Sunday, December 1, 2013

14 Project Proposals

When the time comes in GenYES, to build hardware projects, it is often the most challenging, but fun portion of learning technology.


Computer hardware changes dramatically and just about the time
you have mastered "the next best thing" a new "thing" comes along.

Think about it.  Did you even know what a ipad was when you were in grade school?  Nope, because it didn't exist.  (Well mainstream anyway)  Now microcontrollers,  app development and coding to the masses are the hot new trends.

So to be in the mix with new developments, consider the versatility of microcontrollers relative to personal computers.

We are going to form teams, shop for parts and develop projects for the spring.  Do some significant research.

Open each website below.  Think outside the box....

1. PC Popularity
2. How to build a computer from scratch
3. BUY* computer parts:  CDW  or  Troxell
4. Arduino Projects
5. MakerShed Arduino Projects
6. BUY* Arduino Parts: Yourduino

*PVUSD contracted sites.  You may only buy parts from these options.

TASK:
PART 1
Visit all 5 website links above.  Number your blog 1-6.  Write one statement about each site.  Your statement could be about an item you'd be interested in doing if you find something you like.  Or something you learned, like what an IDE or SATA drive is.  Or what is a better processor AMD/Intel? Or what an arduino can do.  (For 3 and 6, consider and identify one part that you might actually buy specifically for a project and price it out.)

PART 2
Find your own project.  Find a site link on a hardware project, that you would find interesting and that would be useful for the school. Price it out using PVUSD contracted sites.  You can put your group together and put this info on your project proposal together do it here: Proposal  If you are doing a project by yourself, use the same form.

PART 3
Get ready to have your blog entry projected on board for class discussion.

We will discuss this on Monday and Tuesday and you will have time to work on this blog.  Your comments and research will be part of classroom discussion.   Project proposals on Wednesday.

100 points.  Do a good job!

47 comments:

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  2. 1.I look at PC's as a stock they go up and down for example they started out hot are now declining but will pick back up. They will never die.
    2.Although it would be cool to build a computer it would be very time consuming.
    3.The cheapest yet most productive thing all teachers need a speaker they could be at most $30 and will last for such a long time and be very good for our education.
    4.SNF Drumming MIDI Glove using Arduino and light sensors this would be awesome I always find myself tapping my fingers to a song this would be so cool to use and make a song using my hands
    5.Pulse Sensor AMPED for Arduino makes pulse measurement very simple. This would help all students with heart problems and diabetes which would make us more respected.
    6.How cool would it be to make a robot? Exactly it would be great.That is what I believe we should buy is a robot kit and controller.

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    1. I would like to build a computer though

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    2. I would most likely want to build an arduino hand musical instrument which is making music with your hands

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    3. SNF Drumming MIDI Glove using Arduino and light sensors

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    4. You could combine the hand instrument with the LED rave gloves.

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  3. 1. PC's are still popular because Lenovo's PC has gone up 20% and Dell manager has gone up 6.4%.
    2. It looks really hard to build a computer out of scratch if you don't have all the right parts.
    3. I'd choose CDW over Troxell because CDW has more selections on there website to choose from than Troxell.
    4.

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  4. 1) The PC sales probably declined because most people already have a PC/computer in their house and don't need a better/new one. It wasn't too bad of a decline, but could easily be explained other than by popularity. (I will reply the rest of my blog later)

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  5. 1. Most people have bought computers.The sells are still 91% of they regular sells and most people don't burn through a computer in a year.
    2.Intel is better than Amd because the frames per second can be between 58-125 for intel and it is a well known name for a reason
    3. CDW sells computers already made and have relatively good processors and cooling fans for under 500 dollars
    4.It can help you work with LED but it can also help you program obnoxious things like platns or oven mitts
    5. For $65 you can get a starter kit if your inexperienced like mebut also you can get robots for $100-$500
    6.You can buy switches for under $5

    Part 2
    1.http://www.makershed.com/Arduinos_Microcontrollers_s/43.htm
    This link gets you started

    Part 3
    i would want to build a pc

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  7. 1. I disagree with the article author's opinion about PC's dying off. As long as there is a demand for more personalized computing, there will always be a market for PCs.

    2. I learned that the processer is the most expensive part in the mix most of the time. It is the brain of the machine, and the amount you pay for a particular one could be the defining aspect of your PC's performance.

