a Tuesday feature
There seems to be quite a stir about the new Marimba Castanet and its new media-rich channels. If you haven't seen anything on this subject already check out the press release on the Macromedia Web site. Basically, Marimba will enable Castanet Tuner application channels to support both Shockwave interactivity and Shockwave audio content. This week we look at the technology and what it means for Shockwave developers. What Is Marimba Castanet?
What is Castanet?
This technology was only announced on October 7, so Castanet is still in beta until early 1997. However, you can develop Shockwave content for it right now. The Castanet system is similar to most other Internet (or network)-based applications that perform broadcast-type functions. It comprises of two basic pieces of software:
The Tuner enables end-users to subscribe to application "channels" deployed by various Transmitters across the Internet. It is also all you need unless you have an interest in setting up one of the server-side Castanet Transmitters. You can download a beta version of the Tuner from Marimba's Web site.
- The Castanet Tuner (client)
- The Castanet Transmitter (server)
Marimba claims hundreds of developers are currently evaluating Castanet for Internet and corporate Intranet use, including:
Netscape recently announced it will integrate the Castanet Tuner into Netscape's forthcoming desktop environment code-named "Constellation."
- Trilogy
- @Home
- MGM Interactive
- HotWired
- Excite
- CMP
- SportsLine
- Tribune Media vUnited Media
- PeopleSoft.
Why should you develop Shockwaves for Castanet?
You wouldn't develop Shockwaves for Castanet specifically. The way it works, any Shockwave movie you develop will run over the Castanet system. Because of this, you should really just look at this as yet another available platform, without requiring you to develop code and content in multiple forms. But isn't this why we're all using Shockwave in the first place? There is, however, one really great advantage to the whole Castanet system, which is that you as a developer can get Shockwave-animated content to run within full-blown Java applications without requiring you (or anyone else) to program in Java.
Anyway, keep an eye on this product. I would predict that with Netscape, Macromedia, and who knows who else joining in, Castanet will be something we will all be using (or developing for) in some way by mid-1997. Until next week.
