An explanataion as a metaphor...

To understand what zcore does, let me give a perhaps over-simplified metaphor. This document attempts to explain the concept behind zcore, it is not an explanation of what zcore does. zcore does not upgrade television sets, it is a software system. This is just a description of what zcore would do if it was a hardware system.

In September of 1993, all television sets manufactured within the United States began including built-in closed caption support. Now televisions are big, clunky, monolithic devices, and to get a new television would require quite a committment. Since you can't just remove the part of your television that would need to be updated, and put a newer model in, the whole television would have to be replaced.

What zcore does is modularize your "television." It breaks your television up into its components. First and foremost, you have the power supply--the component of your television that connects to the power outlet on your wall. Now, this power supply can't do very much alone--it needs other components to properly function. To build a television, your power supply must be connected to a charged particle emmitter (the "cathode" in "Cathode Ray Tube"). It must also be connected to a signal decoder (to decode broadcast signals into pictures and sound), as well as an audio amplifier. The charged particle emmitter can't create pictures on its own. It needs a vacuum tube to propel the charged particles through, and the vacuum tube is in turn dependent upon a surface to create the picture on (the screen). The signal decoder must have a signal receiver, which must have an interface to your cable or your antenna, and your audio amplifier must have a set of speakers.

Hence, you can see how, starting with only the core of the television set (the power supply), we can branch out to include all of the components needed to fully create a television.

     Power supply                    \
      |-Charged particle emmitter    |
      |  \-Vacuum tube               |
      |     \-Screen                 |
      |-Signal decoder               |--Television set
      |  \-Signal receiver           |
      |     |-Cable interface        |
      |     \-Antenna interface      |
      \-Audio amplifier              |
         \-Speakers                  /

Now, all that would be necessary to add closed captioning support to your television would be to remove your current "Signal decoder" module, get a newer model (one that supports closed caption decoding), and stick it in the old module's place. Then, when picture in picture support came around, you'd just have to remove your "Signal decoder" module and, again, get a newer version to replace it.

Say tomorrow, after decades of secret research, X Random Company releases a new voice-activated replacement for your remote control. Traditionally, you'd either have to buy a new television set that had support for this technology built in, or you'd have to use a kludge (such as buying some device that sits on top of your television and all it does is provide support for this function). If your television was made using zcore, you could just remove your "Signal receiver" module and install a new one--one that supported this new technology.

Maybe next year sometime high definition television will hit the spotlight and *everyone* will be scrambling to get it. In order to facilitate this new type of picture, you'd have to get whole new television--one that could handle the high resolution video, could decode the digital audio, and was able to receive HDTV transmissions. You guessed it, if your television was zcore-enabled, you'd just have to upgrade pieces of it. Swap out your old "Screen," "Signal decoder," and "Audio amplifier" modules, go pick up new ones at your nearest upgrade center, and BLAMMO, you're in business--and you only paid to replace the pieces of your hardware that actually needed to be upgraded.

I would just like to take this opportunity to stress that zcore is a software system, not hardware. The television example was just that--an example. zcore works with computer programs, not pieces of equipment. To see what zcore is really about, check out the zcore blurb or spec sheet.