Minimum System Requirements to run Japan - A Multimedia Tour:
* MS-DOS/WINDOWS
* IBM or compatible 286 or 386 or higher
* VGA+ monitor
* CD-ROM drive (IBM-compatible)
* Audio recommended (Sound Blaster compatible)
* Hard disk drive
* 2 megabytes of RAM minimum, 4 megabytes for best performance
* Windows 3.0 or higher
* Keyboard (mouse recommended)
* For performance of the animation and video segments, you need Video for Windows.
OVERVIEW
Japan - A Multimedia Tour CD-ROM offers an exploration of the country and culture of Japan in a full multimedia presentation -- including audio, animation, maps, photos, illustrations, text, charts, and graphs.
As you begin your exploration of these items, be aware that you will be bringing each item from its storage file into a window -- which you can control in some of the following ways:
* By clicking and holding on the top line of the bar at the top of the window, you may move each window around on the screen in order to compare or look at two files together.
* By clicking on the box within a box at the top right of this bar, you may enlarge what appears in the window.
* By clicking on and holding the box in the bottom right corner of the lower bar, you can stretch the window out to cover more area on your screen. But try not to make it cover the function buttons at the bottom.
* By clicking on the box in the top left corner of the top bar, you can close the file in the window. At times, you may want to close some of the open windows on earlier files that you no longer need in order to leave computer memory (RAM) available for more complex functions.
HOW TO ACCESS INFORMATION FILES ON THE CD-ROM
There are two ways to get access to files in the data base:
One route is through "hot spots." These are highlighted words (red), items, or place names within maps or illustrations, and they occur in most text files as well as in some maps and illustrations.
By clicking on them, you can access other files - - watch an animation sequence, listen to a sound bite, examine a map, photo or illustration, read a related article, or look up a definition. Sometimes, you will find more hot spots within these files.
The other route is through the "buttons" that surround the window. These offer many paths to search the information data base, and they also offer means of marking your trail through the files.
1.The Bottom Buttons
The buttons at the bottom of the window are "utility buttons." Like the pull-down menus at the top of many software programs, these buttons give access to some tools to use as you explore Japan.
HELP
You've already pressed this button, so you know what it does. As you move through the CD-ROM, the "help" messages change to relate generally to where you are.
SEARCH
Every word, not just key words, in the CD-ROM is indexed. Although this means that you will see lists of numbers and small language elements like "the," it also means that you may search widely and randomly through all the files.
Once you've clicked on the SEARCH button, you have a choice of searching by Title or Text. By double-clicking on one of these bars, you can call up the first page of a list of the items in that category. You can then scroll forward page by page through the data base by clicking on "Next" or backward by clicking on "Prev." When you find the word that interests you, double-click on it and click "OK." Then click on "Search" or "Results" and a list of relevant files will come into the window. If there are none, the "results" will show a zero.
Alternatively, you may click on the "Quick" button, type any key word, then click on "Search" to find out how many files there are. If you want to limit or define your search more closely, use the AND, OR, or NOT buttons to key in a set of search words. Then click on OK to see a list of what's available on that topic. Then double click on any article in the list and retrieve it.
BOOKMARK
This button records your path through the program, much like the History function, but it provides more. You can mark items of particular interest or items you want to return to by highlighting them and clicking on the "mark" button. Alternatively, you can double click to mark (underline) them, then click on "clear unmarked" to leave only the items of interest. You may save the items to your own disk by clicking on the "save" button. "Load" allows the user to retrieve bookmarks previously saved. This is a particularly useful function for establishing a route for presentations or assignments.
GO BACK ONE SCREEN
By clicking on this button, you return to the previous screen you had opened. If you want to move back more than one screen, it's best to use the Bookmark function or the History menu in the top menu bar.
RETURN TO JAPAN MAP
Clicking on this button will take you back to the Main screen, from which you can re-enter the program -- either by conducting a search or by clicking one of the utility buttons. You may also track back through your bookmarks to find a specific article you marked -- this applies, of course, only to each uninterrupted session of use.
EXIT
By clicking this button, you may exit the program at any point.
The Right Buttons
The buttons on the right of the screen are "list buttons." These buttons change depending on which part of the program you have reached. By clicking on them, you reach list boxes -- which, when you double-click on them, lead you to other related topics.
Japan Map
The following buttons appear to the right on the screen with the Japan Map, that is, the Main screen.
1. Quick Facts
Clicking on this button leads you to five options. These are one-step access points to information -- clicking on an item moves you directly into a set sequence of text, visuals, and audio.
Flag
Double-click this word to see the country's flag and emblem or crest. When you click on the flag itself, you will hear the national anthem sung in the language of the country. You can scroll through an English translation of the anthem and, after closing the translation box, read explanations of and backgrounds to the flag and crest symbols.
Guided Tour
By selecting this item (double-clicking on it), you will automatically be presented with a quick overview of the country. The Tour uses pictures, maps, and narration to provide you with a quick introduction.
Timeline (Part One and Part Two)
When you select this item, a timeline showing some major events, people, and accomplishments of the country appears in the window. Scroll along the timeline and enter the program through any hot spot you click on.
Marketplace
This item presents an illustration of a market. By clicking on hot spots within this sketch, you bring up a list of primary staples of the country on which you can double-click to get a text article and a photo. Or, click on "Slide Show" to have all the photos and text scroll through, as you use the forward and back arrows.
Additional Resources
This item leads to an annotated list showing several categories of additional sources of information on the country.
2. Past
Choose this button if you want access to information on the country's past. The List Box provides categories of items on which to double-click to see more details on various aspects of the past.
3. Present
This button provides access to such topics as the economy of the country, its major cultures, its government, its educational system, and more.
4. Tourism
This button provides you a brief visit to some of the major sites within the country. You can also access travel tips -- and some DOs and DON'Ts.
5. Environment
Clicking this button leads to geographical information about the country. It includes an overview plus landforms, climate, environmental issues, hazards & disasters, vegetation, wildlife, resources, and water.
The Database Information Buttons
These buttons are designed to list the type of information available with a particular file -- whether it's text (like an article) or visual (a photo). They highlight to let you know whether other kinds of information related to this item are available in the database.
