BKLNXMMG.RVW   960921
 
"Linux Multimedia Guide", Jeff Tranter, 1996, 1-56592-219-0, U$32.95/C$46.95
%A   Jeff Tranter
%C   103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA   95472
%D   1996
%G   1-56592-219-0
%I   O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
%O   U$32.95/C$46.95 800-998-9938 707-829-0515 fax: 707-829-0104 nuts@ora.com
%P   363
%T   "Linux Multimedia Guide"
 
Multimedia is easy.  *If* your operating system supports it.  *If* the hardware
vendors make drivers for your operating system.  *If* there is installation
software that supports your operating system and hardware.  *If* there are
applications that will run on your operating system and that will use your
hardware and drivers.  Otherwise, of course, multimedia is a mind-bogglingly
complex task.
 
You can probably get more and better support for Linux than you can for any
commercial operating system.  However, you do have to know where and how to get
it.
 
Taking these two factors into account, it is easy to see why some would
consider the title of Tranter's book to be an oxymoron.  As he shows, though,
there is ample help, and there are numerous resources, for those who want to
pursue multimedia under Linux.  Part one of the book gives a general overview,
while part two details the hardware and installation requirements.  Part three
then gives the book's reason for being, as it catalogues the wide variety of
applications that are available.
 
For most interested users this would be quite enough.  The author, though, goes
on to devote about half of the book to give directions, suggestions, resources,
and source code for those who want to develop multimedia applications of their
own.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996   BKLNXMMG.RVW   960921

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