HIT-> CD-ROM networks

[Marilyn McMahon <mmcmahon@CIS.EDU.HK>]

LM_NETTERS,

At last I have an opportunity to post the promised Hit with most of
the staff and students away for the Christmas holidays!

I posed the following questions on CD-ROM networks on Dec. 4: Does
anyone have a CD-ROM network that is Windows based? Is anyone
transferring Multimedia over their CD-ROM network? And if so, what
is the performance like and how many workstations are transferring
Multimedia simultaneously?

I had 21 replies including replies to an earlier question on CD-ROM
towers posed by Jackie Porter of Norman Junior High, Arkansas.
Jackie very kindly also sent me the results of some research from
the Archive.

The following views were expressed: "A Windows based CD-ROM network
slows everything down too much", "Multimedia will often have more
problems than text-based only databases depending on the individual
program", "Multimedia encyclopedias slow the network down & they
should be put on the hard drive to correct this", "if everyone is
logged on to Windows at the same time, the network slows down",
"anything more than text-based doesn't work too well with networks"
& even "Multimedia won't work over a network"!

Apparently there are very few libraries that have a Windows based
network running multimedia without problems at this time. However a
couple of people say that they are intending to upgrade to Meridian,
which is a Windows based network software, in the New Year. I would
be very interested to hear how this goes.

I'm very grateful for the tremendous response I have received from
LM_NET & as many others have said before, my colleagues here are
very impressed with this remarkable tool for research,

All the best for Christmas & the New Year!
Marilyn McMahon,
Head Librarian,
Chinese International School, Hong Kong
email: mmcmahon@cis.edu.hk