ABSTRACT
New information technology is not free of technical problems. In this chapter, the authors look at technical problems particularly relevant to educational applications of the technology. The capacity of a device or system being used for education is limited by its technical specification. Many technical problems occur simply because people want the technology to do more than it can: they are not aware of its limits. Others are caused by poor design, faulty materials or low standards of manufacture. The technical problem of delays crops up again in teletext systems. Technical problems that occur are not restricted to hardware. In the software field, Powell identifies the problems of acquisition of software by libraries. He says that locating software sources is difficult; the problem is being exacerbated by the spread of microcomputers and by the range of users widening far beyond the original specialists.
