Multimedia computing has emerged in the last few years as a major area of
research. Multimedia computer systems have opened a wide range of applications
by combining a variety of information sources, such as voice, graphics,
animation, images, audio and full-motion video. Looking at the big picture,
multimedia can be viewed as the merging of three industries: computer,
communications, and broadcasting industries. Research and development efforts
can be divided into two areas. As the first area of research, much effort has
been centered on the stand-alone multimedia workstation and associated software
systems and tools, such as music composition, computer-aided education and
training, and interactive video. However, the combination