Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!shadooby!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!decwrl!shlump.nac.dec.com!mfgmem.dec.com From: erickson@mfgmem.dec.com (John Erickson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: RE: Educomputing 2000 (20235) Message-ID: <7153@shlump.nac.dec.com> Date: 30 Dec 89 15:40:26 GMT Sender: newsdaemon@shlump.nac.dec.com Organization: Advanced Memory Test Development Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 120 The following text was posted on Digital's internal NOTES conference: <<< LNKUGL::DUA1:[NOTES$LIBRARY]APPLE_COMPUTERS.NOTE;2 >>> -< Apple Computer Discussions >- ================================================================================ Note 939.2 Educomputing 2000 2 of 2 LEDS3::ACCIARDI 109 lines 29-DEC-1989 23:04 -< the future is multimedia... are you prepared? >- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think that most of the premises in .0 are on target, but I disagree with a few... The buzzword of the nineties is 'multimedia', which implies the seamless integration of text/graphics/sound into interactive or non-interactive 'slideshows' or tutorials. In order for a platform to be a successful multimedia machine, I believe a few lowest common denominators are needed... * A unified file format for graphics and sound * NTSC (television) compatibility, ie; any video source can provide the background screen right on your computer display. Video producers look for buzzwords like 'chroma-key', genlock, overscan... * Good fast hardware with the ability to display at least 8 bit (256) and preferably 12 bit (4096) or more colors in NTSC resolutions * Powerful software that makes the creation of scripts painless The educational possibilities for multimedia platforms are bounded only by your imagination. With the availability of CD Rom readers with almost infinite storage capacity, educators could assemble courseware that covers almost all of mankind's accumulated knowledge. Currently, the Macintosh II and the Amiga are the platforms of choice. In a recent Newsweek article, Apple got most of the press, but the Amiga was acknowledged as the pioneer and leader in the (currently tiny) field. Each has advantages and disadvantages over the other... The Mac has in it's favor an open video architecture, good compatability with the entire Motorola 68*** CPU line, a very well developed user interface, and a killer marketing department. It also has some excellent software (Macromind Director, VideoWorksII, etc). NTSC compatibility can be added at reasonable cost, and most CD library titles are available in Mac format. The disadvantages to the Mac are it's relative high cost, which would strain the budgets of most school systems. The Amiga has in it's favor built-in NTSC compatibility, and meets full NTSC severe overscan requirements with lots of colors (768 x 480 w/4096 colors). It's custom display hardware makes for very smooth animation (up to 100 frames per second). The entire system is designed around integer multiples of the NTSC colorburst frequency of 3.57 MHz, which makes it easy to add low-cost genlocks. Total system costs will almost always be far less than a comparable Mac II system. Compatability with the full line of Moto CPUs is near perfect (the Amiga was developed after the 68020 was announced, so it's OS has always been 32-bit clean). The use of consistent file formats exceeds religious fanaticism. Software support is outstanding, with killer programs like The Director, InVision, and Deluxe Video. The disadvantages are the total lack of credibility of Commodore as a reliable hardware vendor. This reputation, while unfair today, (CBM is completely run by ex-Apple heavyweights) was earned during Jack Trameil's tenure at CBM, and will be difficult or impossible to dispel. The Amiga has a much cruder GUI than the Mac (although it's promised to be fixed during 1990) making it considerably more difficult to learn. Once mastered, it can actually be much more powerful than a Mac, given it's true multitasking design. The Amiga is doing well in verticle niche markets, such as cable TV and weather graphics, but penetration of the educational market has been negligable. The Amiga doesn't even get an asterisk or 'other' in the pie charts. As far as I know, no CD rom libraries have been ported to Amiga format, even though the machine uses Mac compatible SCSI peripherals. At the university level, where budgets are bigger, Amiga labs have been established at major colleges like Ohio State and U of Lowell. So, where does this leave the Apple II, specifically the GS? I have no doubt that the Apple II (in some form) will be alive and well into the nineties, but the current hardware falls short on many counts. The display cannot handle enough colors at high resolution to provide photographic realism, and the animation capabilities are severely limited by the lack of graphics co-processors and a pokey CPU. There is no interlaced composite video output. (Is it available from a third party?) There is no software (in 16 bit mode) that can compare with the offerings for the Mac and Amiga. Unless Apple significantly improves the GS hardware, it will be (or already is) left faaaar behind by the 68*** based systems. My brother-in-law and sister both work at Apple HQ in Cupertino, and are heavily involved in the explosive multimedia area. All their efforts are Macintosh oriented, which should say something about Apple's direction. What about the MS-DOS systems? The Clones are penetrating the educational system pretty successfully, but mostly in 8088/CGA incarnations. These boxes also fall short in my list of requirements for a good multimedia platform. By the time you get into a powerhouse 386/VGA system, your up into the $4k-$5k price range. Again, the Mac and Amiga leave these entry level Clones far behind in performance. Ed (Acciardi) Disclaimer: The opinions and ideas expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of this poster or Digital Equipment Corporation. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* * John Erickson * erickson@mfgmem.dec.com * * Advanced Test Development * ...!decwrl!mfgmem.dec.com!erickson * * Digital Equipment Corp. * erickson%mfgmem.dec@decwrl.dec.com * *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*