The world on a silver platter: bring new power and flexibility to your business with multimedia - includes related articles on available multimedia products and definitions and specifications of multimedia hardware - Special Multimedia Section

Home Office Computing, June, 1993 by Philip Bishop

The scene is the home-based studio of Rock 'Em Graphics. Emily Pitweiler, the proprietor, reaches to the left of her computer and in one hand lifts up the entire Adobe type library, 7,000 pieces of clip art, every United States mailing address known to the U.S. Postal Service, and the names and phone numbers of 200,000 U.S. businesses. Pitweiler does not possess unusually large biceps. Rather, she is wired for multimedia: All of these items reside on CD-ROMs, which are the computer equivalent of audio CDs.

Pitweiler is fashioning an announcement for Rock 'Em Graphics that will include a promotional videotape she made using her computer and VCR. She copies the Stone family of fonts from the Adobe disc for use in her flier. On the clip-art disc she quickly finds an attractive border. She searches the disc of U.S. businesses and incorporates some into her mailing list. Finally, she runs her list against the USPS database to make sure her mailing qualifies for discounts given to Post Office customers who presort their bulk mail. Her work done, Pitweiler unwinds by watching digital movies of U.S. vacation spots. Maybe this year she'll check out Lake Tahoe.

In this scenario we have left out one important element-when all this is taking place. The time, you may be surprised to learn, is now.

The tools Emily Pitweiler uses in her work all come under the heading of "multimedia." Media are ways of communicating. In the computer world this includes text and numbers, graphics, sound, and animation and video. By bringing together two or more of these methods, multimedia is created.

With a relatively modest investment of time and money, it is well within your power, for example, to follow in Pitweiler's footsteps and produce a promotional videotape for your home-based business. Once you have created one, who knows, you may want to create tapes for others.

Then again, perhaps you won't want to produce videotapes for anyone else--or even for yourself. That's okay. To enjoy the benefits of multimedia, you don't have to produce anything at all. As you read on, we'll show you how to become a savvy and satisfied consumer of multimedia.

Whether you become a consumer or producer, multimedia offers many benefits to you and your business--with an investment of time and equipment it could even become your business.

To become a multimedia consumer is easy; it just takes money and little or no setup time. All you need, aside from your computer is a CD-ROM drive, an audio board (which is built in if you have a Macintosh), speakers (optional for the Macintosh), and the necessary software--either QuickTime for the Macintosh or Video for Windows (these are only required if you are planning to view ani-PC, designated by the MPC logo, everything but the software is included. QuickTime is included with all Macintoshes that have a built-in CD-ROM drive.

The investment is not all that much when you consider the benefits, for example, that the massive databases on CD-ROM can impart to your home-based business. And the growing number of quality entertainment titles doesn't hurt either--you deserve a break as much as any other worker.

To do production work, you will need additional hardware and software. To create a promotional videotape , you will need a video adapter board, a Hi-8 or S-VHS VCR, and presentation software. A color scanner, although not essential, is hard to do without.

Although the rewards of multimedia production can be considerable, it will take a solid investment of time, energy, and money to master the necessary skills. If you decide to take the plunge, take it slowly. Talk to those who are making a living with this new technology (you can meet many of them in CompuServe's Multimedia Forum [GO MULTIMEDIA]).

Refer to the table on the next page for explanations of the equipment and software necessary to enter the world of multimedia. Beside each explanation is any PC-or Macintosh-specific information that you should know. For further guidance, look below at the listings of hardware and software companies, books, and magazines.

Below is a listing of multimedia products that we recommend--all provide good quality and value. Call these companies for more detailed information, or talk to people in the multimedia business and get their advice about what will work best for you.

[P] = PC, [M] = Macintosh
MPCs AND MULTIMEDIA MACs
Tandy Sensation [P], $2,199
Tandy Corp., (817) 390-3011
Dell ValueStation [P], $1,999
Dell Computer Corp., (800) 289-3355
Compaq ProLinea CDS, $1,699
Compaq Computer Corp., (800) 345-1518
IBM PS/2 Ultimedia, $3,635-$4,825
IBM, (800) 426-2468
Performa 600CD/IIvx [M]
$2,39953,219
Apple Computer, (800) 776-2333
PC MULTIMEDIA UPGRADE KITS
Multimedia Upgrade Kit [P], $800
-$900, Creative' Labs, (800) 998-1000
Multimedia PC Upgrade Kit [P], $699
-$1,495, Media Vision, (800) 845-5870
CD-ROM DRIVES
MultiSpin series [P,M], $500-$745
NEC Technologies, (708) 860-9500
Mirror CD-ROM [M], $679
Mirror Technologies, (800) 654-5294
AUDIO BOARDS
MultiSound [P], $599
Turtle Beach Systems, (717) 843-6916
Audiomedia II [M], $1,295
Digidesign, (800) 333-2137
SPEAKERS
Video Roommates [P,M], $329
Bose Corp., (800) 444-2673
Persona Speakers [P,M], $230
Persona Technologies Inc., (415) 871-6000
VIDEO ADAPTER BOARDS
HyperConvertor [P], $1,195
PC Video Conversion Corp.
(408) 279-2442
Mediator [M], $2,395
VideoLogic Inc, (617) 494-0530
VCRs
Hi-8: Sony Vdeck [P,M], $1,495
Sony Corp. of America, (800) 352-7669
S-VHS: Panasonic AG-1970 [P,M]
$1,650, Panasonic Broadcast & Television
Systems Co., (800) 524-0864
COLOR FLATBED SCANNERS
HP Scan Jet IXc Scanner
$1,756 [P]/$1,599 [M]
Hewlett-Packard Co., (800) 752-0900
Mirror 600 Plus Color Scanner [M], $999
Mirror Technologies, (800) 654-5294
VIDEO FOR WINDOWS/QUICKTIME
Video for Windows 1.0 [P], $199
Microsoft, (800) 426-9400
QuickTime [M], $139, available through
Apple dealers
PRESENTATION SOFTWARE
PowerPoint 3.0 [P,M], $495
Microsoft, (800) 426-9400
Persuasion 2.1 [P,M], $495
Aldus Corp., (206) 622-5500
Compel [P], $295 ($99 until July 10)
Asyrnetrix, (800) 448-6543
AUDIO EDITING SOFTWARE
MasterTracks
$395 [P]/$495 [M]
Passport Designs, (800) 443-3210
SoundEdit Pro [M], $295
Macromedia, (800) 288-4797
BOOKS/PERIODICALS
The Desktop Multimedia Bible
by Jeff Burger, $32.95, 1992, Addison
-Wesley Publishing Co., (800) 358-4566
Multimedia: Making It Work
by Tay Vaughan, $27.95, 1993, Osborne
McGraw-Hill, (800) 227-0900
Multimedia CD Review, $30/charter
subscription/1 year, (401) 789-1483