Museum-L'ers, I have been following this thread with interest as employing technology in exhibits, especially computers is what I do for a living. First, I want to say that I do not feel that technology is the answer to every exhibit or interpretive situation. "Real objects" and interpretation by trained staff blow just about every other method out of the water. Here are some of the issues mentioned: 1. Maintenance. If you are getting a new computer interactive, be specific about how long the warranty for equipment is and how it will be fixed. Will you have to pack up the computer and ship it back every time it acts goofy? Often, the only warranty discussed relates to the computer hardware. Ask about the software warranty, if it's a custom program you're paying for... establish how bugs in the software will be fixed and make sure that the programmer knows that ultimately, it's their responsibility to find and fix bugs. Get an installable (setup.exe) copy of the software in case your system crashes and you need to re-install it yourself. Find out exactly what the necessary components of the software are, images, video clips, executables, etc. and make sure you get a backup of all of them. Remember, 5 years from now when your computer crashes and you can no longer find the programmer... if you don't have these things you might as well write the exhibit off. Software is the key element of a computer interactive. Also, remember that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Some of my clients balk at my recommendations to purchase a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) for their exhibit computers (that they got from someone else - I always provide them). They pinch pennies forgetting that the extra $100 they spend for a UPS is going to protect $3,000 to $5,000+ of equipment. Many facilities I visit tell me about regular power problems, and these are the ones they are aware of. Aquariums are probably the worst with their big pump motors, chillers, heaters, etc. kicking on and off all the time. It's a miracle that the computer even runs at all. :) 2. "Detailed, layered and complicated" information in the interactive software. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see and this is why it is important to use a software designer/programmer with experience developing software for museum interactive exhibits. Regular programmers just don't get it, and the design burden ends up being dumped on your staff. Just because you have a 4 gigabyte hard drive, doesn't mean that you need to fill it with thousands of pages of text and pictures and video. Is the computer to be used as a "resource workstation" (sitting down) or an exhibit interactive (standing)? This will determine the amount of content you should develop. Next _focus_ on exactly what you want to say. Break up this information into simple topics (modules) and keep the detail to a minimum. Many of my clients get very excited about the multimedia capabilities of the computer and forget that a visitor isn't going to want to spend 20 or even 10 minutes stuck at a computer. Keep it simple, streamline your content and make your point(s) The biggest advantage that a computer has over wall labels and video tapes is that it allows the visitor to get more detail and explore what interests _them_ the most, but don't overdo it. You can't teach your visitors everything you want them to learn, but if you focus on what points are important they will walk away learning something. Don't be afraid to repeat information contained on wall labels or even in other program modules. Remember... some people will walk up to a computer and ignore a wall graphic (and vice versa). Just because you offer 5 choices from the "main menu", that doesn't mean that your visitor will go through each one of them. Use the computers multimedia capabilities (sound, pictures, video) to "re-phrase" interpretive information visually. Use a diagram or an animated sequence to get a point across, not blocks of endless text. Repeatedly pressing "Next Page" does not classify a software program as interactive. Well, I've rambled on, but like I said, this is what I do for a living. I respect your opinions and experiences and hope to see more of this thread. Mark C. Vang Freya Ventures www.freyaventures.com [log in to unmask]