Hardware and Software for Multimedia Development

1 Hardware and Softwarefor MultimediaDevelopmentObjectivesAt the end of the section, you will be able to Outline the Hardware requirements for multimediadevelopment;List various Software for developing Multimedia ; andChoose suitable Software for developing Multimedia . Computers are now making it possible to combine sound, images and motiontogether. In earlier sections, you have read about definitions of multimediaas propounded by experts. You can now describe the use of Multimedia ineducational settings. In this section, we introduce you to the inside story ofmultimedia about the Hardware and the Software which enable you to get the endproduct called. Understanding these concepts is very important as it isonly the Hardware (the computer), the Software (tools for designing Multimedia ) andyourself (your conceptual understanding and skills) which will be crucial formultimedia Development .

2 In this section, we will confine ourselves to the MicrosoftWindows platform only. There are other platforms also like Apple Macintosh, SiliconGraphics, Sun Microsystems and even mainframes. Since Windows-basedsystems (or Windows operating systems) have a worldwide presence, availabilityand affordability, it becomes an automatic choice for our purpose. In this section youwill learn about the Hardware and the Software . In fact the Software tells thehardware as to what to do. This section also highlights the Software that enablesdevelopment of Multimedia . You will also learn about some of the ways to choosethe best combination of Hardware and Software to suit your the program that is responsible to manage all the otherprograms in a computer, once it is loaded into the computer.

3 The other programs arecalledprograms. The operating system determines the distribution oftime and order for multiple application programs running simultaneously. It alsomanages the sharing of memory among multiple applications. It communicates withthe attached Hardware devices about the condition of operations and any errors thatmay have occurred. Linux and Windows 2000 are examples of operating systemswhile MS-Word is an example of an application this section we discuss various terminologies used in computer operations andusage to emphasize their importance in Multimedia Development .' Multimedia 'The developments in the field of Hardware and Software for Multimedia are such thatit is practically impossible to be current in print.

4 The description in this section is onlyinformative (and does not necessarily claim to be exhaustive) for enabling you tofamiliarize with the concepts and capabilities of some of the Software used indeveloping systemapplications3 Hardware required for MultimediaTo begin your quest with a Multimedia project you must have a decent computer. Adecent computer means you should have adequate Hardware . Hardware interpretsyour commands into computer activity. As of now, if you are asked to develop amultimedia project, you would ask for a fast computer with lot of speed and are many more things that you need to know like which component makes acomputer fast, what is the device for storage, etc.

5 The components are thus dividedinto five categories are the devices that are the essential components for a computer. Theseinclude microprocessor, motherboard and memory. Microprocessor is basically theheart of the computer. Ais a computer processor on a smallmicrochip. When you turn your computer on, it is the microprocessor, whichperforms some operations. The microprocessor gets the first instruction from the(BIOS), which is a part of its memory. BIOS actuallyloads the operating system into random access memory (RAM). Ais adevice in the computer that contains the computer's basic circuitry and othercomponents. Motherboard contains computer components like microprocessor,memory, basic input/output system (BIOS), expansion slots and interconnectingcircuitry.

6 You can add additional components to a motherboard through itsexpansion (random access memory), also called primary memory, locates the operatingsystem, application programs, and data in current use so that the computer'sprocessor reaches them quickly. RAM is called "random access" because anystorage location can be accessed randomly or directly. RAM is much faster than thehard disk; the floppy disk and the CD-ROM. RAM can be taken as short-termmemory and the hard disk as the long-term memory of a computer. However, RAMmight get slow when used to its limit. That is why, you need more memory to work onmultimedia. Today's personal computers come with 128 or moreof devices, Memory and storage devices, Inputdevices, Output devices, and Communication Input/Output SystemmotherboardmegabytesSystem devicesMemory and Storage devices40 GB Hard MB Floppy Disk10 Users of graphic applications usually need 128 plus megabytes of and provides access to large amounts of data on an electromagnetically charged surface.

7 Today's computers typically come with a hard diskthat contains several billion bytes (gigabytes) of storage. The popular ones currentlyare 40 GB and above. Hard disk contains a part calledwhich isresponsible for improving the time it takes to read from or write to a hard disk. Thedisk cache holds data that has recently been read. The other type of Hardware cacheinside your computer is cache memory. Cache stores something temporarily Internet files are saved in (CD) is a small medium that can store data pertaining to audio, video,text, and other information in digital form. Initially, CDs were read-only, but newertechnology allows users to record as well.(Compact Disc, read-only-memory) can store computer data in the form of text, graphics and sound.

8 To recorddata into a CD, you need a. Normally this type of CD is either(CD-R) or(CD-RW). For the latter you can use the CDas a floppy disk write, erase and again write data into the same disk. In the CD-R,once the data recording is completed, it becomes a CD-ROM and nothing can the primary text input device for your computer. It was very popularwhen DOS was the popular operating system. After the emergence of Windows, itsrole became limited to dealing with text and for some commands only. The keyboardcontains certain standard function keys, such as theandA mouse is also a primary input devicebut it is not suitable for dealing with a small device that you move across a pad in order to point to a place on adisplay screen and thus execute a command by clicking it.

9 The mouse is an integralpart of any personal computer. A cable connects the mouse to the another input device that can interpret dictation and also enable us toinput sound like the keyboard is used for and stores photographic images in digital form that can befed to a computer as the impressions are recorded or stored in the camera for laterhard diskdisk cachecompact discCD-ROMCD recorderCD-RecordableCD-Rewritablekeyboa rdescape key, tab, cursormovement keys, and shiftcontrol cameraInput devices11loading into a computer. The digital cameras are available for still as well as a device, which on receiving the signal from computer transfers theinformation to paper. Earlier theprinter was a popular low-cost personalcomputer printer; nowprinters have taken its place.

10 Dot-matrix printer strikesthe paper a line at a time while inkjet sprays ink and laser printer uses a laser beam toattract ink (also called). Ais a device for display. It is just like atelevision set and is measured diagonally from two opposing corners of the picturetube. The standard monitor size is 14 inches. Very large monitors can measure 21inches diagonal or an electronic device that increases the power of a signal. Amplifiersare used in audio equipments. They are also called. Speakers withbuilt-in amplifiers have become an integral part of the computers today and areimportant for any Multimedia out from a computer or other digital devicetofor a telephone line and demodulates the analog signal to convert itto a digital signal to be inputted in a computer.