CD-ROM-msg - 3/1/00

CD-ROMs of interest to SCA folks. Reviews of CD-ROMs.

NOTE: See also the files: videos-msg, publications-msg, info-sources-msg,
maps-msg, WS-bib.

************************************************************************
NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that
I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some
messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium.
These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with
seperate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes
extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were
removed to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I
make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the
individual authors.

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these
messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this
time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give
credit to the orignator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  HL Stefan li Rous
    mark.s.harris@motorola.com            stefan@florilegium.org
************************************************************************

From: aj@wg.icl.co.uk (Tony Jebson)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: The Anglo Saxons, for PC
Date: 31 Oct 1994 04:25:30 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway

DDuperault (dduperault@aol.com) wrote:
> 'Morning,
> Thought some of you folks would be interested...I saw this at my
> local CompuSupermarket the other night.

> _The Anglo Saxons_ "interactive multimedia", containing the text of
> Beowulf, reconstructed music, maps, illustrations, and images from the
> collection of the British Museum in London. Put out by Cambrix
> Publishing, RM Learning Resources, Oxford. Retail approx. $35 U.S.

Below is a review of the CD that was posted to the ANSAXNET earlier this
year:

============================== snip ============================================
From owner-ansax-l%WVNVM.WVNET.EDU@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU Mon Apr 18 14:37:14 1994
From: Brian Tatro <brian@TRANS2.B30.INGR.COM>
Subject: Re: Anglo-Saxon Cd-ROM

Here is a review I wrote. I am not affiliated with the  company I
purchased it from, just like the product.

Hi all,

Here are my impressions of the cdrom. Luck was with me as I received it
on Monday and it was a holiday! I started with the cdrom at about 10 am
and finished 2 in the morning. That should give you an idea of the disk.

The product runs under windows and features sound, 256-color graphics
and hyper-linked text. The program starts of with a gregorian chant
while the main screen is displayed. From here, you can either explore
various aspects of the Sutton Hoo excavation or go headlong in the
Anglo-Saxon world. Of course, I had to start with the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicles, which are under the grouping of Anglo-Saxon writing. The
chronicles have on the top part of the screen a time line with major
events listed, such as the time of Edward, the Vikings, Normans, etc.
By clicking on the time (900, for example) that part of the chronicles
is diplayed. In the chronicles, various words are surrounded by a box,
such as names and titles. These words are either a hypertext-link to
another area, such as a bio on a king or an explanation of a anglo-saxon
word. I must admit that I did not venture very far into the Beowulf
section, but it probably is very good.

Back to the main screen, the other sections are, as far as I remember,
Kings and the Kingdom, church and monastaries, How to make a book,
Fabulous objects, Fantastic animals, and another, which I can not
remember.

These areas are again very well done. In the section of kings, in the
bio area of each king, they have a picture of a coin made during the
reign of each king. The fantastic animal section showed the relationship
of the fantastic animals in their religious importance (pagan to
christian), where they were displayed (objects, manuscripts, etc) and
again with wonderful images. Very often, one can take a closer look at
the images. What I was impressed with was that most explanations could
be called up via a sound file instead of having to read the info text,
which is very good for lazy people such as me.

The feature I enjoyed most was the ability to highlight text and it can
be copied to a notepad file for inclusion into other documents.


In short, I can't wait to get back home and work, or should I say play?,
with the program. As for use, maybe it is not for Professors, but I
would highly recommend it for at least a introductory class on
Anglo-Saxon history and culture.

I purchased the program for $ 39.00 US and $ $4.00 US  3-day UPS
shipping. Mailing address can be sent if requested.


I hope this review helps people find out some information about the
product. As the film reviewrs would say, I give it two thumbs up and
five stars.

Brian
============================== snip ============================================

I haven't got it myself (I don't have a PC---who needs one, I've got a
very nice SPARCstation 5 with 128M of RAM and 500M swap: boast, boast ;) ;),
but it sounds pretty good to me!

--- Tony Jebson


From: DDuperault@aol.com (11/2/94)
To: markh@sphinx
Mail*Link¨ SMTP               RE>The Anglo Saxons, for PC

Greetings,
         I was out last night and double checked. There WAS an address
printed on the box after all. Cambrix Publishing, 6269 Variel Ave Suite B,
Woodland Hills, CA 91367. (818) 992-8484.
         The product is a CD ROM for the IBM PC and compatibles, and runs
under Windows.

                                        Avwye


From: Rick Gaigneur <rgaigneu@unb.ca>
Newsgroups: alt.sewing,rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: costume patterns
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 10:52:44 -0400
Organization: University of New Brunswick

On Wed, 15 Feb 1995, Mark Harris wrote:
> Is this CD-ROM something you just use at work or school? Or is it
> available at reasonable(?) price for home systems? I've never seen
> it advertised, but it could be quite useful...

