CROSS-PLATFORM

The ability of a software package or an electronic "book" to run in more than one operating system such as Icon Author and TIE crossings between Windows, Unix, and DOS operating systems. Rosenthal (1995) compares hypermedia authoring software having cross-platform capabilities. Some will only play back on cross-platforms but cannot be used to author in the platform of choice. Apple Media Kit and ScriptX authoring will run in DOS, Mac, Unix, and other operating systems, but neither option can be used for authoring in DOS or Windows. Insight into Multimedia and TIE can be used to playback in UNIX but authoring can only be undertaken in Windows. Hardware that crosses platforms in emulation (such as playing back Windows software in emulation on a Mac computer) frequently does not work well with complex authoring systems such as CBT ToolBook or Quest options that only perform well in Windows. Often very expensive options are priced for cross-platform capabilities that are limited in terms of authoring features present in software that will not cross platforms. GainMomentum authoring package from Sybase crosses platforms between UNIX, Windows, and Windows 2000. However, in spite of its very high price this package does not contain many of the wonderful authoring features found in Windows-only CBT ToolBook that is less than 10% of the cost of GainMomentum. Only a small proportion (less than 20%) of the hypermedia authoring options have cross-platform capabilities, but it is becoming a priority of many vendors to upgrade their products with cross-platform capabilities. Beware that some products like Apple Media Kit, Icon Author, TIE, Macromedia Authorware, Macromedia Director, Cast, Course Builder, Insight Into Multimedia, Oracle Media Objects, PowerMedia, Test, GainMomentum, and ScriptX may claim cross-platform capabilities, but it is not possible, for example, to translate complex hypermedia animations and high resolution graphics from a Mac to a Windows operating system and vice versa. See CGM for computer graphics metafiles that cross platforms between PC and Mac computers. Adobe Acrobat software is designed for cross-platform applications of many types of files, but it has limited or no ability to cross multimedia platforms. More...