Choosing the right computer hardware
Project 3 – Choosing the right computer hardware
For this project, read the following fictional case and complete the tasks listed below. Overview
Suppose that you have been asked by your friend, Dwayne, owner of Dwayne’s Digital Photography Services, to assist him in buying some hardware for his existing computer system. Your assignment is to research 3 types of products for Dwayne’s studio. He takes pictures with a high-end digital camera and saves them as computer files. He prints business documents (letters and invoices for the most part) on a small black & white printer that he already owns. Since he wants to retain the digital rights of his images, he is planning only to provide very high-quality, full-color “prints” for his clients using a large-format printer, one that can print up to 17 inches wide. He wants your recommendation for what printer to buy.
He also wants your recommendation for a large-format, flatbed scanner. This should be able to scan documents up to 17 inches wide and should not include a sheet feeder.
Of course, he wants to be able to work with a high-quality video monitor, too, so he wants you to recommend something that would serve his purposes and be compatible with his camera, the printer, and the scanner.
Dwayne wants you to give him a list of the above devices that you recommend for him to buy, along with some explanation of why you are recommending those items. Of course, you must always take budget into consideration. Dwayne, being a professional photographer, is not interested in low-quality (i.e., cheap), all-in-one devices, so don’t recommend any. He is expecting to pay between $1,500 and $3,000 total for the 3 items. He has asked you to prepare information on mid-range and high-end products that will fit his needs and budget.
Tasks
Use your favorite search engine to research the devices you want to recommend. Create a list of the devices you think Dwayne should purchase for the photography studio, including the type of monitor, the type of large-format printer, and the type of flatbed scanner. Include information about manufacturers, models, and prices.
Use a word processing program to write a business letter Dwayne with your findings. Start the letter with an “executive summary” that explains how much he should expect to pay for the 3 products. Here is a sample of such a summary. For your project, don’t just copy this sample, but write your own words.
Date
Bryce Martens
1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd. San Mateo, CA 92202
Dwayne’s Digital Photography Services Address
City, State ZIP
Dear Dwayne,
Thank you for choosing me to recommend your computer equipment. This letter contains my recommendations. Here is a summary of prices for the items you specified:
- The price for the mid-range printer is $xxx. The sales tax (at 9.25%) is $xxx and the shipping charge is $xxx, which brings the total to $xxx.
- The price for the high-end printer is $xxx. The sales tax (at 9.25%) is $xxx and the shipping charge is $xxx, which brings the total to $xxx.
- The price for the mid-range scanner is $xxx. The sales tax (at 9.25%) is $xxx and the shipping charge is $xxx, which brings the total to $xxx.
- The price for the high-end scanner is $xxx. The sales tax (at 9.25%) is $xxx and the shipping charge is $xxx, which brings the total to $xxx.
- The price for the mid-range video monitor is $xxx. The sales tax (at 9.25%) is $xxx and the shipping charge is $xxx, which brings the total to $xxx.
- The price for the high-end video monitor is $xxx. The sales tax (at 9.25%) is $xxx and the shipping charge is $xxx, which brings the total to $xxx. Thus, if you were to purchase all 3 mid-range products, you would pay a total of $x,xxx, and if you were to purchase the high-end products, you would pay a total of $x,xxx. This amount is for the hardware only and does not include the supplies like paper and ink (these are listed separately below). The hardware total falls within your budget range. Here are the details… For the next part of your letter to Dwayne, create a table that organizes your findings into 3 columns. List the type of device in the first column in the table (i.e., printer, scanner, video monitor). In the second column, list the name of the item, the manufacturer, the supplier, and some of the technical specifications about the product. Make 2 lines for each product – one for the mid-range product and the other one for the high-end product. DO NOT SIMPLY CUT AND PASTE THE SPECICATIONS FROM AN ADVERTISEMENT; USE YOUR OWN WORDS TO DESCBIBE EVERYTHING.
In the third column, list the price for the products including shipping and sales tax.
Important details
You’re not trying to “sell” Dwayne anything here, but he would like you to justify your choices. In the second column, include a short description explaining why you are recommending the type of products that you listed.
While you are thinking about printers, keep in mind that Dwayne will need photo paper. Most paper for large format printers comes in a roll, rather than individual sheets. To get Dwayne started, make a recommendation for a roll of 17-inch by 100 feet premium quality photo paper. Why would you recommend that kind and brand of paper? How much is it going to cost Dwayne for his initial roll of paper?
Suppose Dwayne wants to print using individual sheets of premium photo paper, rather than a roll. How much should he expect to pay for a box of 20 sheets? As above, why would you recommend that kind and brand of paper?
It may be obvious, but Dwayne is also going to need a lot of ink. What ink would you recommend? How much will he need to spend, and how often would he need to replace the ink cartridges? On a high-quality printer, are the ink cartridges sold in individual colors, or do all colors come in a single cartridge? Which is the best for Dwayne’s needs?
Keep in mind that there are a lot of choices here and that your recommendations are subjective. Do your best to keep Dwayne’s technical and budgetary needs in mind as you compile the list of mid-range and high-end products.
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT
