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AthenaMuse and AthenaMuse 2
Center for Educational Computing Initiatives (CECI)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

While I was a Scientist at CECI, I served as primary editor for the newest and last edition of documentation for AthenaMuse 2, an experimental "java-like" authoring language created to serve as the multimedia extensions to X-Windows. I interviewed most recent participants in the project, analyzed and compared existing code and documentation to determine needs, implemented improvements for usablity and learnability and then generated print and electronic versions of the documentation for dissemination.

During my doctoral research, I also had the opportunity to study the original AthenaMuse (AM1).
Here is a description of the hardware specs. for that forefront system:

1993 Version (Hopper, 1993)

AthenaMuse I runs on the standard VCG platform(s): color workstations (both IBM RT/PC's and Digital VAX station II's equipped with Parallax Graphics board systems which digitize analog video signal ) A visual workstation consists of a DEC MicroVAX II or IBM PC/RT (RISC technology), with Parallax Graphics board system and digital video adapter: an 18-inch color graphics monitor; keyboard; three-button mouse; Ethernet card: audio-video switcher; videodisc player; optical disc player; cable television box; and integrated stereo amplifier with headphone jack. The CPU requires 1 to 6 MIPS, 8 to 16 megabytes RAM, and a 40 to 100 megabyte dataless disk.

on the web

AthenaMuse 2, Introductory Presentation
AM2-Present/begin.html

AthenaMuse 2 Final Documentation, Web Site
AM2-Site/

AthenaMuse 2 Final Documentation, PDF
Ali-Ahmad_96.pdf

Gallery VCG's AM1 Interfaces
http://web.mit.edu/~bhdavis/www/interfaces.html

© Mary E. Hopper [MEHopper] | MEHopper@TheWorld.com [posted 01/01/01 | revised 06/09/06]