I use Global Books in Print at work (I work at the Bookstore at the 
University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, NB, Canada).  I'm not sure 
how much it costs these days, but I expect the price is pretty hefty.  
Basically, it's a CD-ROM which lists every book currently in print in the 
US, England, Australia, and New Zealand, with all of the information 
needed to order it (ISBN number, publisher, distributers in various 
countries, etc.).  It also has a directory listing the addresses, phone 
numbers, etc. of most every book publisher and distributer. And it's 
updated once or twice every month.  If you want to check on the price, 
the publisher is:
Bowker/Reed Reference Electronic Publishing
121 Chanlon Road, New Providence, NJ, 07974-1154
E-Mail: techsupport@bowker.com
Compuserve:  GO BOWKER

On the other hand, if anybody out there wants to know if a book is still 
in print, or needs a publishers address, drop me an e-mail.  It only 
takes a minute or two for me to find out... and certainly don't mind 
doing it, especially not for other SCA folk...

>AETHERIC LINDEBERENDE<               >Rick Gaigneur<
>Shire of Lyndhaven, East Kingdom<    rgaigneu@unb.ca


From: priest@vaxsar.vassar.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: knitting/commentary wanted
Date: 19 Apr 95 07:24:10 +1000
Organization: Vassar College

Greeting from Thora Sharptooth!

Avenel (kellogg@ucssun1.sdsu.edu) wrote:

> In purusing _The World of the Vikings_ cd rom yesterday, several garments are
> shown trimed with material that the notes say is knitted.  As this seems to
> be a very scholarly work (put out jointly by the York Archeaological trust
> and the National Museum of Denmark),  this may be a good source.  The text
> seems capable of differentiating between card-woven, woven, and knitted
> material.  

I haven't bought my copy yet. ;>  Can you describe the trimming?  Or name the
garments?  Maybe I can make a guess.  There are a few nalebinding pieces extant
from the Viking Age; I wonder if this is what is meant.

When I received the mailing from Europe about this CD, I checked out the
lengthy list of resources used.  I noticed that there were almost no names of
textile specialists included, nor the outfits most logically suited to an
undertaking of this magnitude (the textile unit at YAT, for example).  (I have
decided to buy the CD despite this glaring omission.)  It would be useful to
know who has done the descriptions of the textiles.

***************************************************************************
Carolyn Priest-Dorman			Thora Sharptooth
Poughkeepsie, NY			Frosted Hills ("where's that?")
priest@vassar.edu			East Kingdom
            Gules, three square weaver's tablets in bend Or
***************************************************************************


From: celtic@sover.net (Stuart Joseph)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Req: Viking info
Date: 16 May 1995 18:17:49 GMT
Organization: Celtic Cultures

In article <3ov11o$ocd@giga.bga.com>, rferrell@bga.com says...
>
>In article <Pine.BSI.3.91.950505154211.1419A-100000@pentagon.io.com>, 
>wjohnson@io.com says...
>>
>>I come helmet (non-horned) in hand seeking sources for info on the 
>viking 
>>settlements in Scotland/Ireland.
>>
>>Any sugestions or leads would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>>wrj
>
>        Try [Cultural Atlas of the Viking World], James Graham-Campbell, 
>ed.,Facts On File, 1994, or the venerable [A History of the Vikings], by 
>Gwyn Jones (Oxford University Press, 1968).  There are countless other 
>sources, but these will give you a good foundation.
>
>Cynric of Bedwyn, OL
>
Or check out our new acquisition, "The World of the Viking" CD-ROM< Mac or 
Windows.
E-mail for more information.
Stuidhart
Celtic Cultures


From: celtic@sover.net (Stuart Joseph)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Viking CD-ROM
Date: 12 Jun 1995 14:57:36 GMT
Organization: Celtic Cultures

In article <3r123q$2psk@usenetp1.news.prodigy.com>, LYZJ80A@prodigy.com says...
>
>Can anyone tell me how to obtain a copy of the Viking CD-ROM?
We have the distribution rights for the US and Canada.
Price is $99.95 plus $10 shipping and handling.
Available in Windows or Mac.

We do accept Visa/ Mastercard.
Stuidhart
Celtic Cultures
celtic@sover.net


From: corun@access4.digex.net (Corun MacAnndra)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Anglo Saxon CD-ROM
Date: 6 Apr 1996 08:54:28 -0500
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA

In article <4k3a93$mv5@dfw-ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>,
Steven Currie <StCurrie@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
>There was a CD ROM on the Anglo Saxons available in an MEI/Micro
>Center Catalog.  They have sold out.  I would like to purchase this if
>anyone knows where one might be available.

The CD you are looking for was put out by the British Museum. You can write
to the following American distributor for more information;

	Cambrix Publishing
	6269 Variel Ave. Suite B
	Woodland Hills, CA 91367
	818-992-8484

Or, the British manufacturer at:

	Research Machines plc
	New Mill House
	183 Milton Park
	Abingdon, Oxford
	OX14 4SE
	England

This CDROM is truly wonderful. I ran across it one time I was in San
Francisco and visiting the Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts.
It's got some lovely sound tracks, from Gregorian chant to lectures
and even some spoken examples of the Anglo-Saxon language. It is
highly recommended for anyone interested in Anglo-Saxon culture and
history. Very good for children too.