    3. I noticed on CDW that a hard drive that stored up to 256 GB was five times as expensive as a 500 GB, and the only difference was that it was a SATA, which means that it performs better through faster data transfer rates and the like.

    4. I learned that an Arduino is a device that allows for the control of basic things, like lights and motors. It can essentially be used to automate many household tasks as well as more advanced, business oriented ones.

    5. Arduinos actually have plenty of accessories that one can buy today. You can have the Arduino mounted upon a robot that allows it to roll around.

    6. There are remotes that one can use to control any robot parts that the Arduino runs. There are also many different sensors that allow the Arduino to carry out a lot of its intended tasks.

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  8. 1. 1. I really don't think PC's aren't "Dying" sure there is a drop in PC, yet it's small. Pretty sure it all depends on the PC's people already have at the moment, some people might be fine with what they already have, or might not be able to afford it this year or at the moment. It's not like you get a computer and it breaks within a few months. Watch I bet PC's shipped and bought are going to go up within a year or two.

    2. For a very odd reason, seems simple to me. I'd have the time to do it as well. Time? What is time? But money is the issue to me. If I had parts for medium to high quality PC then I might be able to handle it, for sure.

    Will Add More Later!

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    1. 3. Troxell seems of a site for teachers to buy their utensils for the class such as dry erase boards and projectors. so CDW seems like the better site.

      4.Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The N: how to make a multi-layered acrylic and LED sculpture with variable lighting levels, really interested me. Such sparkly lights, as if the songs that sooth the soul are gently playing, borrowing light from the purity of the heart.

      5. I have no idea where to start, for an odd reason Arduino confuses me but building a PC seems easy to me. I did see an Arduino Cookbook http://www.makershed.com/Arduino_Cookbook_2nd_Edition_p/9781449313876-p.htm
      seems like it would help a lot.

      6. I have no idea what, I know it might be very very lame, but build a PC is one thing I wanted to accomplish in GENYES.

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  9. 1. The public has decided that the new easy portable devices are the new thing to use. They are more efficient and easier to use and buy. They are also much cheaper to use. Plus the public already has computers in there home to use and they don't need anymore.
    2. Whinston Gordon has made a guide going from step one- The parts too the last step- installing
    the apps and virus programs.
    3. If I actually decided to construct a pc i would use CDW because from what i heard about it
    ; it seems very reliable. I don't even ...how bad i think troxell is because from just the website i hate it.

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  10. (1.) (1- I visited the Techland website and the article on pc popularity and learned that pc's worldwide sales went down 10.4 percent year over year last quarter. But in the united states sales only went down 1.4 percent people speculate that because of businesses upgrading there xp machines to more high tech ones is why the sale aren't as low. Microsoft did say that they will keep supporting xp for the year which is why businesses are upgrading there old machines.
    (2-The how to build a pc from scratch is a good PDF to look at if your somebody that has never built a pc before. It covers all the basics and gives you a list of suggested brands to consider in making your pc. It explains and gives details about the motherboard, cpu, graphics cards, hard drives, and the compatibility between them all. Its a good manual to look at and follow for making a pc if your new to the whole concept. It also gives you a step-by-step instruction guide to building your computer I found it a little simple and complex at some parts but defiantly some one who has never built a pc before can use. It does also have a guide to setting up your os and all the other things you have to do after you Finnish building the pc.
    (3-Case-Gigabyte GZ-ZA2 - tower - ATX $36.99.
    Motherboard-ASUS Q87M-E/CSM - motherboard - micro ATX - LGA1150 Socket - Q87 $144.99
    CPU-Intel Core i3 4130 / 3.4 GHz processor dual core $136.99
    Graphics card-AMD Radeon HD 7450 graphics card - Radeon HD 7450 - 1 GB $79.99
    Ram-Crucial memory - 2 GB - DIMM 240-pin - DDR3 (Q) 2 $31.99 each.
    hard drive-Seagate Barracuda hard drive, 1 TB $64.99
    (4-On the Arduino projects website I found a project that really interested me. Its the Twitter mood box its powered by a Arduino, a wifly wireless module, and RGB led light, Twitter.com, and a 9V battery. Im interested in this because I want to wake up and see what the worlds feeling and if its going along with my mood for the day. And I think it would make for a interesting project.
    (5-The Maker Shed Arduino Projects had some really cool and interesting kits and accessories for the Arduino. But the one that caught my attention was the Hexy the Hexipod its a fully articulated hexipod robot kit. It has six legs and is powered by the Arduino its a simple robot to put together with the tutorials and guides that the websites has.
    (6-1. YourDuinoRobo1 (Upgraded Arduino Compatible) 5.0/3.3V $17.00
    2. Multi-Motor Driver Shield (2-L293D) $19.50
    3. LCD Display Blue 2004 (20x4) IIC, I2C, TWI $24.00
    4. 2.4GHz USB wireless module NRF24L01 $25.00

