Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!ucsd!rutgers!umn-d-ub!umn-cs!hall!pai!erc
From: erc@pai.UUCP (Eric Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: CD-ROM; HyperCard; request for info
Message-ID: <183@pai.UUCP>
Date: 15 Jul 88 14:21:55 GMT
Organization: Prime Automation, Inc., Burnsville, MN
Lines: 68


[I hope this isn't a boring repeat request...If so, I plead insanity.]

I am looking at the prospects for creating a CD-ROM collection of
linked information.  The project would need a friendly user interface
and the ability to have multiple media, e.g., text, sound and graphics.
(The project, if we start it, will be for a non-profit organization, with 
volunteers collecting the data and building information links. The
idea is to use CD-ROM to get out the information in one large, linked
source.)

At first glance, HyperCard with an Apple CD-ROM drive seems ideal for this,
with:
* An easy to use interface for the user
* An easy to generate interface for the developer 
* Great support for linking information to other wells of info
* Ability to include text, graphics and sound

Could anyone with experience with this type of application email me
some info on (I will summarize for the net if I get enough info):

1) With HyperCard, is a CD-ROM drive essentially a large floppy, or
will I have to write special software to access the drive?  It seems the
ideal solution would be to create a series of linked stacks on a
hard disk, and then simply copy the stacks to the CD, treating
the CD like a very large hard disk.
With the links built into the stacks in HyperCard, it seems that
treating the CD as a disk is the easiest way to go.  If special
software needs to be written, does anyone have pointers to where
I can find out what to do?

2) Are there any limitations to running Hypercard stacks on a CD?
Obviously the media is read-only, but are there other limitations
that may bite me?

3) What would be the best type of stack organization on a CD:
many smaller stacks, or a few very large ones?  For which is
HyperCard most efficient?

4) Is the CD-ROM mastering process much the same for the Apple
drive as for other CD-ROM drives, or do we have to find a special
Apple-compatible masterer? When I read about mastering costing only
$1,500 and reproduction only ~$2 per disk, it looks like the age of
CD-ROM is here. (Now, if only they would make the drives cheaper.)
What are the real costs to be expected for mastering, packaging, etc.?

5) What are some common pitfalls others have encountered when creating
similiar applications? Any experiences to share?


I would appreciate any information net readers have, and any
pointers to printed info that I can look up.  I would like to know
if our organization would be getting in over its head before
we get in over our heads.
 
Please email all responses to me at
     bungia!pai!erc
or   sun!tundra!pai!erc

I will summarize for the net if others would like this information.

Thank you in advance for your efforts,
Eric

-- 
Eric F. Johnson          | Phone +1 612-894-0313             | Are we
Prime Automation,Inc     | UUCP: bungia!pai!erc              | having
12201 Wood Lake Drive    | UUCP: sun!tundra!pai!erc          | fun
Burnsville, MN 55337 USA | BIX:  erc                         | yet?