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What
is multimedia? What does multimedia mean
to me? What ever happened to CD-ROMs?
Dec
19, 1999
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Q:
I have to write a short report for a consortium of
investors summarizing the main aspects of
multimedia and the key commercial factors
involved.
If
you could help me I would be most
grateful.
CH.
A:
That's a big topic and I don't really know where to
begin. As a multimedia developer I would say that
the three key commercial factors for multimedia
are: Internet, Internet, Internet. A few years ago
the multimedia industry, which primarily
revolved(!) around CD-ROM content, existed on it's
own. But then the Internet came along, and
multimedia, particularly CD-ROM based stuff, became
much less important than the ability to put content
on the Internet. Unfortunately, the Internet adds a
whole set of new limitations and problems to
multimedia development.
I
don't know that this answers your question, but it
pretty much sums up what I think happened to the
industry.
Q:
I am a student doing a research project in my
Introduction to Visual Literacy class on the future
of CD-ROM technology. I believe that you would have
some insight on the past, present, and future
trends of CD-ROMs and I was wondering if you or one
of your staff writers would answer a few questions
for me in order to gather data.
- Why
CD-ROMs were popular in the past?
- What
their main functions were then?
- Has
there been a noticeable drop off in CD-ROM
manufacture and sale? If
- so,
why?
- Are
there any specific reasons for this drop
off?
- Will
the CD-ROM multimedia tool be used as much in
the future and why?
- What
do you think will be the main replacer of CD-ROM
materials, if any, and why?
- Will
something like the World Wide Web be an adequate
supplier of multimedia services to the public,
by way of replacing CD-ROM software, or will it
remain popular?
KC.
A:
Since my staff writers seem to have taken an
extended lunch hour I'll take a crack at
it.
CD
based multimedia was popular because the CD held a
lot of information and were reasonably inexpensive
to mass produce. Unfortunately, just at the point
where every computer came with a fast CD-ROM drive,
and the industry seemed secure, the World Wide Web
came along and diverted everyone's attention.
CD-ROMs still have advantages over the web both
because of the stability of authoring tools and the
amount of data they can hold, but the Web is
inevitable and CDs (and DVDs) can now act only in a
supporting role to the Web and in niche
applications. Theoretically, eventually the web
will be so fast that CDs will be
irrelevant.
Personally,
I don't care about the distribution medium, I care
about what you can do with the tools and the
medium. Unfortunately, the web is still limited by
the large numbers of people not using cable
modems!
Q:
I am a student who is doing a course in Systems and
Control. For my assignment I must ask experts what
the words 'multi-media' means to them. To help me
with my course could you please email me what you
think you the words mean or what a multi-media
package should include.
RC.
A:
I can't define it; but I know it when I see
it.
Macromedia
Director is a great multimedia authoring tool; if I
were going to use any tool it would have to offer
at least the same set of features.
Good
luck.
[When
I received this letter I had to wonder about the
instructor teaching this class. Did he/she really
charge their students with the task of asking
"experts" what the word 'multimedia' means to them?
What was the expected result? Who were these
experts willing to wax eloquent on the meaning of a
word?]
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