Learning Technology immediate needs (1-6 months)

** for the Mac version of this document

IV. Courseware development

Authoring tools

For professional quality multimedia programs, Macromedia's Director is one of the most popular tools of choice.
academic price ~$300/per license in 10 packs ($3000).
$ 800 street price.

It is also bundled in Director Multimedia Studio bundled suite, $ 1,500 (non-academic street price).

For Physics' CUPLE project courseware, Asymmetric Multimedia Toolbook 3.0a will be needed, academic ~$300. Computer Based Training (CBT) version, list price ~$ 1,000.

3D modeling

Usage: 2D illustrations, even 2D animations are still within the level that is achievable in printed media. The greatest addition of computer presentation comes from the ability to show 3D objects.

Autodesk's 3D Studio Release 4c2, ~$350 academic price, is the prefered choice for DOS world. The next version, release 5 will require Windows NT.

Strata Inc.'s Strata Studio Pro 1.75 for Macintosh, $1000 list/~400 academic is the afforable choice for Mac platform.

Input device - Tablet

Usage: Mouse is designed as an pointing device. For more extensive work on drawing, illustration, and photo editing, tablet will be required. It also easier for beginners to be confortable with drawing using computer and tablet. This can prevent the sometimes frustrating experience associated with drawing using mouse.

Wacom ArtZ II serial tablet, $350 (both Mac and Windows version available)
with Painter 4.0, paint program, $600 (both Mac and Windows version available)

Training/references, most with CD-ROM

> $ 500

II. Multimedia presentation development :

1. Presentation software

For simple presentation, since Microsoft Office 4.2/Office 95 is bundled with every machine, Microsoft PowerPoint 4.0/7.0 is included.


Multimedia presentation development
Category PC solution :
2. Scanner
HP ScanJet 4c, $1,000
bundled with Caere's OmniPage Limited OCR software and
Corel Photo-Paint 5
3. OCR software limited edition bundled with scanner, upgrade to full version
Caere OmniPage Professional OCR, ~$200 upgrade

4. Image processing software basic package bundled with scanner, Corel Photo-Paint 5, ~$200. A full feature product
Adobe Photoshop 3.0.1 $250 academic price
5. Color Printer EPSON Stylus Color, $550 or

HP 660c, $550

6. Low cost digital camera:

Kodak Digital Camera DC40 (for both Windows and Mac), ~$900

or


Apple QuickTake 150 (both Windows and Mac compatible), ~$700

Accessories :

QuickTake Travel Case, QuickTake AC Adapter or Batter Booster Pack, QuickTake Connection Kit for Windows, $300.

7. 2D illustration software

Macromedia's Freehand 5.5 for Windows, $ 150 academic price.

or
CorelDraw 6 for Windows 95, $ 400.

8. Screen capture software

Windows : Lotus ScreenCam 2.0 for Windows, ~$100

III. Live video production :

1. Low cost camcorder


SONY Handycam series, CCD-TR400, ~$1200

Accessories :

Batteries SONY NP-80D, $100
Battey Recharger/Reconditioner, $ 300+
Carrying Case, $200
Lightweight video tripod with level indicator, fluid head, $300
120-min blank Hi-8 video tapes, $10 each
Head cleaning tape, $10
S-Video 15 ft. cable, $20
Gold video dubbing cable, 10 ft., $20
Additional lens, $ 300+

2. TV

NTSC TV set equipped with S-video A/V input ports

Possible choices :

SONY PVM-1390 450 lines $ 540
SONY PVM-1351Q 450 lines $ 820
SONY PVM-1354Q 600 lines resolution $ 1,000
SONY PVM-1954Q 600 lines resolution $ 1,700

3. Computer hardware requirement for digitizing video

Computer PC solution :
computer 133 MHz Pentium, Triton chipset
256K+ SRAM Cache
32 MB+ EDO RAM
6x SCSI CD-ROM
2 GB SCSI HD
2 MB DRAM video
SoundBlaster 16 with speaker
15" monitor
Keyboard, mouse
Micron P133PCI Millennia Plus
$ 5,000
RAM 32 MB total RAM min.
additional 16M RAM (total 48M) = $500
additional 32M RAM (total 64M) = ~$1100
CD-ROM
  • usually bundled 2x, 4x, or 6x CD-ROM drive
option
  • external 6x SCSI CD-ROM drive - NEC MultiSpin 6Xe, $600
Ethernet 10Base-T ethernet card
option:
Keyboard
  • usually bundled
option:
  • Microsoft Natural Keyboard, $100
Pointing device
  • usually bundled
option:
  • Microsoft Mouse 2.0A, $60

