Chapter 3 Projects

Software Applications: What's Available?
There are so many software packages that it is difficult to get an idea of what's available unless you take a look through current computer magazines and software catalogs. For this project, use computer magazines and/or the Web to complete the following tasks: 

1. Find an ad for a company that sells a large variety of software. Jot down the name of the company and the magazine or Web site in which you found the ad. List the categories the vendor uses to classify software and the number of software packages in each category. 
2. Select one of the software categories discussed in chapter 3 and then identify two or three currently available software packages in the category. Read a comparison review of software packages in the category you select. Next locate and photocopy ads for each of the products in the review. Check the Web or magazine ads to find the best price for each product. Finally, assume that you have been asked to recommend one of these packages. Write a one- or two-page summary explaining which package you would recommend. 

Productivity, Suites, and Groupware
Use computer magazines or the Web to find the name of one productivity software package, one office suite package, and one groupware package. For each example, list the title, publisher, and price. Also, write one paragraph about each package, describing the kinds of tasks it is designed to accomplish.

Where's the Shareware?
You learned in this chapter that shareware can be less expensive than commercial software; it also lets you try the software before you buy it. But is shareware as available as commercial software? In this project you will find out. Use computer magazines and/or Web sites to find a shareware program and a commercial program for each of the following categories: (1) productivity, (2) utility, (3) education, and (4) entertainment. For each shareware package, indicate the program name, the name of the retailer or vendor, and the selling price. Also, indicate the name, date, and page of the magazine or Web site where you found the information. Shareware vendors frequently advertise in the back pages of computer magazines.