New Cd-Roms...

Indian CD-ROM publishing scene seems to be taking off in a big way, if one looks at the new CD-ROM titles in the market. DigiCat (short for Digital Catalogue) is a multimedia buyer'ss guide aimed at the building and construction industry. DBS, the publishers, chose to target their product at this segment because of the high penetration levels of computers among architects.

The CD-ROM will carry detailed product information and serve as an easy reference with exhaustive information on a variety of building, construction and interior design products. In all, a total of 350 products are organised into 22 categories. Depending on the material, information may include product prices, size, shape, design and availability to name a few.

The other important section is about vendors. This section provides information on over 10,000 suppliers, dealers, importers and manufacturers complete with names, addresses, contact numbers and other important details.

The CD-ROM also has a technical handbook section which is purely educational and consists of technical information for architects, engineers, consultants and contractors.

The product is promoted by P D Vithalani, managing director, Computer Based Solutions Pvt Ltd. The company is already established in the business of publishing buyer'ss guide CD-ROMs aimed at various industries. According to the company, digiCat will be distributed to over 30,000 professionals at just shipping charges -- the profits come from manufacturers's advertisements. The company also plans to publish regular quarterly updates to the CD from 1998.

...and the dancer

Digitising art is a rather tricky business. Digital interpretations of paintings and photographs require a high level of reproduction, and more so for dance. So, by all accounts, Rizvi Software Consultancy is into tricky business.

The language of Dance (Technique) is one of the topics covered in the CD-ROM released by Rizvi Software Consultancy. The CD-ROM takes a pictorial look at seven classical dance forms Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Mohini Attam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak and Manipuri. It covers history, techniques and the famous artists and gurus of now and then. Some of the dancers featured include Padma Subramanyam, Kanak Rele, Tamini Krishnamurthy, Kelucharan Mahapatra and Birju Maharaja.

The CD-ROM also includes about 60 minutes of recitals on video performed by well-known modern dance artists. At Rs 1950, the price is definitely on the heavier side. You may not be into classical dance, but this CD could make it into your CD-ROM library as a collector'ss item.