> From: "Barry Boepple" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> Greetings,
>
> Currently I use ToolBook 6.5 for CBT development. There is a general sense
> of discontent among many ToolBook users related to it's web capabilities and
> the direction Asymetrix (Click2Learn) is taking. Our list serve has a lot of
> activity on it and recently a thread about Metacard appeared. I think there
> are a few other ToolBookers monitoring your list now to see what all of you
> have to say about Metacard.
>
I, too, use ToolBook -- and because I have to, not because I want to.
Toolbook is clumsy in its handling of graphics.
> I am interested in learning more about Metacard's Internet capabilities.
> What kind of real world experience all of you are having with it? There is
> so much hype these days regarding many products capabilities, but often in a
> real world setting, things are not as peachy as the hype would have it be.
I deal with large numbers of graphics. When you link to a graphic, like a
gif or jpg file in Toolbook, Toolbook converts the graphic to a bitmap and
physically stores the bitmap in the book. This has the effect of severely
inflating file sizes. I have lost work several times due to file corruption.
MetaCard sees a link as a link. There is no physical storage of the graphic
in the stack unless you "import" the graphic. Importing is largely
unnecessary.
While I do not know of a MetaCard Stack that serves to output HTML, no doubt
one could be written fairly easily.
>
> Would any of you be willing to elaborate on web based projects as far as the
> pros and cons of Metacard for such projects? I am interested in knowing such
> things as:
>
> -Does your scripting language get converted to Java or some other native
> language that will run in current browsers?
I doubt this, although some intrepid individual might try making a
JavaScript/xTalk converter. But Java runs really slow, and the Java output
that Toolbook provides is, well, junk. It hogs processor time.
>
> -Is the Metacard company responsive to your concerns and requests?
>
Without a doubt, MetaCard and its associated individuals are the most
responsive people I have ever met. They are really *good*.
> -How stable is Metacard in the development mode?
>
VERY!!! (yes, I *am* shouting! I couldn't ask for better!)
> -Does it have a large overhead for CD distribution?
>
> -Is converting from PC to Mac, UNIX etc...reliable and easy?
I work in both environments. Conversion is very easy -- usually no more than
just making sure your fonts work right.
>
> I hope this is not an inappropriate request, but who better to ask than the
> people actually using the product in the field.
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Barry Boepple
> SUMMETRIC Interactive Software, Inc.
>
> http://www.summetric.com
Cheers!
Raymond E. Griffith
