Multimedia: how to make your point.

You're faced with making an important presentation to a client, your Ny boss or your board of directors. You could use an old-fashioned flip chart. Or, if you've got the time, you could even prepare photographic slides or acetate sheets and display them with an overhead projector in a dimly lit room. And, if you're very lucky, you'll make it through the presentation with only a few yawns from your audience.

But if you want your audience to sit up and take notice (and even be able to watch your presentation in a normally lit room so they can take notes), think multimedia--in full color and high-fidelity sound.

Multimedia is not tomorrow's technology; it's here today. It's not that hard to become quite proficient in creating multimedia presentations that will help you deliver a persuasive message with maximum impact and minimum effort. And, the multimedia software products on the market today are very affordable.

THE SOFTWARE SIDE

There are many presentation software packages on the market. They fall into three categories:

Advanced. Products that are loaded with features and are a little difficult to learn. The two leading packages in this category are Astound and Director.

Standard. Packages that include all the basic features plus enhancements and are moderately easy to learn. The category includes Freelance Graphics, Harvard Graphics, PowerPoint and Presentations.

Basic. Software that contains just the bare-bones utilities for the one-time user and is easy to learn. One such product is ASAP Word Power.

Exhibit 1, page 59, identifies vendor information for these products, and exhibit 2, page 60, rates each multimedia software package.

Exhibit 1: Multimedia Product Vendors

Product/company              Telephone     Internet address

                               MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARE

ASAP Word Power             800-557-3743   http://www.spco.com/
Astound                     888-4ASTOUND   http://www.astound.com/
Director                    800-326-2128   http://www.macromedia.
                                            com/spoftware/dms/
Freelance                   800-343-5414   http://www.lotus.com/
                                            freelance/
Harvard Graphics            800-557-3743   http://www.spco.com/
Persuasion                  800-521-1976   http://www.adobe.com/
                                            proindex/persuasion/
Powerpoint                  800-397-8508   http://www.microsoft.
                                            com/mspowerpoint/
Presentations               800-772-6735   http://www.corel.com/
                                            products/wordperfect/
                                            cp7/

                               PROJECTING SYSTEMS

Ask LCD Inc.                800-275-5231   http://www.ask.no
CTX                         800-888-2012   http://www.ctxintl.com
Dukane Corp.                800-676-2485   none
Epson                       800-GO EPSON   http://www.epson.com
In Focus Systems            800-294-6400   http://www.infocus.com
Panasonic                   800-726-2797   http://www.panasonic.com
Polaroid Corp.              800-662-8337   http://www.polaroid.com
Proxima Corp.               800-447-7692   http://www.prxm.com
Sharp Electronics Corp.     800-BE SHARP   http://www.sharp-usa.com
Sony                        800-222-7669   http://www.sony.com

                               CLIP ART

Corel Corp.                 800-772-6735   http://www.corel.com
IMSI                        415-257-3000   http://www.imsisoft.com
Nova Development Corp.      818-591-9600   http://www.novadevcorp.
                                            com
Softkey Multimedia Inc.     800-227-5609   http://www.softkey.com
T/Market Co.                415-962-0195   http://www.clickart.com

                               REMOTE CONTROLS AND POINTERS

Lyte Optronics              310-450-8551   http://www.laserlyte.com
Mind Path Technologies      800-736-6830   http://www.mindpath.com
Varatouch Technologies      916-331-6300   http://www.varatouch.com

                               SOUND SYSTEMS

Bose Corp.                  800-444-2673   none
Gateway 2000                800-846-2000   http://www.gw2k.com
Sony                        800-352-7669   http://www.sony.com
Yamaha                      800-492-6242   http://www.yamaha.com

SCANNERS
AGFA                        201-440-2500   http://www.agfa.com
Microtek                    800-654-4160   http://www.mteklab.com/
                                            flatbed.html
Pacific Image Electronics   310-214-5281   http://www.scanace.com
UMAX                        510-651-9488   http://www.umax.com/
                                            scandir2.html
Visioneer                   800-787-7007   http://www.visioneer.com
Exhibit 2: multimedia Software Packages

Multimedia Software     Presentaion   Multimedia     Output
                        Development   Capabilities   Capabilities