In service,
Corun
===============================================================================
   Corun MacAnndra   | 
 Dark Horde by birth | 		   Gort, Klaatu mirabile dictu
   Moritu by choice  | 			   from The Day The Earth Spoke Latin


Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 12:49:28 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm@ncsu.edu>
To: sca-arts@raven.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: Butter churn viking

Melanie Wilson wrote:
> >I just happened across a photo of a Viking Age dasher from a butter churn
> >on the World of the Vikings CD-ROM,

> Sounds pretty much like the medieval ones and the same as the ones seen up
> to 19th C, unfortunatly the pic didn't come out except as letters etc
>
> Mel

There is a problem with the Quick Time of this particular CD Rom and
to use it requires a fix disc from PastForward Ltd.. Could be that
is what happened. Found out the hard way when Celtic Cultures sold
me one and wouldn't respond when there was a problem with it. After
two weeks we finally tracked it down to Past Forward and got the
fix over the net.

Magnus


From: Paul Halsall <phalsall@unf.edu>
To: byzans-l@lists.missouri.edu <byzans-l@lists.missouri.edu>;
mediev-l@ukans.edu <mediev-l@ukans.edu>
Date: Monday, November 08, 1999 5:04 PM
Subject: Chilander on CD

Chilander is a monastery on Mount Athos which in 1198 was refounded by
St. Sava as a the Serbian monastery on Athos.

At the Byzantine Studies Conference this past weekend Dr. Taylor
Hostetter [hilandercd@hotmail.com] presented one of the most fascinating
CD-Roms I have ever seen.

Called, _In the Heart of Hilander_ ($32) it is a complete three
dimensional presentation of the monastery church of the foundation. The
work presents a complete photographic record of the inside and outside
of the Church (think of a sort of Byzantine version of Myst or Doom), in
which every image of the Church is viewable, many in different sizes
(although the pictures are not scalable.) Moving the cursor over each
image calls up the identity of the figure in question, feast days of the
figure, and a great deal of additional information.

The work allows much more than this. It also allows sectional views,
views of the monastery church at different periods of its construction,
examination of the use of space, and an ability to see the frescos
without the current monastic furniture (iconstands and so forth.)

Other modules allow you to play Serbian church music in the background,
to explore the architectural forms of a Byzantine church, to trace the
history of Mt Athos, and even to follow Bible stories through the
paintings. There are even a series of inbuilt databases on the images
which users can access.

In all the disk claims to contain nearly 5000 images on over 3000 pages,
with the ability to see every one of the 950 wall paintings individually
and in context.

In other words, this is a stunning achievement -- a CD which does things
that no book can do, and in a depth that will satisfy almost anyone. The
promise that it might be a model for further presentations of
architectural monuments is only icing on the cake.

Supposedly a website on the project will be set up soon -- with the URL
http://www.digitalbyzantium.com

or

http://digitalbyzantium.com

In the meantime, I really would encourage any one who wants to enthuse
students about Byzantium, the medieval Balkans, or the middle ages in
general, to get hold of the disk. Students I have been showing it to in
my office all day long have left with their eyes popping.

Paul Halsall


Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 14:16:51 -0500
From: rmhowe <magnusm@ncsu.edu>
Organization: Windmaster's Hill, Atlantia, and the GDH
To: "- Stephan's Florilegium" <stefan@texas.net>

I was noticing that you had Celtic Cultures listed as a source for 
the World of the Vikings CD in the Florilegium.

This CD in the Windows form I bought it from Celtic Cultures requires
a QuikTime fix from PastForward attached to the Jorvik Viking Center
in York, England. You can obtain it from Past Forward directly over
the net.

I strongly discourage anyone from doing business with Celtic Cultures.
At the time I bought the CD he did not inform me of the problem with
it. He'd been selling it for a long time at that point.

He didn't reply to our emails and was apparently monitoring his phone
answering machine which he did not respond to either. After spending
quite some time (14 days actually) we came to the conclusion that there
was a problem with the CD and not the new computer. The person helping
us figure out what was wrong also wrote him and got no replies. He was
a debugger for IBM's mainframe computers for 17 years at that time. 

A merchant friend of mine confirmed that Celtic Cultures admittedly 
does monitor the phone and only picks up on profitable calls, not 
problems. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone I liked. Nor would I 
ever do business with them again. I would hate to see any other 
SCAdians go through that.

Buy it direct from:
Jorvik Viking Centre, Coppergate, York, YO1 9WT, England. United
Kingdom. 
Tel: +44 (0) 1904 643211. Fax: +44 (0) 1904 627097. 
E-Mail: jorvik@jvcyork.demon.co.uk
http://www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/

or the originators:

http://www.pastforward.co.uk/vikings/index.html
http://www.pastforward.co.uk/vikings/
 webmaster@pastforward.co.uk. 
Merchant Chambers, 44-46 Fossgate, York, YO1 9TF, ENGLAND. 
Tel; +44 (0)1904 670707 

Master Magnus Malleus, OL

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	CD-ROM-msg