Week Seven - Software Quotations

Software Quotations

My task this week was to find some overall quotations and costings for Mrs. Carter on the software side of things: she has asked for Windows 10, Office suite and anything else that I feel would be necessary. 

Operating System: Windows 10 Professional 64-bit

Office Suit: Microsoft Office Professional 2016

So after finding out the quotes for the software we will need to carry out this project, I sent me results back to Mrs. Carter and then she chose the following...

Operating System: Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - She was happy with the price per unit, I had explained that I like this version of Windows and she was happy with the final cost.

Monitor: Microsoft Office Pro 2016- Mrs. Carter was impressed with the pricing even though it wasn't the most cost effective at the time, she like that it was just one payment of £75 and that was it.

Other software I recommended was open source software that would perhaps help with the day to day running of the business and would be useful to the company.

Free open source software:

email sent from R. Carter -> 13/7/17

So now we have the software and hardware sorted for the project, this is great because now I can sort out my timescale and when we can get the implementation started. Next week I will be creating a project timeline and liaising with Mrs. Carter to see when is best for the hardware to be installed.

Week Six - Hardware Quotations

Hardware Quotations

My goal this week was to find some overall quotations and costings for Mrs. Carter, because she had now hardware whats so ever I had to get costings for three computers, monitors, mice, keyboards, printer and any further accessories, the main focus of this was the costings for hardware.

Computer: Stone Desktop i3-4130 3.40GHZ, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD

Monitor: Iiyama ProLite E2083HSD-81 20" LED DVI Monitor 

Printer: HP DeskJet 2620 All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer

Keyboard & Mouse: Advent C112 Keyboard & Mouse Set

Wireless Adapter: TP-Link Archer T1U USB Wireless Adapter AC 450, Single-band

So after finding out the quotes for the hardware we will need to carry out this project, I sent me results back to Mrs. Carter and then she chose the following...

Computer: Stone Desktop i3-4130 3.40GHZ, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD - She was happy with the RAM, Storage and Processor compared to the other two machines I had recommended.

Monitor: Iiyama ProLite E2083HSD-81 20" LED DVI Monitor - Mrs. Carter was impressed with the pricing, she wasn't really interested in the size or output of the display.

Printer: HP DeskJet 2620 All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer - After looking at the spec of all three printers, Mrs. Carter was happy that the all in one was ideal, it wasn't really going to be heavily used anyway and was impressed with price and compatibility.

 Keyboard & Mouse: Advent C112 Keyboard & Mouse Set - With the Keyboard and mouse, she told me to source the cheapest and most user friendly devices. I found a cheap set from Currys which I has used before.

Wireless Adapter: TP-Link Archer T1U USB Wireless Adapter AC 450, Single-band - Since we only plan to have a small layout I felt that going down a wireless route was important, I told her my intentions and was happy to proceed, with this item again she told me to recommend one and go with it.

So after a week or so of finding the hardware, sending the details to Mrs. Carter and receiving her feedback. We now have a foundation of hardware I can work with, next week I will be looking into and pricing of software.

email sent from R. Carter -> 23/11/17

Week Five - Floor Plan

Floor Plan

So into week five, Mrs. Carter has forwarded me the floor plan for the implementation of the network.

So from the floor plan above, I can now really start to plan the project. You can see that as I enter the room, to the left of me will be the first desktop PC, straight ahead will be the shared printer and behind that is the desk with the second and third desktop PC's. Its a very basic, small layout which will be workable, I will need to confirm with Mrs. Carter about the power outlets in the room and if extension leads will be required.

This weeks plan now will be to start finding some actual hardware to put in this room, I will be going to numerous suppliers and checking prices, specification and usability. From the information I receive from my sources regarding quotes and findings, I will send them to Mrs. Carter and await her feedback.

email sent from R. Carter -> 9/9/17

Week Four - What the Customer Wants

What the Customer Wants

On Sunday the 29th of October I met with Mrs. Carter (the owner of Rosie's Piano School) to discuss what direction she wants her business network to head in, she had some clear ideas and knew exactly what she was after which made this meeting go very smoothly.

