Multimedia computing - the combination of audio, video, text and graphics - is bringing about a fundamental change in the communication of information. This book provides a concise introduction to multimedia computing, illustrating a full spectrum of applications and the tools used to produce them. It reviews both the human and technical elements involved in multimedia technology and points to the major issues that will determine its development over the next five years. This book also presents actual examples relating how to deal with critical issues of design and production. Features *Provides an overview of multimedia, covering hot topics such as information design, systems of representation, advances in multimedia technology. *Surveys multimedia applications developed at MIT Project Athena, the world's most intensive research and development project in multimedia computing. *Examples cover a diversity of applications. *Addresses the major technical issues involved in producing multimedia systems, including timing, synchronization, and document architecture. 020152029XB04062001