Astound                 Excellent     Excellent      Excellent
Director                Excellent     Excellent      Excellent
Freelance               Excellent     Good           Excellent
Harvard Graphics        Excellent     Good           Good
Persuasion              Very Good     Good           Excellent
PowerPoint              Very Good     Good           Excellent
Presentations           Good          Good           Good
ASAP Word Power         Fair          Fair           Fair

Multimedia Software     End of Use

Astound                 Difficult
Director                Difficult
Freelance               Fair
Harvard Graphics        Fair
Persuasion              Fair
PowerPoint              Fair
Presentations           Fair
ASAP Word Power         Excellent

Let's look at the products in detail:

Astound and Director have advanced features not found in the other products. While the packages are well designed, the sheer numbers and types of available features make them more difficult to master. Some of their features include powerful animation, video, audio and editing capabilities. Both packages allow users to convert presentations for the Internet. They also include extensive clip art and template libraries designed by graphics professionals. In addition, they have many slide-transition styles--such as having images fade in and out--which give a presentation real pizzazz.

You also can create a run-time file that lets you show the presentation file on any computer--even if it's not loaded with that application software. Both packages come with excellent tutorials. They operate on both IBM-compatible personal computers (PCs) and Macintosh and provide an easy conversion between the two. However, because presentations that include unusual fonts and imbedded objects such as spreadsheets may encounter some conversion difficulties, it's wise to test a file on both computers to be sure no problems exist.

Director, the more sophisticated of the two, sells for about $850. Astound is priced at about $199.

Programs in the standard group (Freelance Graphics, Harvard Graphics, PowerPoint and Presentations) don't offer many advanced features, but they can create professional-looking presentations. Each has a variety of well-designed templates, presentation aids and clip art libraries. Their tutorials are helpful. The latest versions of these packages even offer limited animation, video, audio and Web-authoring capabilities. Importing Excel or Lotus spreadsheets is as easy as inserting clip art.

If you are a novice at multimedia software, you'll have to devote some time to learning how to use it--although not as much time as with the advanced packages. The standard programs are adequate for most presentations. However, if you give presentations routinely, you may soon outgrow their limited features and turn to the more advanced programs.

These software packages also allow your finished presentations to be converted into run-time modules or to be used in connection with a custom viewer provided by the software company. If you want to provide handouts of parts of your presentation, all the products have well-designed print features.

All three major office suites--made by Corel, Lotus and Microsoft--include multimedia applications. Corel Office 7 has Presentations, Lotus SmartSuite 97 has Freelance Graphics and Microsoft Office 97 has PowerPoint. Although the presentation packages are available as stand-alones, it is generally more economical to buy the entire suite

The cost for each stand-alone software package:

* Freelance Graphics: $330. The entire Lotus SmartSuite, which includes Freelance Graphics, sells for $370.

* Harvard Graphics: $290 (it is not included in any suites).

* PowerPoint: $280 to $300; between $470 and $545 for the entire Microsoft Office 97.

* Presentations: The product is not sold as a standalone. The fill. Corel WordPerfect Suite sells for $330.

If you need to use both an IBM-compatible PC and a Mac, consider PowerPoint; it's especially good in either computer.

ASAP is the newest package in this group. Its outstanding feature is ease of use. Even without training, most users can create basic presentations in just a few minutes. However, there is a trade-off between ease of use and customization. For example, the type of template you select determines the transitions you must use on all slides. If the presentation is very long, the viewers will soon tire of the repetitive transitions. Also, setting the color combination is easy, but placing clip art where you want it is difficult. While importing electronic spreadsheets is easy, too, customizing the look can be frustrating.

However, if you are a novice and prepare presentations only occasionally, ASAP may meet your needs. It costs about $90.

THE HARDWARE SIDE

Following are the hardware items you will need to stage effective presentations:

Computer. While these programs will run on a 486 computer, they generally demand more power and will operate more effectively on a Pentium with the following minimums: 133-megahertz processor with 16 to 32 megabytes (Mb) of random access memory (RAM) and an audio subsystem.

Projector. A great presentation shown with a poor projection system can be a disaster, so select a system with care. Exhibit 3, page 60 lists the things you should consider.

