Health CD and More CDROM info

[William Russell Smith <rssmith@TENET.EDU>]

> I am a high school librarian trying to use older equipment.  I would like
> to purchase a Health CD program (or a program to put on hard drive) for a
> 286 PC. The new CD "Mayo Clinic" would be great, BUT it requires a 386
> PC.  Any assistance with titles and ordering information is greatly
> appreciated.

     You might try _Home Medical Advisor Pro_ from Tiger Software
(1-800-888-4437). It sells for $59.90 on CD-ROM for DOS or Windows and I
believe it will run on a 286. Call them to confirm though. This disk has
medical advice for frequently asked questions illustrated with over 100
full-motion videos and 1200 photographs and illustrations. There are seven
basic files: Symptoms; Diseases; Injuries; Poisons; Drugs; Tests; Health;
and Diet.

     The program is also available as a regular non-CD-ROM DOS or Windows
program ($39.90 and $49.90).

Russell Smith
rssmith@tenet.edu
Educational Technologist

PS  I just called Tiger while I was finishing this and the salesman
couldn't verify whether it was the older format (non-multimedia). Typical
excellent technical support! *:-)

     However, he did say it has a 30 day return policy so you might give it
a shot. (I'm pretty sure it will run on a 286 based on what I read in
the catalog). At the worst you could return it and get the hard drive
software if you like it and have the space on your machine (no full-motion
video though).

BTW   Why keep buying software for machines that are quickly becoming fossils?
You can buy a 486 motherboard with CPU for about $150 now (also figure
$200 to add 4 MB of Ram with SIMMS sticks). You might consider that option,
but watch out and make sure the dimensions of the new motherboard will fit
in your machine. Some machines (like NEC) have proprietary boards and clones
won't fit in the case.

You also need faster CD-ROM hardware and sound cards to run the new
standard of CD-ROM software. Here is an explanation of the two new
standards for PCs (many newer disks are also dual platform and will run
on Macs and PCs):

MPC: This acronym stands for Multimedia PC and like its newer brother
MPC2 runs in Windows only.

Minimum Requirements for MPC:

 1. DOS 3.1 or above and Windows (3.1 suggested)
 2. 2 MB RAM (4 is better)
 3. 30 MB or larger hard drive
 4. 16 Mhz 386SX CPU or better
 5. Single-speed CD-ROM player with minimum of 150 KB/sec
    sustained
    transfer rate, maximum average seek time of 1000 ms
 6. Monitor
    must be color with minimum of 16-color 640 by 480 resolution
 7. 8-bit digital sound card
 8. mouse or other pointing device
 9. MIDI I/O port
10. external audio speakers or headphones; microphone also
    recommended)

For MPC2 you will need all the things listed above for MPC with these
exceptions:

1. 4 MB RAM (8 is better)
2. 25 Mhz 486 CPU or better
3. 160 MB hard drive or bigger
4. A double-speed CD-ROM player with 300 KB/sec sustained transfer
rate, maximum seek time 400 milliseconds, CD-ROM XA ready, and multisession
capable. 64 KB RAM buffer is suggested for both MPC and MPC2.
5. 16-bit
digital sound card (XA audio capability for CD-ROM is suggested)
6. Video must be a minimum of 640 by 480 with 65,536 colors (with a delivery
of 1.2 megapixels/sec given 40% of CPU bandwidth).

Also here is an explanation of the most confusing specifications you will
encounter in buying a CD-ROM:


1. Average access time: This determines the amount of time it takes to
locate information you request on the CD-ROM disk and retrieve it. Lower
numbers are faster, with 500 millisecond being equivalent to half a second.

2. Transfer rate: This means how fast the disk spins in the player or
how fast the data is transferred. Average speed for a double-speed player
is about 300 KB/sec. Higher values are better.

3. Buffer size: A buffer stores information in anticipation of being asked
for it later, then transfers it much quicker when you ask for that data.
The bigger the buffer the better. A 64 KB buffer stores 64,000 characters
and delivers it instantly when needed.

4. Interface cards: Proprietary interface cards are actual physical
hardware devices that you plug into slots on the motherboard inside
your computer. These are necessary for running the CD-ROM of that brand.
However, plug and play models will soon be hitting the market and these
CD-ROM players will not use a card internally, instead connecting directly
to the motherboard. Look for prices of the older technology with cards to
fall drastically in the next six months.

5. SCSI interface: SCSI (pronounced skuh zee) is an acronym for Small
Computer System Interface, and it is more versatile than proprietary
cards. It is an interface not only for CD-ROMs, but also for other
peripheral devices (hard drives, tape drives, etc..). It connects to the
microprocessor directly (like the new plug and play models do) and is
faster than a proprietary interface card. If your hard drive is larger
than 540 MB (lucky you!) you must use the SCSI interface for CD-ROM.

Other things to watch out for:


1. Are all cables included with the purchase price?

2. Is it an external or internal drive?

3. Will it work with the sound card I have?

4. Is it multi-session and PhotoCD compatible?

Don't feel bad if you're confused by all this mumbojumbo jargon. You're
not alone. The standards have changed and are still changing. But if you
know more about the details the less likely you will buy something
that is unsuitable for your needs.

Good Luck!  The rewards of CD-ROM technology are worth it!