The kind of output achieved through a production studio or publishing house required expensive equipment dedicated to one or more tasks in the process. These tasks are now being integrated and handled by a single desktop computer with all of the media types being digitized and stored in a format that a computer can interpret. The combination of the growth and changes in technology and cultural trends made current multimedia technology different from that of the past. The capability to store sound and motion video digitally allows for portability between applications. The ability to digitize and store the data on the hard disk and play it back on the computer is what is making multimedia popular today.
Multimedia is a timely endeavor.
People are experiencing data overload. There is more information available than ever before and less time to review or absorb it. People need to digest facts quickly. By actively engaging more senses, multimedia allows information to be presented in the natural way that people receive, process, and act on it so that it can be assimilated and understood faster with greater impact and in a broader context. Rather than just using the computer as a tool to make work activities more productive, it now can actually enhance the understanding of information, making the experience more memorable and retainable.