Multimedia computer

A multimedia computer is a computer that is optimized for high multimedia performance. Early home computers lacked the power and storage necessary for true multimedia.

The Basic Elements of Multimedia

• Text

• Graphic

• Animation

• Video

• Audio

TEXT 

Text are characters that are used to create words, sentences, and paragraphs.

Graphics 

A digital representation of non-text information, such as a drawing, chart, or photograph.

Animation 

Animation is Flipping through a series of still images. It is a series of graphics that create an illusion of motion.

Video

Video means the photographic images that are played back at speeds of 15 to 30 frames a second and the provide the appearance of full motion.

Audio 

Audio means music, speech, or any other sound.

Categorization

Two types of Multimedia presentation

• Linear Presentation

• Non-linear Interactive

 

Linear active content progresses often without any navigational control for the viewer such as a cinema presentation.

Non-linear uses interactivity to control progress as with a video game or self-paced computer based training. Hypermedia is an example of non-linear content.

Usage

Multimedia finds its application in various areas including, but not limited to:

• Advertisements

• Art

• Education

• Entertainment

• Engineering

• Medicine

• Mathematics

• Business

• Scientific research

Advantages of using Multimedia

• It is very user-friendly. It doesn’t take much energy out of the user, in the sense that you can sit and watch the presentation, you can read the text and hear the audio. 

• It is multi sensorial. It uses a lot of the user’s senses while making use of multimedia, for example hearing, seeing and talking.It is integrated and interactive. All the different mediums are integrated through the digitisation process. Interactivity is heightened by the possibility of easy feedback.

• It is flexible. Being digital, this media can easily be changed to fit different situations and audiences.

• It can be used for a wide variety of audiences, ranging from one person to a whole group.

Disadvantages of using Multimedia

• Information overload. Because it is so easy to use, it can contain too much information at once.

• It takes time to compile. Even though it is flexible, it takes time to put the original draft together.

• It can be expensive. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, multimedia makes use of a wide range of resources, which can cost you a large amount of money.

• Too much makes it unpractical. Large files like video and audio has an effect of the time it takes for your presentation to load. Adding too much can mean that you have to use a larger computer to store the files.