Mrs. Carter was a little tight for time so we got straight to business, I went over the topics to discuss: hardware, software, security, plan, costings and installation time. 

Hardware: Mrs. Carter was very keen on having three brand new computers (not laptops), she was adamant on this as she didn't want to risk damage costs. She also wants a shared printer that her employees can have access too.

Software: Mrs. Carter was just interested in making sure her employees have internet access (as that is how her website and business is managed, it is also key to have the Microsoft Office suit installed. One more point she mentioned was having an shared email address they can all have access too, I mentioned that we could have Office 365 which would take care of the Office software and also email.

Security: Mrs. Carter did not know much about security, she was just keen on having an antivirus software implemented to her system. I went over the idea of having shared folders and and security on who can access certain files and resources, she liked the idea but as all employees need access to the same resources, this was not required.

Plan: We went over which room would suit this installation and how the layout could look, she said on this matter "I will have a think and let you know by next week".

Costings: We then talked about the costings and I made it clear with the cost of hardware that the higher spec the model, the higher the cost. Mrs. Carter said that she was looking at spending around £300 to £400 per PC and £50 for the printer. As for my time, I told her that this was for my degree and was happy to charge nothing for the labour.

Installation Time: We talked about when she was happy that the project and the hardware will be installed, I said that I would take me a little time to source the hardware for the best price and software. We agreed that the installation will take place sometime after Christmas.

So after me meet with Mrs. Carter, I now have a clearer idea of what she wants and what direction we can move in, I will now wait on her plan ideas and from that we can begin to move forward with the project.

Week Three - Finding a Company

Finding a Company

So, now that I have my idea and proceeding with the implementation of a network as my project. My next task is to find a business willing to listen to my ideas, allow me to come into their company and start spending their money.

So Monday I decided to create an advert which I could then advertise on social media and take to local business’s, I’ve never been known for being an artist so I kept my project poster brief and simple by creating it in MS PowerPoint.

I then contacted a local computer repair company (Cavalier Computer Services), and asked if they could post my advert on Facebook and twitter. Fortunately, they were happy to do this for me, I wasn’t until Wednesday that I had a response from a local company wanting to invest in some new IT hardware, they also required an emailing platform and printing. The company was actually a piano teaching business that teacher’s pupils to play the piano, I asked why would a teaching company need a small network setting up? The owner replied with… “We also sell piano’s, music and accessories, we also have a payment system we need setting up online, we are currently paper based but would prefer if we could send invoices via email.” I took some notes down of what the owner was after and arranged to set up a meeting for Sunday morning (29^th October 17), in my next post I will be able to update the blog with exactly what the owner of the piano company is after, we will be able discuss costings and time frames.

email sent from R. Carter -> 28/10/17

I later phoned Mrs. Carter to Confirm the meeting for the 29th.

Week Two - Decided Project Idea

Decided Project Idea


Over the past week I have been thinking about which idea I will be using for my project, the three ideas I originally put forward was the game, the website and finally the network. I have narrowed my project ideas to just two, these being the network and the game.

I have decided to not go ahead with the website as I feel it wont be challenging enough, I have created websites in the past and have found them pretty simple. I feel for my degree project that it requires a more in depth solution and this is not that difficult, so this leaves me with two choices.

The game idea is a great opportunity for me to display my design and coding skills, it will require me to create a storyboard of what the game is going to consist of. Will it be a racing, shooter or football game? these decisions can be a hole problem of there own. I would then elect to create my game in Unreal Engine as I have had experience making games in that engine, in unreal I made a zombie game and found this very enjoyable. The only factor I found difficult in Unreal Engine was the AI, creating the blueprint was a challenge and because of this I may chose to use another piece of software.

The network would be a project that really suits me down to the ground, its something that interests me and will challenge me. It will be a real start to finish plan, finding a company, planning a blueprint, price matching and equipment purchasing, installation and configuration of a network and finally testing and fixing the bugs. Out of the three this will be the most challenging and will require putting in the hours, I know I will come across a lot of issues along the way but for me I feel this would be the best option.



