COM 205 Multimedia Applications St. Joseph’s College Fall 2004 9/12/2019

Multimedia Hardware Mac vs. PC Chapter 9 Multimedia Hardware Mac vs. PC

Overview Macintosh versus Windows platform. Networking Macintosh and Windows computers. Connections. Memory. Storage devices. Input and output devices. Communication devices.

Which Platform Mac or PC? Select platform based on Personal preference Budget constraints Project delivery requirements Type and content of project materials Availability to target audience

Mac versus Windows The Macintosh platform: Was launched by Apple in 1984. Has a good built-in audio and high-quality graphics capability. Includes hardware and software for digitizing and editing video and producing DVD discs. Makes multimedia project development easier and smoother.

Mac versus Windows The Windows platform: Is a collection of different vendor-neutral components that are tied together by the requirements of the Windows operating system. Initially focused on business computing and was not suitable for multimedia. However, it is now easier to find multimedia hardware and software for Windows as compared to the Macintosh.

MAC vs. PC Macintosh PC Since 1984 has been multimedia Good built-in audio Easy to learn GUI PC Intended for business System beeps and tiny, tinny speaker DOS screen- command driven Since late 1980’s provides multimedia capabilities

Macintosh Platform All Macs can play sound Latest include hardware for digitizing sound 8/16/24 bit graphics available Can digitize both sound and video Requires a mouse

Macintosh Platform Power Mac 1994 (RISC) – reduced instruction set computing ( IBM/Motorola) 1997 G3 series – clock speeds > 233MHz Higher performance than existing Pentium based windows machines 2003 G4 series – clock speeds > GHz Dual processor Performance 20 times better than G3

Windows Multimedia PCs MPC Standard- manufacturers guarantee that software written to the MPC standard (labeled MPC compliant) will play on their machines. Three levels of minimum requirements: MPC1, MPC2, MPC3

Windows Multimedia PCs 1990- Level 1 ( MPC1) 16 MHz, 386SX, 2MB RAM, 30 MB drive CD-ROM, VGA video ( 16 colors) 8 bit audio board, speakers/headphones MS Windows with Multimedia Extensions package Not powerful enough to develop Multimedia Hardly powerful enough to play it

Windows Multimedia PCs 1993- Level 2 ( MPC2) 25 MHz, 486SX, 4MB RAM, 160 MB drive 2xCD-ROM, VGA/SVGA video 16 bit audio board, speakers/headphones, microphone

Windows Multimedia PCs 1995- Level 3 (MPC3) 75 MHz, Pentium, 8 MB RAM, 540 MB drive 4xCD- ROM, MPG support MPEG1 video playback Full motion video ( in small window) with TV quality CD quality sound

Networking LANs- local area networks Located within short distances ( such as a campus, or building) Allow sharing of resources such as printers Ethernet for cross-platform development WANs- wide area networks Used for long distances More expensive to install and maintain ISPs like AOL, MSN make it available and affordable

Networking Mac and Windows Networking is essential for direct communication and sharing of resources across platforms. Local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and Internet connections provide connectivity and networking capabilities.

Networking In a LAN, workstations are located within a short distance. They are relatively less expensive. In a WAN, communication systems span great distances and are typically set up and managed by large corporations. They are expensive to install and maintain. A dial-up connection to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) also enables communication.

Networking To establish communication between a Macintosh and Windows PC, install Ethernet system and client-server software. Ethernet is a method of wiring up computers. Client/server software is required for communication and transfer of files. Macintosh computers have built-in Ethernet networking, while Windows PCs require an additional Ethernet card.

Networking Client/server software enables computers to communicate through an ISP PCs Need ethernet cards Usually run TCP/IP Need MACLAN to communicate with MAC MACs Have ethernet built in Usually run Appletalk Need DAVE to communicate with PC

Connections SCSI ( “scuzzy”) – Small Computer System Interface – lets you add peripherals ( up to 8) IDE- connect internal devices USB- universal serial bus- “plug and play” and “hot swappable” Firewire (IEEE 1394)- supports high bandwidth serial data transfer among multiple computers

Memory Sufficient memory must be allocated for storing and archiving files. Memory requirements of a multimedia project depend on the project's content and scope. The two types of memory are random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM).

Memory and Storage Devices RAM ROM Floppy and Hard Disks Zip, Jaz and Syquest Zip – 100MB Jaz – 1 GB Optical Storage CD, CD-R, etc.) DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) upto 1GB DVD-video DVD-ROM

Input Devices Keyboards Mice and Trackballs Touchscreens Magnetic Card Encoders and Readers Graphic Tablets Scanners Optical Code Recognition (OCR)Devices Infrared remotes Voice Recognition Systems Digital Cameras Lightpens

Output Hardware Audio Devices Amplifiers and Speakers Monitors Video Devices Projectors CRT – cathode ray tube LCD – liquid crystal display Printers Injet laser

Communication Devices Modems ( Hayes Compatible) v.90 ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network DSL-Digital Subscriber Line Cable Modems

Modems Modems modulate and de-modulate analog signals. They provide connectivity through standard phone lines. Modems can be internal or external. Modem speed is measured in baud, and the standard modem speed should be at least 56 Kbps.

ISDN ISDN stands for Integrated Services Digital Network. It is used for higher transmission speeds by telephone. They transfer data at the rate of 128 Kbps. ISDN lines are used for networking, Internet access, and audio-video conferencing. They are more expensive than the conventional analog lines.

Cable Modems They provide Internet access at speeds 100 to 1,000 times faster than a telephone modem, over the same cable network that supplies the television signal. However, due to noise in the system, sending rates may be much slower than receiving rates.

Summary Macintosh and Windows are the two most common hardware platforms used in multimedia. LANs, WANs, Ethernet, and client-server software facilitate communication and connectivity among computers. Storage devices include floppy disks, hard disks, Zip drives, Jaz drives, MO drives, DVDs, and CD-ROMs.

Summary Input devices include keyboards, mice, trackballs, touchscreens, graphic tablets, scanners, OCR devices, infrared remotes, voice recognition software, and digital cameras. Output devices include audio devices, speakers, amplifiers, monitors, video devices, projectors, and printers. Communication devices include modems, ISDN lines, and cable modems.