Imagine you’re about to celebrate a significant event where gift-giving is traditional, such as a milestone birthday. To commemorate the occasion, a relative of some means, but who doesn’t know you all that well, wants to give you a personal computer. The thing is, said relative claims to know next-to-nothing about computers, especially which one(s) would be suitable for you, but does know there are lots of options, over a wide price range. The relative makes it very clear that, although cost is not the main concern, it does matter, and that “wasting” money on “toys” is not going to happen. Family has warned you that this relation is no fool. For instance, do not expect to be believed if you say that to write papers for college you need 3-way stereo speakers and a state-of-the art 3D graphics card. You can ask for such things, but you had better give a good, convincing reason for getting them.
So, you get the computer system, but only after you identify what you want, and justify why you need it, to the relative’s satisfaction. (Don’t you just love gifts with strings attached?)
• A Word document file containing a letter to your relative explaining what computer system you want, and why you want it. See the discussion below for details to include.
• In a separate Word document, provide
a list of references to the material you used to help make your decision as to what computer system to request, and
starting on a separate page, a list of the search engines you used (including their names and URLs) and a couple of paragraphs or so on how helpful each of the engines was in finding information useful in completing this assignment.
First, think about the activities for which you plan to use the computer, both now and in the next few years. Many folks buying computers fail to take this extremely important, basic first step, and end up with a system that doesn’t meet their needs. Then think about the software and hardware you need to meets these needs. Then go looking at the options; as you do, you may find your opinions of your needs or wants influenced by what’s available, its cost, and whether you can “sell it” to your relative. Decide on a system; write the letter.
If you already have a computer system, consider the trade-offs between a new system and an upgrade in hardware or software (or both) of your existing one; you can assume your relative will go for either approach (as long as you make a good case). Your relative will not agree to fund ongoing costs, so s/he might cover the cost of that DSL modem, but not the monthly costs of DSL service.
You are required to address the following issues; you can look at additional ones for potential extra credit. Note that looking at a piece of hardware or software does not mean you must obtain it; for instance, you can decide you don’t need a printer or that memory upgrade. But you do need to address the issue in your letter (e.g., tell the relative that you current printer prints in color, is fast and that the ink it uses is cheap, so it’s fine for printing out those photos you need for your digital art class).
• Mac vs. “PC clone” which model; which operating system to use on it
• Desktop vs. laptop vs. hand-held
• “Main box characteristics”: speed of CPU, amount of memory, size of hard disk drive, DVD vs. CD that is read only vs. one that is read/write, and its speed; modem type
• Whether to have external speakers (and if, so, which ones to get); size and type of display
• What kind of printer, if any, and its characteristics
• What software packages and tools
You may decide to go for a “package deal,” or to buy things separately (for instance, you can buy a computer and display as one package and buy the printer separately). We’ll assume for this exercise you’re not interested in building your own computer from lower-level components. When you go for the package, you may have no choice about some components; for an additional fee, vendors will sometimes let you “trade up” Some software may come with the hardware; some may need to be purchased separately.
Obvious places to look for information include the following sources; there are others, of course. You are required to use the sources marked with a bullet (•). For each source you use (marked or not), list it in your references document. We don’t require any specific format for your references, but they should be clear and complete enough that you&151;or we&151;can find them again quickly and easily. For instance, don’t just say “the class textbook”: give authors, title, year of publication, publisher, and pages referenced; don’t just say “my friend Kaitlin”: give her full name and contact information; give specific Web and news group addresses. Several standard reference formats (such as those used by professional journals or associations) exist, many described on the Web; of course, feel free to use one of them. (Don’t mix reference formats; doing so can easily confuse the reader.)
• Class lectures on this material
• Information in Abernethy and Allen
• Web sites
You must visit at least three Web sites of vendors of hardware and/or software. You must visit three non-vendor web sites or newsgroups that discuss or evaluate hardware and/or software.
You might be wondering how to find such sites. One way is just guessing an address and hope it connects to the place you want (yes, www.apple.com goes to Apple computer’s site). But you’ll usually have better luck using a search engine or two.
• Print sources
Surprisingly, perhaps, but several local major computer stores do not have a Web presence and you’d might be missing out on some great deals if you didn’t check them out. So, you are required to use advertisements from at least one print source that is no more than two weeks old. (Prices and availability change quickly in this realm!) A great place to look is in a newspaper. If you don’t have easy access to one, copies of local ones are available in the UCI library.
Radio and television
These media have shows on computing and lots of advertising about computing. Tape such things for reference, and use the information they provide.
• Yourself
You have personal experience with computing and computers; you are a particularly important point of reference; after all, this computer system is for you! Be careful, though: no one has experience with everything, and the technology can change quickly. Let past experience be a guide, but not blind you to new options that may better meet your needs.
Sales representatives
Go to a store that sells computer hardware and/or software. Look around; read the posted information; ask questions of sales staff. Take notes so you don’t forget what you learned!
• Other people
You must spend at least 15 minutes talking with another person with some knowledge of these issues. You can have this conversation one-on-one, or as part of a group. An easy way to meet this requirement is ask your TA to talk about these issues in discussion. You can talk with the instructor. You can obviously talk with friends and family. Try to make sure the folks you talk with are giving you informed opinions and not just repeating sales hype.
For potential additional credit, you can
• Use more than the required types or numbers of sources.
• Investigate additional system components, such as scanners, multimedia or gaming gear, or computer-based peripherals (e.g., digital cameras, Web cams, smart phones, MP3 players).
• Compare and contrast using a 56K telephone modem with DSL, cable modem, and/or wireless services for providing data communications and internet access; choose one (or more!) for your new system. In your letter to your relative, include your choice and the reasons for it, at an appropriate level of detail. In a written report to your TA (included in your submission folder), compare the benefits and downsides of at least two of these options, and your reasoning (beyond that already given in the letter) for choosing the one you did.
• Experiment more with the search engines; provide a report on the strengths and weaknesses of these engines when looking for computer hardware and software.
• Investigate other areas related to this assignment’s scenario, with your TA’s prior approval. (For instance, suppose you decide to obtain a new system, yet already have one. You could investigate the options for selling your used equipment, or for scrapping it responsibly; for instance, displays contain toxic materials.)
Written for ICS10A Winter 2001 by Norman Jacobson, December 2000
Updated for the Winter 2005 offering of ICS10A Winter 2005 by Norman Jacobson, December 2004
Minor revisions & tuning for ICS10A Spring 2006 by Norman Jacobson, March & April 2006