The Michigan State Hort Society in 1998 funded a request by the investigators to purchase a Kodak slide - making unit, including a camera and software. The unit was needed to assist principally fruit extension and researchers in the Department of Horticulture in making slides for industry and scientific related presentations. Slides are still the primary medium of audio visual aids used for making presentations at professional and industry meetings. There was only one slide - making unit for all faculty and staff in the department and another was needed to take the pressure off of use of the one unit.

The objective was to provide updated equipment for making professional quality slides for scientific and industry presentations.

The unit was purchased and installed on the 3rd floor in room 335 (Perry and Hanson laboratory) of the Plant and Soil Science building, where a majority of the fruit research and extension faculty reside. The unit is currently driven by an older model computer (133 Mghz, 1.5 Gbyte HD). Almost all fruit research and extension faculty and staff made use of the unit during 1998.