Exhibit 3: Projection System Characteristics

Characteristic             Description

Resolution                 Sharpness of the projected image
Weight                     Portability
Backlit buttons            Buttons with lighting source
Number of colors           Spectrum of colors able to display
                           on the screen
Response time              Quickness of projector system to
                           respond to commands
Rear projection            Ability to reverse the projected
                           image
On-screen controls         Menu options are projected on the
                           screen
Sound System               Ability to provide sound
Multiple input sources     Availability of more than one input
                           source
Lumens                     Amount of light output from the
                           projector system
Bulbs                      Light source

Characteristic             Importance

Resolution                 Resolution is measured in pixels.
                           Generally, higher resolutions provide
                           sharper images and cost more.
Weight                     Generally, lighter weights are preferred
                           to fond-the-road presentations.
Backlit buttons            Backlit buttons are easier to find when
                           the room is darkened for a presentation.
Number of colors           Most projection systems support between
                           1 million and 16.7 million colors. More
                           colors are useful when showing the
                           video clips.
Reponse time               Quicker response times become more
                           important when presentations include
                           video or animation.
Rear projection            Rear-projection capability allows
                           projection from behind an opaque screen.
On-screen controls         On-screen controls are helpful in a dark
                           room when adjustments are necessary.
Sound System               Built-in speakers alleviate the need
                           for external speakers for many
                           presentations. However, many projection
                           systems have outputs to accommodate
                           external speakers, should they
                           be necessary.
Multiple input sources     Multiple input sources allow users to
                           freely switch between inputs such as
                           VCRs and a computer during a
                           presentation.
Lumens                     More lumens allow projections in
                           larger, light-filled rooms to be seen;
                           less lumens work fine in smaller,
                           darker rooms.
Bulbs                      For many projectors, bulbs can be quite
                           costly ($6-$500). Also, some projectors
                           have space for a second bulb in case the
                           bulb in use burns out during a
                           presentation.

Until recently, liquid crystal display (LCD) panels were the most popular projection tool because they are lightweight, portable and reasonably priced ($2,000 to $5,000). However, LCD panels are dependent on the light and magnification from an overhead projector. As a result, the all-in-one LCD projector--which combines the panels and the projector--recently has become more popular. Also, LCD projectors have become more portable and less costly ($6,500 to $9,500) than they were in the early 1990s.

An alternative projecting system is a cathode ray tube (CRT) projector that has three image projecting guns (red, green and blue) to display a full-color image on a screen. CRT projectors are not portable and range in price from $9,000 to $120,000. Another option is to use CRT monitors (generally with a diagonal screen size of 27 to 35 inches) that are priced between $2,000 and $11,000. For the extra investment, CRTs offer higher resolution and better image quality than even the best LCD projector.

One of the most recent developments in multimedia projection is the plasma display panel (PDP). The image quality of a PDP is better than a high-end CRT. Also, PDPs are lighter, so they're easier to transport. However, their prices are quite high: While a CRT monitor starts at about $700, a 21-inch PDP (which offers the same viewing area as a 31-inch CRT) costs about $3,000.

Digital light processing (DLP) is another new technology that provides crisp, bright images in almost any environment. Their images are so bright there is little or no need to dim the light in the conference room. A low-end DLP system costs about $8,500, with high-end systems costing as much as $35,000. Prices may fall as the market for DLPs expands. This technology is certainly worth a look.

Another projection option is the use of a large-screen television, usually with a display of at least 35 inches diagonally. However, special equipment is needed to make a TV set accommodate a computer signal.

Clip art. Cartoons and photos can add humor, color, emphasis and creativity to a presentation. Although several multimedia software products include some clip art images, many users add additional art as needed. You can purchase a wide assortment of clip art for between $15 and $100. When purchasing it, consider the following

* Is it compatible with your computer system?

* Does it have online search features to allow retrieval of specific images?

* Does it include online image browsers to allow previews before inserting an image into a presentation?

* Is there a hard copy index to aid with clip art selection (especially if the clip art software does not have online search and image browser features)?

Scanners. If you can't find the right clip art you can create your own with a scanner, which can digitize any graphic: company logos, pictures of buildings and people. Inserting these and similar items can be as easy as inserting clip art.

The higher the scanner image resolution, the more expensive the scanner. When choosing a flatbed scanner, consider a 24-bit model. While most manufacturers offer a 30/36-bit color scanner for about $1,500 to $3,500, a lower resolution, full-color 24-bit scanner will meet the needs of most users and cost between $300 and $800. Most scanners include the software necessary to scan text and images. Several major manufacturers offer scanners that require a SCSI (small computer system interface) device driver and a card. Before purchasing such a scanner, make sure your PC has the right hardware to run a SCSI device.

