Journal:    Newsbytes  Sept 21, 1994 pNEW09210008
COPYRIGHT Newsbytes Inc. 1994
Title:     Could virtual reality interactive replace GUIs.
Author:    Mallory, Jim

Full Text:

Could Virtual Reality Interactive Replace GUIs 09/21/94 EDINA, MINNESOTA,
U.S.A., 1994 SEP 21 (NB) -- Techno Marketing Inc. (TMI) has introduced an
alternative graphical user interface (GUI) the company says not only
changes the way an individual interacts with a multimedia computer
program, but "reshapes the paradigm of the human interface."

A GUI is the now-familiar collection of icons and buttons that users see
on their screen and click on to launch programs. GUIs first replaced text
menus when Apple Computer introduced its Macintosh platform, and are now
standard in the Microsoft Windows environment also.

TMI says its new offering, called Virtual Reality Interactive Multimedia
Interface, combines the "excitement" of computer games with the "power"
of multimedia. It eliminates the buttons and static screens with
interactive virtual reality through which the user moves. Movement is
achieved by the use of either the keyboard or the mouse. Walls, floors,
and animated three-dimensional (3-D) objects appear around the user,
changing as the viewer's position and perspective change.

As the user appears to move, labeled doors appear. If the user decides to
enter a door the equivalent of pressing a button occurs, triggering some
multimedia event such as video, on-screen text or a 3-D animation.

TMI spokesperson Michael Undlin told Newsbytes that virtual reality
interactive (VRI) is designed to be the front-end for the custom designed
interactive presentations that are a specialty of the company. He says
its use causes the viewer to spend more time with the custom
presentation.

According to the company, viewers used to spend on average 20 to 30
minutes viewing the presentation on the company's demonstration disk.
After the VRI was added, the typical viewing time is now 60 minutes or
more.

Undlin told Newsbytes the VRI does not require a helmet like the virtual
reality games currently in vogue. The animated environment appears on the
screen much like a movie.

TMI prepares its specialized presentation disks for use in electronic
training, in kiosks, and for use as product marketing tools. It can
prepare a presentation in a foreign language or in multiple languages and
will help the client design the presentation.

The company says it has minimized the hardware and software requirements
needed to use the VRI. Current requirements are a VGA or better display,
a PC running a 386 or higher chip, less than one megabyte of memory, and
DOS 5.0 or higher. The company's multimedia presentations can run under
DOS, or as a DOS windows under OS/2 or Microsoft Windows. They can also
be prepared to run on a Macintosh computer.

(Jim Mallory/19940921/Press contact: Christopher Moon, Techno-marketing,
612-830-1984; Public contact: Techno-marketing, tel 612-830-1984 or fax
612-830-1958)