Article 13613 (40 more) in alt.cd-rom: Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom,comp.multimedia Path: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!doug.cae.wisc.edu!tojek From: tojek@cae.wisc.edu (Joseph P. Tojek) Subject: CD-ROM Review: Compton's Jazz A Multimedia History Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering Date: 27 Aug 93 14:46:35 CDT Message-ID: <1993Aug27.144643.3095@doug.cae.wisc.edu> Lines: 149 Xref: agate alt.cd-rom:13613 comp.multimedia:9240 CD-ROM Interface Review Title Jazz: A Multimedia History Description A complete chronology of jazz music and its masters from 1923-1991. Review Date Aug 26, 1993 Reviewer Joe Tojek, Narrative Interface Analyst Review System 486/33, 8 Meg RAM, Windows 3.1, Media Vision PAS 16 bit audio, Tosh 3401B CD-ROM to PAS16 SCSI, 1 Meg ET4000 SVGA Contact tojek@cae.wisc.edu, (608)233-1098 Publisher Compton's NewMedia, Ebook, Inc. Distributor Best Buy Cost $74.00 US Overview Jazz: A Multimedia History although well written was poorly adapted to CD-ROM. The interface design enforces the linearity of print with a lack of hypertext links and narrative alternatives to follow. Choose between reading long unbroken blocks of text or scrolling through lists of media elements by type. Because it is so much like a book why not just buy the book (Jazz: From its Origins to the Present, Prentice- Hall) and some of the recordings from the era for a more enjoyable experience. Interface Concept(s) The interface concept implemented is that of the information super browser. The user must proceed in search of information using typical GUI interface widgets such as buttons, scroll bars and search dialogs. Capabilities Implemented using the Microsoft Windows 3.1 multimedia viewer, Jazz creates its own hierarchical ordering of information based on media type. The main menu shows three main choices, text, music, or pictures in addition to the search, history, back and index functions of the viewer. When viewing the text there is a vertical scroll bar for navigation. Icons are used in the margin space to signify an available, related media element and are activated by a single click. The music and picture choices (still photos or video clips) resolve to scrollable lists of media elements sorted by artist name, song title, date or manuscript order. Once selected, control of the media clips varies by type. Video clips play until through when selected and they may be stopped by clicking outside of the video window. The also have a horizontal scrolling drag button for moving forward or backwards in the clip. Audio plays when selected and may be stopped at any time by clicking. It does not have any controls for moving within the segment. Pictures are signified by their thumbnails and display in their own window when activated. Some also display a magnifying glass icon that zooms into the picture once when selected. Narrative Sequence Two introduction screens are encountered after launching the disc before the user is presented with the main menu which offers the choices, text, pictures, music or information. If one selects, "Text", the user is presented with a list of chapters and appendices to choose from. The text of each chapter appears as long single column blocks of justified text with a margin to the left for icons signifying the availability of additional media elements. The text provides the only narrative structure of the disc and chapters must be read linearly to proceed through the story. The only hard links available are to the related media elements whose icons appear in the left margin. When choosing the "Music" or "Pictures" option, (In pictures one must choose between photographs or video segments) the user must then choose to sort by artist name, song title, date or manuscript order. The user is then presented with a scrollable list of media elements that may be browsed or activated. Because the elements are very specific there is no context for their perusal. Media Integration I rate the media integration of this disc as very poor. A hierarchical structure of media elements based on type is more closely related to the origins of database software than to modern dynamic media such as television and film. This structure enforces a single linear narrative more akin to a book than to the medium of CD-ROM. Description of Content Elements Text The text is laid out in continuous justified blocks in a ten point Roman font. Screen reading is made difficult because of the uniformity of the text appearance. The user must move through the text with a scroll bar on the right side which doesn't do a good job of tracking the last line visible and revealing the next line to be read so there is much time spent looking for the next spot to begin reading after you click below the drag bar. The text has no hard links at all (except to related media elements) enforcing the linearity of the author's narrative. Sound The sound is fairly disappointing on this disk. Most clips of solos and such are done in midi and are presented out of context of the arrangements. This gives a sterile feel to them. It would be nice to choose to hear just the solo or the solo with an arrangement. There is no background music to keep you going while you read page after page of unbroken text. An auto-pilot audio history of jazz might be nice, or controls to pick, order and play specified clips. Pictures The pictures are good quality stills with captions. Digital Video The six VFW clips are 160x120 pixels in size with good audio quality but choppy playback (6-8 fps). The video window pops up without a border of any type making it hard to see among the other screen elements. Conclusion Although well conceived, this book does not make the leap to multimedia. I recommend buying the print version and spending the change on some jazz recordings. A singular enforced narrative and an over reliance on poorly implemented index style (scrolling indices is slow and painful) combine to make this disk a study in how not to do digital media.