    (2.) I would want to do a xbox 360 laptop as a project I thick it would be a good project to do because I want to understand the innerworkings of the xbox 360 better and I think it would be interesting to find out how to put a console like that in to a laptop case that functions like a normal system. I have a link to the Ben Heck website were he built a 360 laptop
    http://benheck.com/xbox-360-laptop-original



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  13. 1. "Users are putting off the purchase of new laptops or desktops, and buying tablets for casual computing instead." That was said on the site. It seems that Users are more interested in portable, small and easy to use devices. Rather than desktops and laptops.

    2. Whinston Gordon has made an excelent guide for PC building, he shows you all your main components such as a processor Motherboard Graphics card and so on, also what they do for your PC.

    3. If I was constructing a PC I would use CDW, it seems more professional, CDW is easy to browse and find what I am looking for such as processors, motherboards, and for a cheap price.

    4. The Arduinos look like a perfect first step into hardware designing, giving students "a nearly limitless array of innovative applications" as said on the site, Sounds like fun!

    5.The Getting Started with Arduino Kit v3.0 is only $64.99 and features
    (1) Arduino UNO
    (1) USB Cable
    (1) 9V Battery Pack w/DC Plug (requires soldering)
    (1) Clear Breadboard
    (1) Deluxe Jumper Wires
    (2) Red LEDs
    (2) Green LEDs
    (2) Blue LEDs
    (1) RGB LED
    (10) 10K Ohm Resistors
    (10) 220 Ohm Resistors
    (10) 270 Ohm Resistors
    (2) Photo Resistors
    (2) Momentary Button
    Which is very cheap for all those accessories, you can even buy pre-built arduino.

    6. I've seen tons of cool robots built with arduinos, and I think that would be a great project, maybe we could have a king of the hill match with our robot arduinos.

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  14. 1) The "PC" as we know it will not die, if you throw aside the whole Apple and Microsoft fight as realize what a PC is "Personal Computer" than you will realize that any electronic device with computing powers is by definition a "PC". Which means that pretty much every device nowadays is a PC granted that they often go by different terms i.e. "smartphone" "android" "tablet". The "PC" is not even close to dying off, its growing rapidly.
    2) The cool thing about custom building a desktop is the fact that there are literally thousands of different ways to build it. This allows you to build yourself a desktop that would service you perfectly for whatever things you want to accomplish such as programming, editing, music mixing, gaming, etc....
    3) In my opinion CDW would be a better distributor to purchase from. I feel as though they have more options and better prices.
    4) Arduinos are microprocessors they allow code to be run through them allowing the use of some really cool gadgets to be made.
    5)Markershed has some cool basic Arduino projects that can be purchased. This would be perfect for people who want to learn more about them but have limited time.

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  16. 1. PC's are not dying and it started to look like they were. As the years went by, PC growth got bigger and they started to be used more and more. I think that PC's are something that will never die and they are going to be used more throughout the years. Mikako Kitagawa thoughts on why PC's were dying was interesting and I think it is very true that professionals who are upgrading their Window XP machines are giving more growth to PC's the past few years.

    2. Building a PC is now more of an interest after reading the articles and I think the processor is something that I want to learn more about. The processor in my opinion is a very important part of a computer and building a computer with a processor that I have picked to be used in the computer makes everything more interesting. The hard drive is a part of the computer that interests me also, but not as much as the processor. These to computer parts make me want to build a PC and it's awesome to learn what they do for your computer and how they affect it.

    3. I learned that SATA are cables that connect within the hard drive, they are a IDE standard to connect things to the motherboard. An IDE is the previous standard hardware interface for hard drives and CD drives in the computer. These are very cool things to learn about and they are very interesting after learning what they do and why they are used in a computer.

