Evaluating computer options for a university project management course

¶ … Computer for PM Course

Project Selection (Project Cost Management) Well structured report table context required requirement details emailed placing order

The project involves purchase of a computer for the University's project management (PM) course. The computer to be purchased should be able to serve different purposes. First is that it should be capable to create, read and manipulate word, spreadsheet and PDF documents. Secondly, it should be able to handle statistical programs such as SPSS. Third, it should be able to handle internet and email communication and to provide access to the University systems such as Blackboard and Turnitin. Lastly, it should have sufficient processing capabilities and data storage space to handle and store large and complex data.

Options identified

Three computer options selected for this evaluation are the MacBook Air, HP Compaq Pro 6300 PC and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. These three options are chosen because they are distinct in nature -- they have different operating systems, sizes and are from different manufacturers. The MacBook Air is manufactured by Apple and is a laptop computer. It operates on the iOS operating system. The HP Compaq Pro 6300 PC is a small form factor desktop PC manufactured by Hewlett Packard and operates on the Windows 8 platform. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, a tablet PC operating on the Android platform, is manufactured by Samsung.

Selection criteria

For this evaluation, the following criteria will be used to evaluate the computers:

A. Functionality -- for this evaluation, functionality will be determined by the ability of the computers to meet the minimum requirements for running detailed statistical programs such as SPSS, email and internet communication including University programs such as Blackboard and Turnitin, spreadsheets, word documents, and PDF files. The ease of using each of the three devices based on the intended purpose will also be evaluated in this criterion. This is important because the computer must be able to meet the intended purpose.

B. Durability -- this will be checked against the proposed lifespan of the computers based on manufacturer recommendations and what other users of similar computers on internet forums recommend. This is important because it is intended that the computer once bought should be able to last the duration of the PM course and university education.

C. Quality -- This will be evaluated by looking at the material used to make the computers and their components such as battery, exterior casing, keys and keyboard. This is important because quality affects the duration of the computer and once the computer is purchased, it should last the entire duration of university education.

D. Affordability -- the most important aspect that will be considered is the price of the computer. However, this will also be evaluated against the lifetime of the device because a device that is costly to purchase but with a longer estimated life is cheaper in the long run. This is important because the project is limited on cost.

E. Maintainability -- the number of years of warranty provided by the manufacturer will be the most significant aspect to consider in this criterion. However, the customer service ratings and locations for each manufacturer will be evaluated in determining how easy it is to service the computers. This is important because once the computer is broken or needs repair, it will be important for time without a computer to be reduced considerably.

F. Marketability -- this will be evaluated by checking the resale value of these computer options on the internet after approximately four years of use. The resale value will be evaluated by checking the online prices on sites such as EBay, Amazon, craigslist and on Google. This is important because technology advances fast and it is expected that after completion of university education, this computer will be obsolete and new ones will be available therefore it will be useful to sell it to purchase a new one Inc. 2012()

Selection criteria

A

Functionality

B

Durability

C

Quality

D

Affordability

E

Maintainability

F

Marketability

Scoring for each computer

In order to score the computers, it is important for research to be conducted to determine the values for each of the criterion. SPSS is only available on the Mac OS and Windows 8 platforms IBM 2013.

Therefore there is a serious limiting factor in purchasing the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, which does not support SPSS. All three computers support internet and email communication, spreadsheets, word and PDF files. For the MacBook Air to be able to manipulate Word and Excel files with ease, it will require an extra investment in software to purchase Office for Mac. The MacBook is easier to use because it can be used anywhere because of its portable nature. It also has a long battery life allowing one to use it even when there is a blackout. The MacBook Air has an internal storage of 250GB while the HP Compaq Pro-comes with internal storage of 320GB. The Galaxy Note has 16GB storage which is the smallest compares to the other options. The MacBook Air has superior processing speed compared to the other two devices but the Compaq Pro-outweighs the Galaxy Note in terms of processing speed. With all this in mind, the Compaq Pro-gets a score of 2, the MacBook Air a score of 3 and the Galaxy Note a score of 1.

In terms of durability, the HP Compaq Pro-is more durable because it is a desktop PC and is moved around less often thus less prone to mishaps Hewlett-Packard Development Company 2013.

The MacBook Air comes with a scratch resistant case, which allows durability. It is also thin and light with a less complex design to allow for a durable design. The Galaxy Note is the less durable of the three computers because though it comes with a scratch resistant screen, it is easier to drop and more prone to dropping. Therefore, the HP Compaq scores 3, the MacBook Air scores 2 and the Galaxy Note scores 1.

The HP Compaq Pro-has a metallic cover case while the other two computers have plastic cases. However, the MacBook Air has a better design and is ultra-light Inc. 2013.

The HP Compaq Pro-is scored 3 while the MacBook Air is scored 2 and the Galaxy Note is scored 1.

In terms of affordability, for option A, which is the MacBook Air, the price starts at $999 Apple Inc. 2013()

, option B, the HP Compaq Pro-starts at $699 Hewlett-Packard Development Company 2013()

, while option C, the Galaxy Note 10.1, starts at $549.99 Samsung 2013.

Since price is a serious concern, the cheapest model gets the highest score. The Galaxy Note gets a score of 3, the HP Compaq Pro-gets 2 and the MacBook Air gets 1.

All three devices come with a one-year warranty. Apple have stores all over the country which act as points for customer care and repairs. It is easy to find an Apple store nearby compared to HP and Samsung stores or repair points. It is easier to find a HP repair center than a Samsung repair center. Therefore the MacBook Air scores 3, the HP Compaq Pro-scores 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note scores 1.

Of the three devices, the MacBook Air has greater resale value and can be sold with relative ease compared to the other two computers. The Galaxy Note 10.1 also has a better resale value than the HP Compaq Pro and can be sold with relative ease compared to the HP Compaq Pro. Therefore the HP Compaq Pro-is scored 1, The Galaxy Note 10.1 is scored 2 and the MacBook Air is scored 3.

These scores provide the range which is multiplied by the weight of each selection criterion to provide the final score for each option. The final score for each device will then be tallied to get the total score. The computer with the highest score is the recommended one to purchase based on the selection criteria earlier identified.

Options:

1. MacBook Air

2. HP Compaq Pro

3. Galaxy Note

Selection criteria

Range

Wt.

Score

Range

Wt.

Score

Range

Wt.

Score

A

Functionality

3

33.33%

0.99

2

33.33%

0.67

1

33.33%

0.33

B

Durability

2

13.33%

0.26

3

13.33%

0.40

1

13.33%

0.13

C

Quality

2

6.67%

0.13

3

6.67%

0.20

1

6.67%

0.07

D

Affordability

1

26.67%

0.27

2

26.67%

0.53

3

26.67%

0.80

E

Maintainability

3

20%

0.6

2

20%

0.40

1

20%

0.20

F

Marketability

3

0%

0

1

0%

0

2

0%

0

TOTAL

2.25

2.20

1.53

Recommendation for preferred computer

From the table above, the preferred computer is the MacBook Air. This is because it scored highest in the functionality criterion, which is given the most weight and though it is more expensive, it gained high scores in the other criteria. This decision is based on a cost-benefit analysis of the three computers that although the MacBook Air is more expensive than the other two options, it provides extra benefits that outweigh the cost effect. It will allow for flexibility since it is portable and can be carried along to study or do assignments and research in various places and it also allows for work to continue even when there is no power. It is thus cost-effective because it saves on power bills since it does not require to be on power at all times when being used. The MacBook Air also offers superior processing capabilities compared to the other two options, which is important in handling complex operations.