johnny@edvvie.at (Johann Schweigl/104857600) (08/24/90)
We have to integrate formatted data, pictures, eventually video and audio information into a single, integrated user interface like Mac's hypercard. Just it has to run on OS/2, not a Mac ... Any software available yet? Ideally, it should handle IBM's audio and video capture adapters, suck its data off a CD drive (IBM, of course), database manager or from a comms link to a IMS or DB2 host and should therefore be extensible by C or any other language that allows the use of OS/2 DLL's. Not to mention the touch screen. Ouch. No, it does not have to be Athena on OS/2, I would be happy if at least some basic functionality of a hypertext system would be ready and usable. If there is any pointer to an existing software package, please respond by email, I'l summarize to the net. Thanks in advance -- This does not reflect the | Johann Schweigl | DOS? opinions of my employer. | johnny@edvvie.at | Kind of complicated I am busy enough by talking | | bootstrap loader ... about my own ... | EDVG Vienna |
hamilton@vms.macc.wisc.edu (Doug Hamilton) (08/30/90)
In article <244@eliza.edvvie.at>, johnny@edvvie.at (Johann Schweigl) writes: >We have to integrate formatted data, pictures, eventually video and audio >information into a single, integrated user interface like Mac's hypercard. >Just it has to run on OS/2, not a Mac ... > >Any software available yet? Ideally, it should handle IBM's audio and >video capture adapters, suck its data off a CD drive (IBM, of course), >database manager or from a comms link to a IMS or DB2 host and should therefore >be extensible by C or any other language that allows the use of OS/2 DLL's. >Not to mention the touch screen. Ouch. One idea is to look at the Plus+ products from Spinnaker (in the US--I think they were originally developed in Germany). The advantage there is interoperability between Macintosh, DOS, and OS/2. Plus is a superset of HyperCard (similar to SuperCard). Once a HyperCard stack is converted to Plus (or a stack is created in any version of Plus), it is supposed to run on any of the three platforms. I have a friend who is developing in the DOS beta, and he reports that the conversion from hypercard was excellent. The Macintosh version has been out for awhile. The DOS version should ship any time now ( but that's what they said in January). I don't know when the OS/2 version is due, but trade papers reported demonstrations as far back as last Fall Comdex. I'm not saying this is a wonderful product, I just don't know. But it might be worth a look. If the rumors are true and OS/2 2.0 will be able to run windows apps without alteration, your choices should expand greatly around next January. Maybe you should be looking at some of the Windows 3.0 apps like ToolBook and the new release of Guide (looks pretty spiffy). Forget any past bad experiences you might have had with Windows. 3.0 is great on a 386 with enough RAM. (In other words, the basic entry level system in about 9 months). BTW, I posted this reply to the HyperText newsgroup instead of replying directly by Email because this is a rather low-traffic group and I thought this might arouse some comment or discussion. Good luck. d. ...........hamilton@VMS.MACC.WISC.EDU or hamilton@WISCMACC ............Douglas Hamilton, Instructional Technology Support ............Academic Computing Center, University of Wisconsin ....................1210 West Dayton, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 ..............................(608) 262-5667 or (608) 262-0626