CIS 110 College of San Mateo Choosing the Right Computer Hardware Project
Introduction to Computer and Information ScienceProject 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.
Expected project length: 2 to 3 pages, single spaced, 12-point Times New Roman. Remember
to include your name, the date, and the project number at the top of your project.