Exhibit
31.1

SECTION 302
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Jeffrey E.
Coombs, certify that:

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|1. |  | I
have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Insightful Corporation;
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|2. |  | Based
on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements  made, in
light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with
respect to the period covered by this report;
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|3. |  | Based
on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in
this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial  condition, results of
operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report;
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|4. |  | The
registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) for the registrant and have:
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|a) |  | Designed
such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and
procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material  information
relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
by others within those entities, particularly during the  period in which this report is
being prepared;
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|b) |  | Evaluated
the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and procedures and
presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the  disclosure
controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
evaluation; and
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|c) |  | Disclosed
in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial
reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal  quarter (the
registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the  registrants
internal control over financial reporting; and
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|5. |  | The
registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent
evaluation, to the registrants auditors and the audit committee of the  registrants
board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):
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|a) |  | All
significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal
control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to  adversely affect the
registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information;
and
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|b) |  | Any
fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a
significant role in the registrants internal controls over financial  reporting.
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|Date: | May
      17, 2004 | By: | /s/
      Jeffrey E. Coombs                
|----- | ------------------ | --- | -------------------------------------------
|      |                    |     |                                            
|      |                    |     | Jeffrey
      E. Coombs                    
|      |                    |     | President
      and Chief Executive Officer

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