Compares Frame Relay with digital and analog alternatives for connecting sites on a Wide Area Network. Cost considerations, the concepts on which the technology is based, its carrying capacity, the use of CD-ROM and Graphical User Interface (GUI) on Frame Relay, and engineering bandwidth limitations are covered. (KRN)

Discusses advances in CD-ROM technology. Topics addressed include high performance drives; decreases in prices; CD-ROM marketing, including upgrade kits; and how to keep up with current CD-ROM products and technology, including professional journals and electronic sources. (LRW)

Discusses changes in the publishing industry resulting from digital electronic networks and optical storage technologies, and explains attributes of information products as types of value for both print and electronic contexts. Electronic products necessary for a shift from paper to electronic formats are identified, and legal issues are…

This issue of "The Electronic School" features a special forum on computer networking. Articles specifically focus on network operating systems, cabling requirements, and network architecture. Tom Wall argues that virtual reality is not yet ready for classroom use. B.J. Novitsky profiles two high schools experimenting with CD-ROM…

This paper examines the co-existence of online and CD-ROM technologies in terms of their existing pricing structures, marketing strategies, functionality, and future roles. "Fixed Price Unlimited Usage" (FPUU) pricing and flat-rate pricing are discussed as viable alternatives to current pricing practices. In addition, it is argued that the…

This special section explains the latest developments in networking technologies, profiles school districts benefiting from successful implementations, and reviews new products for building networks. Highlights include ATM (asynchronous transfer mode), cable modems, networking switches, Internet screening software, file servers, network management…

An overview of the development of CD-ROMs is presented. Aspects covered include changes in coverage, the use of CD-ROMs in libraries and information units, changes in search interfaces and growth in end-user searching, changes in CD-ROM publishers, and hardware and networking developments. (Author)

The technology behind digital multimedia is explained, and some of its specific uses and advantages are outlined. Multimedia is a catch-all term for various technologies. As the reputation for instructional effectiveness of multimedia has grown, the demand for a digital form of multimedia has increased, particularly as the limitations of analog…

Summaries of presentations made at the Technology at the Library of Congress conference held in May 1986 describe new technologies that the library is applying to its programs and services, including advances in bibliographic control; automated acquisitions systems; computer-to-computer communications; linking of national bibliographic utilities;…

In 5 years, the schools and community of Carrollton, Georgia, created a school systemwide network of 1,400 computers and 70 CD-ROMs connected by a fiber wide-area network to other city institutions and the Internet with grants from local, state, and national industry. After incorporating the new technologies into the curriculum, the dropout rate…

Reports on a survey of 70 research libraries in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Results show that libraries are rapidly acquiring automated processing systems, CD-ROM databases, and connections to computer networks. Discusses specific data on system implementation and network services by country and by type of…

Discusses the so-called third industrial revolution, or the information revolution. Topics addressed include the progression of the revolution in the U.S. economy, in Europe, and in Third World countries; the empowering technologies, including digital switches, optical fiber, semiconductors, CD-ROM, networks, and combining technologies; and future…

Examines developments in multimedia technologies and in the World Wide Web. Discusses CD-recordable, CD-rewritable, cable modems, personal digital assistants, digital video discs, interactivity and virtual worlds, advertising on the Web, and Intranets and CD-ROM networks. Eight tables and figures show costs, download time, estimated sales, storage…

Discussion of the process of integrating new technologies into schools considers the evolution of technology, including personal computers, CD-ROMs, hypermedia, and networking/communications; the transition from Industrial-Age to Information-Age schools; and the logical steps of transition. Sidebars discuss a networked multimedia pilot project and…

Discussion of choosing database access to satisfy users and budgetary constraints highlights a method to make educated estimates of simultaneous usage levels. Topics include pricing; advances in networks and CD-ROM technology; and two networking scenarios, one in an academic library and one in a corporate research facility. (LRW)