ToolBook: An Electronic Construction Set

Abstract

ToolBook: An Electronic Construction Set Joseph A. Feusthe, Jr. The University of Toledo Asymetrix Corporation bills its multimedia that you must have while others have to ToolBook program as a software construction do with the programming skills that you will set for Windows. It that and much more. I first need if you intend to tap the package's full encountered ToolBook as a feature added to potential. Windows 3.0 when I upgraded my computers to ToolBook 1.5 comes with two manuals, Using that version. This was a s-un time or scaled ToolBook and Using OpenScript (its programdown version of ToolBook that limits you to ming language) which arc essentially unchanged experimenting with the accompanying sample from version 1.0. The price from most discount programs such as the DayBook with its address softwarcvcndorsisabout$300.00,butAsymctrix book, monthly and weekly calendars, and such. sells itatancducationaldiscoontpriccof$149.00. I later noticed that IBM and Zenith were includIt also sells a second, multimedia version fusing the complete ToolBook program with the $265.00 which contains the additional special computers that they sell to the academic commoprograms that facilitate the use of CD-ROM, nity. I initially disregarded ToolBook as a viable videodisc and other external devices through the hypermedia program because the first version Windows interface. The Educational Ten-Pack was notoriously show, expensive-unless your of ToolBook 1.5 sells for $1,000, and they market copy came with your computer-and not well an evaluation for $49.95 that contains suited for text-oriented projects such as mine on an on-line tutorial and a set of sample apphicaRubdn Dario, which I have continued to develop tiuns. Asymetrix now also supplies a run time in another hypermedia program, Guide.' Thanks version of ToolBook that you can distribute free to the Dario project, which I submitted in last with your materials so that colleagues and stoyear's Zenith Masters of Innovation cumpetidents can use your programs without having to tion, I won two Zenith 80386 computers and own a full copy of ToolBook. For $595.00 annogained access to ToolBook which I immediately ally you can subscribe to Asymetrix Developer's upgraded to version 1.5. Services which opens the doors to extensive Don Crabb, in his review in InfoWorld of consultation with resource personnel and service version 1.5 of ToolBook, states that it is really engineers.4 There also an excellent, easy-paced quite a sophisticated programming system. Its introductiunto ToolBookpubhishcdbyThc Cobb feature set substantial and it extends farbcyond Group titled ToolBook Companion and written what you'll find in HyperCard 2.1 2 Like Hyby Joseph R. Pierce.5 Several other booklets perCard, ToolBook easy to use. Crabb adds: come with the upgrade such as the notes pertainIf you can uscHyperCard, you canprobablyose ing to changes and additions in version 1.5, an ToolBook 1.5 without a second thought-it's idcasbook, and acatalog of books and services that straightforward (61). Depending on your in which I found a ToolBook project of interest skill, you can use ToolBookto create applications already available, El avi6n hispano, a videoranging from simple online presentations and disc application from Cornell University.6 hypermedia documents, to prototypes of more Asymetrix's publicity materials includes a very complex programs, extensive databases, and inattractive presentation on Brigham Young teractive training programs. You can also transUniversity's use of ToolBook as pan of its hate existing HyperCard stacks into ToolBook MunteVidisco project. Heizer Software-sec format thanks to a program from Heizer Softbelow-sells Language Hash Cards created in ware called Convertit!. I converted the stacks ToolBook in French, German and Spanish. Each that make up my electronic edition of Prosas contains a vocabulary of 1500 words for stuprofanas on the Macintosh to ToolBook format dents, tourists and business travelers and sells for and experimented from there.3 Though Mr. $15.00 each. Crabb' s praise for ToolBook well deserved, my What sets ToolBook apan from the other experience has uncovered a number of pitfalls hypermedia programs on the Mac and the PC along the way. Some relate to the hardware and its extensive tutorial program. It covers all as-