Mac solution PC solution :
Video display
  • built in support for 2 monitors at 16/24-bit color depth
option:
  • accelerator video cards:
    Radius Precision Color 24XK,24X, Thunder IV GX-1152 ($800, $1200, $2000)
  • DRAM video card usually bundled
option:
  • Diamond Stealth 64 4M VRAM PCI, $500
Monitor options:
  • 15" monitor usually bundled
option:
2nd monitor : Apple Multiple Scan 15, $500
requires PowerMac video connector, $50		 2 monitor option not available.
upgrade 15" bundled monitor to 21"

Video capture/editing equipment
Mac solution PC solution :
Video capture card Radius SpigotPro AV add-on for AV Mac (640x480 30fps), $1400

Mac AV build in video capture goes up to only 320x240 10fps

Intel SmartVideo Recorder Pro, $700
4. Video capture hard drive APS MS 4.0AV (Micropolis 3243AV mechanism), $1,650
Seagate Barracuda series, $1,650
5. Video editing software bundled in Director Multimedia Studio suite
if purchase separately, Adobe's Premiere 4.0.1, $ 250 academic price.

 bundled in Director Multimedia Studio suite
if purchase separately, Adobe Premiere 4.o for Windows, $250 academic.
SCSI controller built-in
  • usually bundled
option:

6. Laser disc player

Laser video disc has become least commonly used nowadays. However, there are still excellent courseware available that are in video disk format.
SONY MDP series - MDP800, ~$ 1,200

7. Audio

Digital audio production
Mac solution PC solution :
Sound built-in SB16 usually bundled
option:
Speakers needed to be magnetic shielded (in case they are placed close to the monitor and hard drive

options:
  • SONY SRS series - SRS88PC (~$200), SRS-D2KPC (~$150)
  • Yamaha YST-SS1010 (YST-M10+YST-MSW10) ~$200
 usually bundled
Microphone built-in
SONY FPC series - FPC30, ~30
Audio software Macromedia's SoundEdit 16, ~$400, $150 academic price.
bundled in Director Multimedia Studio suite		 SoundForge ~$400
bundled in Director Multimedia Studio suite

Mac solution PC solution :
8. Secondary storage Drive: APS 1.3GB MO, $1800 ($100/1GB cartridge), or

Iomega Jaz 1G cartridge drive
Low cost alternatives
  • Bernoulli 230M, $ 500. Cartridge cost $ 100 each.

  • 230M MO, $ 600. Cartridge cost $ 50 each.
  • SyQuest 270M, $ 600. Cartridge cost $ 80 each.
  • 100M ZIP drive, $ 200. Cartridge cost $ 20 each.
9. Backup, DAT drive APS 4G HypeDAT, $1000

or HP Jet Direct

UPS
APCC's Smart-UPS 600VA, or 900VA, or 1250VA ($370, $540, $680)
depends on computer's power requirement
10. Utilities: Disk defragmentation / repair Norton Utilities 8.0, ~$80 academic
Anti-virus Norton Anti-Virus, ~$100 academic
Back-up PC Tools for Windows 2.0, ~$100 academic
11. Printer
HP LaserJet 5MP, $1200

Cables

SCSI, audio, video cables, >$ 500

Supplies

backup DAT tapes, floppy/MO disks etc. >$ 500

I. Classroom presentation equipment :

LCD panel

e.g. 10.4 in. nView Z-series, $5000-7000
8.4in. models $3000-4000
Proxima Ovation+ 846 $6700

Accessories

nView Z series BackBright Light Stand $550 - to convert the LCD panel into a stand-alone video monitor (no need for an over-head projector) for viewing by small group of audience.

3500+ (better in the range of 4000-6000) lumens overhead projectors, $ ~500

Laser pointer $300

Remote mouse $200

| Table of Contents | Goals | Cost Summary | 1-6 mon. | 1-6 mon. price | 7-12 mon. | References |

Ching-Wan Yip, Department of Chemistry, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109-7486, U.S.A.
yipcw@wfu.edu
Copyright © 1995 Ching-Wan Yip