This document discusses and compares the Macintosh and Windows platforms for multimedia hardware. It outlines key factors to consider when selecting a platform such as personal preference, budget, and project requirements. It then describes characteristics of the Mac and Windows platforms, including their origins and multimedia capabilities. It also covers topics like networking Macs and PCs, connections, memory, and storage devices.

1. Unit - 1
Multimedia Hardware
Mac vs. PC

2. Overview
 Macintosh versus Windows platform.
 Networking Macintosh and Windows
computers.
 Connections.
 Memory.
 Storage devices.
 Input and output devices.
 Communication devices.
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3. 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
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4. 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.
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5. 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.
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6. MAC vs. PC
 Macintosh PC
 Since 1984 has  Intended for business
been multimedia  System beeps and
 Good built-in audio tiny, tinny speaker
 Easy to learn GUI  DOS screen-
command driven
 Since late 1980’s
provides multimedia
capabilities
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7. 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
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8. 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
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9. 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
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10. 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
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11. 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
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12. 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
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13. Networking
 LANs- local area networks
 WANs- wide area
 Located within short networks
distances ( such as a
 Used for long
campus, or building)
distances
 Allow sharing of resources
 More expensive to
such as printers
install and maintain
 Ethernet for cross-
 ISPs like AOL, MSN
platform development
make it available and
affordable
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14. 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.
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15. 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.
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16. 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.
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17. Networking
Client/server software enables computers to
communicate through an ISP
 MACs  PCs
 Have ethernet built  Need ethernet cards
in  Usually run TCP/IP
 Usually run
Appletalk  Need MACLAN to
 Need DAVE to communicate with
communicate with MAC
PC
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18. Connections
 SCSI ( “scuzzy”) – Small Computer
System Interface – lets you add
peripherals ( up to 8)
 ID 0 – internal hard disk
 Id 7 – computer
 Ultra SCSI – 32 devices
 In built in MAC – Mac can read PC formatted
devices
 Can be installed in PC – PC can not read Mac
formatted devices
 SCSI I data transfer rate – 5 MB per sec
 SCSI 2 – Fast SCSI – 10 MB per sec , Wide
SCSI – 16 bit width – Fast/Wide SCSI – 20 MB
per se
1/9/2013  SCSI 3 – 32 devices – 40 MB per sec

19. Connections
 IDE-Integrated Drive Electronics- connect
internal devices
 PC support 2 IDE – Each IDE supports two devices
 Circuit less expensive
 Only 9GB drive capacity , Only one drive to be
active , Requires main processor time , Failure in
one results in disabling both.
 Plain IDE data transfer rate– 2.5 MB per se
 EIDE (Enhanced) – 16.6 MB per se
 Ultra IDE – 33 MB per se
 USB- universal serial bus- “plug and play”
 Firewire (IEEE 1394)- supports high bandwidth
serial data transfer among multiple computers
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20. Connections
 Media Control Interface (MCI)
 Unified command driven method for software
to communicate with the peripheral devices
 In windows any hardware device can be
connected with MCI
 Drivers from the manufacturer
 Device type – animation, videodisc, vcr,
scanner etc
 Scripting languages – VB, Icon Author etc
 Simple commands – open , close, pause,
record, resume etc
 System.ini file (multimedia devices and
drivers)
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21. 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).
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22. Memory and Storage Devices
 RAM - How much – Based on software –
Photoshop 16 MB min , 20 MB recommended
 ROM – EPROM – OROM (128 MB) – BIOS
 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
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23. 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
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24. Output Hardware
 Audio Devices
 Amplifiers and Speakers
 Monitors
 Video Devices
 Projectors
 CRT – cathode ray tube
 LCD – liquid crystal display
 Printers
 Injet
 laser
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25. Communication Devices
 Modems ( Hayes Compatible) v.90
 ISDN – Integrated Services Digital
Network
 DSL-Digital Subscriber Line
 Cable Modems
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26. 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.
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27. 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.
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28. 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.
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29. 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.
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30. 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.
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