COM 205
Multimedia Applications
St. Joseph’s College
Fall 2004
7/24/2016
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 highquality 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
• Since 1984 has
been multimedia
• Good built-in
audio
• Easy to learn GUI
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PC
Intended for
business
System beeps and
tiny, tinny speaker
DOS screencommand 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 crossplatform 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
• MACs
• Have ethernet built • Need ethernet
cards
in
• Usually run TCP/IP
• Usually run
Appletalk
• Need DAVE to
• Need MACLAN to
communicate with
communicate with
PC
MAC
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
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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
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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
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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.