Updating plug-ins

[Leo Robert Klein]

We've settled on four plug-ins:
     Acrobat
     Quicktime
     Shockwave/Flash
     Real G2

This takes care of most of the (multimedia) material our users are likely
to encounter.  At least for Shockwave and Quicktime, you can enter into a
(free) distribution agreement where you need only download the plug-in once
and then install it much like any of the other software you have.

Choosing which plug-ins to include and how often to update is tough.  There
are plug-ins that will give you 3d and plug-ins which will give you 360
degree panoramas.  It boils down to what types of media are most
established/widespread--hence, the list above.  Quicktime is particularly
good because it handles oodles and oodles of various formats from tiffs to
mp3s.  Just having that one covers a lot of ground.

As far as updating is concerned, it's important to keep in mind that the
versions change every year-to-every year and a half.  Often the
improvements are quite dramatic.  At the very least, one version behind the
curve might work out--further back and you might only be able to access
older media.

LEO

On Tue, 5 Oct 1999, Barbara Brattin wrote:
>We'd like to add multimedia plug-ins to our Internet stations, but are 
>concerned about keeping up with the latest and the greatest. Some staff 
>feel if we give the public the basic plug-ins, we'll be constantly 
>bombarded with new requests for plug-ins that we have yet to download. The 
>plug-ins need to be downloaded on each individual machine, and our WinU 
>security makes this labor-intensive. How have the rest of you dealt with 
>this? Do you take a stand and provide only the top ten, or do you try to 
>have every one available? How do you streamline downloading so the process 
>is not so labor intensive? We are running an NT network, with Windows 95 on 
>the desktop and  WinU security/ menuing software on public stations. 
>Thanks!



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Leo Robert Klein                     17 Lexington Ave, Box H0520
Web Coordinator &                    New York, NY. 10010
Digital Resources Developer          tel: (212) 802-2373
Newman Library/Baruch College        fax: (212) 802-2360
http://newman.baruch.cuny.edu        email: Leo_Klein at baruch.cuny.edu
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