If you don't want to invest in a scanner, a local printing and photo service business can scan a graphic for you and place the digitized file onto a disk.

Projection screens. There are two types of screen surfaces: white matte and beaded glass. A white matte screen produces less glare and therefore is easier on a viewer's eyes while a beaded glass screen provides brighter projection. Screens on a tripod cost between $ 100 and $400. Fast-fold screens with rear-projection capabilities cost between $450 and $750, and ceiling-mounted screens cost between $130 and $800.

Remote controls and pointers. Remote controls are useful because the presenter can move about the room without being tethered to the computer keyboard or mouse. Remote controls available with advanced features can direct highlighting, spotlighting and zoom. Some presenters find the use of a laser pointer also effective to draw attention to specific areas of a projected image.

Sound system. A sound system is important if any portion of a presentation uses audio. This could include audio from a compact disc, video recorder or the computer. Exhibit 4, above, explains several characteristics to consider when designing a sound system. Before investing in an additional sound system, check to see if your projector has a built-in audio system. Many projectors include speakers that may be more than adequate for presentations in small meeting rooms.

Exhibit 4: Sound System Characteristics

Characteristic   Description              Importance

Sound Card       Computer hardware        Many computer systems
                 that allows the          include a sound card that
                 use of sound             offers no more than 4
                                          watts of amplication per
                                          channel. If this is not
                                          enough, purchase an
                                          amplifier or speakers
                                          with built-in amplifiers.
Speakers         Provide sound            Speakers with built-in
                 to audience              amplifiers can plug
                                          directly into a computer
                                          with a sound card.
                                          Speakers are available
                                          that use the Dolby
                                          Surround Sound technology
                                          found in many theaters.
Amplifier        Boots the signal         For an office-size room,
                 to the speaker           amplifiers offering 10
                                          watts per channel should
                                          be sufficient. For a
                                          small conference room, 30
                                          to 40 watts per channel
                                          may be needed. For a
                                          large auditorium, up to
                                          100s of watts per channel
                                          may be necessary.
                                          Remember that the
                                          amplifiers must be
                                          compatible with the
                                          speakers.
Subwoofer        Enhances low-frequency   A subwoofer is a nice
                 audio                    addition to a sound
                                          system when presentations
                                          include audio below
                                          150 Hz.
Mixer            Allows multiple audio    Mixers provide an input
                 inputs (CD, tape deck,   channel and a volume
                 VCR, etc.)               control for each audio
                                          input.

Now that you have the facts about presentation tools, experiment with one of the less complex products and see how you can perk up an otherwise flat presentation. You may quickly graduate to a more sophisticated package. And once you get good at creating presentations, you may find yourself anxious to step forward and present your ideas in graphic form. That could do wonders for your career.

RELATED ARTICLE: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

* IF YOU WANT TO PUT on a presentation that will engage your audience, turn to multimedia presentation tools. While many take time to become proficient in, they can deliver a message with lots of impact.

* YOU ALSO CAN CREATE a run-time file that lets you show the presentation file on any computer--even if it's not loaded with that application software.

* A GREAT PRESENTATION SHOWN with a poor projection system can be a disaster, so select a system with care. There are many different lands of projectors--from old standby liquid crystal displays to the newest plasma display panels and digital light processing designs.

* CARTOONS AND PHOTOS can add humor, color, emphasis and creativity to a presentation. Although many multimedia software products include some clip art images many users add additional art as needed.

* IF YOU CAN'T FIND the right clip art, you can create your own with a scanner, which can digitize any graphic: company logos, pictures of buildings and people. Inserting these and similar items can be easy as inserting art.

* REMOTE CONTROLS ARE USEFUL because the presenter can move about the room without being tethered to the computer keyboard or mouse. Remote controls available with advanced features can direct high lighting, spotlighting and zoom. Some presenters find a laser pointer also effective to draw attention to specific areas of a projected image.

SUSAN COOMER GALBREATH, CPA, PhD, is an assistant professor of accounting at Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee. Her e-mail address is [e-mail]. JON A. BOOKER, CPA, CIA, PhD, is professor of accounting at Tennessee Technological University. His e-mail address is [e-mail].