Decided project Idea - Network

After some thought and now it has come towards the end of the week, I have decided to carry out the task of creating a network for a business, I have had experience of this in my past projects and have enjoyed working with a companies employees to complete the project. It will be a tough project to complete which is the reason I have chose to build a network, my first task will be to find a company with this desire and is able to funds my ideas. It will be a fun but challenging project, in the next coming week I will be calling round some business's to enquire about my desires implementing a network.

Week One - Ideas for Project

Ideas for Project


Idea 1 - Game

My first idea is to create a game, perhaps a first person shooter
- Zombie game (AI characters chase after the main character)
- War game (AI soldiers shoot at the player character)
- Racing game (Driving game where the player races against the AI)

How would I go about this project? I would first decide what type of game I will be making (shooter or racer), from there I would have to consider which software I would use to make the game (Unreal Engine 4, Unity). Then would be the design of the game, working on the layout, how I want it to do and what I want it to achieve.


Idea 2 - Website

My second idea is to create a website for a business
- I will need to find a company first who wishes to take there company online
- Would the website requirements include just advertisement or selling products
- How much will it cost? hosting and hardware

How would I go about this project? First I would have to find a company who requires a website building for them, Once I find that company we can then discuss the finance and see how much we can spend on getting the website live (I will be building the website for free). Then we will need to consider the design of the website and the functionality, will it be used for users to go online and buy items (e-commerce) or will it be used for contact information and product information.

Idea 3 -  Network

My third idea is to create a network for a business
- Again like the website, I will need to find a company who desires a entire network setup
- Costings, this would be a pricey project - putting into account hardware and software requirements
Computers, Printers, Switches, Leads, Operating System, Software, Server.

How would I go about this project? This would be a much larger projector and much more financially involved so we would need to find a company with a willingness to spend money. Once I find the company, we will need to look into the layout and how much equipment we will need to buy. This will involved comparing pricing and specs of machine which would benefit the business, working to a budget and finally implementing the system, hardware setup, software install and configuration.

Introduction - Project

Introduction

- This double unit (40 Credits) is the culmination of the BSc Creative Computing degree - it gives students a chance to demonstrate all they have learned. It is be the most demanding part of this degree. Although students are supervised, they are on their own to a large extent. The project can be based on one of the units delivered this year, but does not need to be. The First step of a project is to come up with 4 or 5 initial ideas the student has. The student discusses these ideas with the project supervisor and from these initial ideas the student chooses a project. This then is presented (technically this is a viva) and graded.

- Then after a successful viva the students implement the project creating a weekly blog as they go. This blog contains what the students do each week on the chosen project and is eventually submitted and is graded. 

Aims and Summary
- Through the execution of a challenging and complex Final Major Project students will demonstrate their progress and professional development. Students will be required to initiate, negotiate and manage the project and are encouraged to work collaboratively with clients, organisations and audiences to establish realistic and externally tested concepts and products. Students will be required to carry out contextual research and investigation to inform and direct ideas towards high quality, challenging and creative computing outcomes or products. These must be presented professionally and will demonstrate effective utilisation and application of appropriate techniques and processes to meet industry standards. Students will be required to ensure that their work conforms to appropriate codes of practice and meets the ethical requirements your College or University. Support and guidance will be provided by a project supervisor who will be the primary point of contact for a student on this module.

Intended Module Learning O

- On completion of this module students should be able to:

Produce and present an informed Final Major Project Proposal under supervision of an academic staff, and plan, appropriate to the form, content and style of the project. 

Carry out contextual independent research and conceptual development informing and strategically directing ideas towards resolving a complex and challenging creative project brief(s) 

Demonstrate evidence of synthesis and application of production processes and technical skills, utilising these effectively to produce finished outcomes reflecting practice and professional management. 

Produce and appropriately present finished outcomes to industry standards.