Lesson 1 - intro
Vector Graphics
Adobe Illustrator is a program primarily used to create what is often called "outline art." Examples of outline art are everywhere: think of a typical company logo, or a starburst shape in an advertisement, or a technical drawing, or the customized lettering on virtually any commercial product. It is...
A Social Phenomenon
Although I generally resent reading hype from journalists announcing that this-or-that has "finally arrived," I'm tempted to claim as much for the digital camera, after a couple of events this month convinced me that these devices are now far ahead of their film-and-processing-centric brethren in terms of serving...
Introduction
There are many reasons why DVD authoring is growing rapidly in popularity. Standalone "set top" DVD players are exploding in popularity, thanks to declining prices and an abundance of movies available in this high-quality format. And DVD recorders, too, are dropping in price, to the point where they are not much more than a...
We welcome your questions on hardware and computers. The following Q&A addresses the topic of hardware upgrades for PCs and Macs, including topics such as RAM, CPU and motherboard upgrades.
Buying or upgrading a computer is, of course, one of the most challenging aspects of computing in general. Is it powerful enough? Will it become obsolete...
Real-time effects options enhance Apple's "prosumer" video editor
Introduction
Final Cut Pro, as noted elsewhere on this site, is Apple's award-winning professional video editing, effects and compositing software for broadcasters, educators, web producers and professional videographers. It's a full-featured program designed -- and priced...
Server and Client
At the 1999 Worldwide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs, Apple's interim CEO, and Avie Tevanian, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, gave developers an overview of Apple's software "roadmap," including the first in-depth look at Mac OS X, Apple's next-generation operating system.
First out of the gate...
Aug. 14: Microsoft has issued an alert on its MSN Messenger site about a new virus known as the Choke worm that arrives as an EXE attachment during an IM chat session with an infected user.
Aug. 7: Microsoft has released a free tool that cleans up problems caused by the Code Red II worm. Find out more about the Code Red II Cleaner and...
Introduction
Even before their June 23rd announcement by Apple (following a widely reported leak the previous week!), it was well known that the next generation of Power Macintosh computers would be based on the PowerPC 970 chip. This IBM-developed chip, which Apple calls the G5, is much more powerful than the chips referred to as G3 and G4. In...
As we've noted in our earlier features on Alternative Graphical User Interface (GUI) options for Windows PCs, there are a number of products that can help Windows users customize the look and feel of their computer. However, with such customizations looms the threat of copyright infringement and the possibility of legal actions from intellectual...
Introduction
P2P, or peer-to-peer networks, are often used to share files with other users. Some people use them primarily as a way to find and download MP3 or movie files; others use them as a way of finding software programs, system updates or documents. In each of these areas, the potential for copyright infringement exists -- please be mindful...
The next generation of motherboards is upon us and, as usual, it’s the manufacturers, dealers and the early adopters who will be forced to uncover some of the glitches inevitably encountered when one is first on the block.
A good place to start is with mention of the reported incompatibility between the Pentium III and the Intel 810 chipset...
"Video post" effects can be applied to your scenes to enhance their visual appearance, as the before and after images to the right demonstrate. Max includes a number of Lens flare, Glow and brilliance effects that can be added to a scene -- even one you've already rendered. Indeed, video post production is akin to audio studio production...
Half of small and midsize enterprises will suffer Internet attack, says Gartner Group. Elsewhere, IDG News claims small and midsize enterprises need to watch their backs, as they are likely targets for Internet attacks, and many will fall victim between now and 2003.
Indeed, the Oct. 16, 2000 issue of sunbelt-software.com's W2Knews reports that...
How to install and configure Windows 98 (as tested on Original Release and Second Edition versions).
Setup
1. Preparing to run Windows 98 Setup
There are several ways to install Windows 98. Many brand-name computers have the setup "cab" files in a directory on the hard disk, typically in a subdirectory on the C:\ drive, e.g., C:\...
Emulate This!
Emulation software (and, in a few cases, supplemented with hardware) are available that can, with varying degrees of success, allow you to run programs designed for one type of computer on another. Here are a few of the ones we were able to track down recently.
For Windows PCs:
Palm Pilot emulation: homepages.tig.com.au/~sydney/...
Emulate This!
Emulation software (and, in a few cases, supplemented with hardware) are available that can, with varying degrees of success, allow you to run programs designed for one type of computer on another. Here are a few of the ones we were able to track down recently.
For Windows PCs:
Palm Pilot emulation: homepages.tig.com.au/~sydney/...
The next-generation browser from Microsoft is here. Should you switch?
Internet Explorer 4.0 (final)
Pros: Requires only 4400K of RAM for full installation. Innovative "tabbed" interface eases access to Favorites, Search, History and Channels features. IE4 can automatically import preferences and settings from Netscape. Supports both 040...
Introduction
Microsoft's next server platform is known as Windows Server 2003. It will be offered in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions, designed for x86 compatible and Itanium 2-class processors, respectively. (An AMD Opteron-compatible release will follow later, says the company). Windows Server 2003, formerly known as Windows .NET Server, has much...
New handheld units from Palm spinoff
Handspring, Inc. on Sept. 14th launched Visor, the first in a new family of expandable handheld computers. In a separate announcement, Handspring also introduced its Springboard platform, calling it "a breakthrough technology that brings ultimate simplicity to software and hardware expansion."...
Flat panel displays are coming down in price, and may reach parity with CRTs sometime in 2003, according to analysts. This section follows important developments in this emerging market. Look for frequent updates and product reviews as this market matures.
CRT or LCD
There are several good reasons to consider an LCD Flat Panel display (and a few...