ansa Software, Borland Interactive, Upshot Corporation, and Diffusion, Inc. They include initial product concepts, product planning documents and timelines, internal company materials, presentation materials, marketing materials, newspaper and magazine clippings, and product documentation. The second quarter of the collection consists of materials from industry conferences, partner meetings, and trade shows. The third quarter of the collection consists of mixed printed materials, such as reference books, technical reports, published research papers, market forecasts, printouts of online discussion threads, and periodicals. The final fourth of the collection is made up of packaged software and loose disks. Software formats include 5 1/4 inch floppy disks, 3 1/2 inch floppy disks, and CDs.
Background
Kenneth (Ken) Einstein has been a software designer in the field of user interface design and user experience for over thirty years. In the early 1980s, Einstein attended the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU. In 1985, he joined Ansa Software, where he worked as manager of user interface design and documentation. After Ansa was acquired by Borland International in 1987, Einstein became director of application strategy. In this position he worked on the design and development of many of Borland's products in the late 80s and early 90s. Einstein left Borland in 1993, becoming an independent consultant specializing in user experience (UX). A notable project that he worked on was leading the UX design and implementation effort for MCI Friends and Family Mail (FFM). The goal of the product was to create a mass market service that anyone who could make a phone call could use to send and receive emails. The project was scrapped in 1995 when the World Wide Web grew increasingly powerful, thus making MCI's project no longer viable. After the FFM project, Einstein worked in the design and development of products at a number of startups, including Diffusion, Inc. and Upshot Corporation. As of 2018, Einstein still works as a consultant in Silicon Valley.
Extent
8.25 Linear feet, 6 record cartons and 1 periodical box
Restrictions
The Computer History Museum (CHM) can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claims of the copyright holder. Requests for copying and permission to publish, quote, or reproduce any portion of the Computer History Museum's collection must be obtained jointly from both the copyright holder (if applicable) and the Computer History Museum.
Availability
The collection is open for research.