Traditional authoring was designed for specific delivery platforms. In the Internet, the actual machine that the software will be delivered on is unknown, which can cause different display problems for the instructional designer. One result of this study noted is which platform the HTML is developed on and whether it does make a difference. However, a more pressing problem is the lack of easy and affordable access to the Internet. Slow connect times, incompatible browsers, or a lack of suitable hardware can cause problems for students and reduce the impact of the network-based courseware.
Network architecture is also a problem.
Authoring systems typically developed and delivered the instruction using the same platform. This essentially removes one of the core features of authoring which permitted a content expert to control how a lesson would be delivered as well as how individual users interact with the software. The Internet is a server-based system, which means that the content of a lesson resides on a remote computer from the one that is actually delivering the lesson. Due to the variety of different platforms and browsers it is difficult to provide true student interaction. Management issues are also a very important consideration.