WebPath: the Internet Pathology Laboratory for Medical Education

The following hardware and software are used to create the WebPath resources:

• Most of WebPath was created with a Macintosh 8100 computer with 16MB of RAM, 1 GB hard disk drive, and 17" monitor. A G4 Mac is now in use

• Kodachromes are scanned to Kodak Photo-CD's, making the most efficient use of time while providing a permanent archive

• Adobe Photoshop is used to edit the Photo-CD images and create the .jpeg and .gif images

• A simple text editor (TexEdit) is used to create the html files, which are essentially repetitive throughout this web site

• The program called Gifbuilder is used to generate animated gif image files

• JavaScript programming code is generated using documentation found on the Internet

• The Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator web browsers are used to preview the html files

• The FTP client program called Fetch is used to upload files to the Eccles Library Web Server

• The web site is analyzed with WebTrends site analysis software

The use of the WWW server for multimedia has provided the following advantages:

• Additions to and editing of the materials can be accomplished in minutes (traditional textbooks take years to develop)

• The materials are available worldwide from any computer connected to the Internet with WWW client software -- students can study at home, which adds a safety factor for evening study, enhances family life, and extends time for child care

• Distribution of materials to the students electronically assures availability (no more "I didn't get that" or "Those slides were lost")

• The technology supporting the WWW continues to expand rapidly, assuring further capabilities and improvements