    4. Arduinos are one of the coolest things i have ever learned about, they can control things like street lights and Halloween displays around your house. They are one of the most advanced technology's that i have learned about in a long time and I think they would be really fun to use in or out of school. people are using Arduinos to educate and entertain students in schools which I think is a very interesting thing to use in school.

    5. On the site I learned that Arduinos aren't just used for lights but they are used to make robots and products that can control themselves. In my opinion I think that is amazing and I would have never thought that people are using Arduinos to do these things. These technology's are going to help out the world even more in the future and it's going to be a big impact on the world itself.

    6. Many Arduino products are not that expensive, but again I noticed that they are used to make many things and control them as well. They make remote controls and digital clocks which almost every person in the world has. Some Arduino parts can be expensive, for example the spider robot controller and their are many others to. All of these products are the coolest things in the world and I would love to get into more detail with these products.

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  17. 1. I learned about Arduinos, as you can see below. AMD is better than intel because it is more compatible. Although I am somewhat biased because I have a powerhouse super fast desktop computer of my own, I still believe they will live on. Desktop PCs are cheap, more powerful, always upgradable, you can plug a ton of peripherals into desktops, you get extra screen real estate, multiple graphics cards can go into a desktop, fixing one is easy, a lot of people know them, creative software can efficiently be used on a desktop, and they are secure.
    2. I have known how to build a computer from scratch since the 6th grade.
    3. CDW seems decent. If we buy online, it will probably be from CDW. I don't really like Troxell very much.
    4. I think i will par up with about 6 friends and build a powerful PC. Everything after this are just facts that I learned and opinions of mine. Arduino is a single-board microcontroller to make using electronics in multidisciplinary projects more accessible. The hardware consists of an open-source hardware board designed around an 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontroller, or a 32-bit Atmel ARM. The software consists of a standard programming language compiler and a boot loader that executes on the microcontroller. Even though this is interesting, I prefer the desktop.
    5. The Arduino microcontroller is the foundation of thousands of projects created by varies parts of the globe. Everything cab be used with it. It is cheap and very compatible.
    6. Yourduino is great. When I visited the link, it showed me a bunch of cool thinks like robotics and a mini digit voltmeter and an inferred sensor.

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  18. 1) Pcs arent dying but people are more leaning towards tablets and Macs rather than the pc laptop/computer itself.

    2) The book is very in depth on what to do, and how. Also shows what levels of certain parts to use for personally building what the person wants to use the computer for.

    3) If we buy online there is a 99% chance we will buy from CDW. It looks a lot better and Troxell's set up isnt the best.

    4)Its very interesting to see how people use Arduinos to control certain movements and reactions of different objects.

    5) I think for my project i am going to explore this website and see what kits are there and to see what catches my eyes

    6) This website shows a grip of things like Driver boards and distance finders and voltreaders etc. Really interesting site

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  19. 1. The decline of PC sales is almost a given effect of today’s world and how the average person behaves with technology. Who wants to sit at a computer screen for hours and not move? That’s why tablets such as iPads and Samsung tablets are becoming so popular. You can take them on the go, no matter where you go. Your personal information, right next to you at all times.

    2. The pdf of building a computer from scratch is a very handy tool. explaining how each part of the computer works and what it takes to build one. For myself, I know absolutely nothing about building a computer or what anything in one does! So I will most likely come back to this very helpful guide.

    3. The Hard Drive WD My Passport is a good choice. It’s cheap, has great reviews by consumers, and has a total of 500 GB.

    4. One project I am interested in is using an Arduino to create a Wireless Super NES controller. This way, you can sit anywhere and not be limited to a tiny cord while playing your favorite classics.

    5. On the Maker Shed website, there is a product called a Makey Makey, which allows the user to use sensors to do amazing things. Like setting up a banana to be the space bar for your computer, or piano stairs when you walk on them.

    6. On Yourduino, there is a 4-Channel Motor Controller With Coder Support that may work well with the project I have planned. Further research may have to be done to find an Arduino that may work better for the wireless controller, but this may work just as well.

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  20. 1. I don't think the PC is dying at all, the declines in the US are miniscule, as small as 0.5% in HP's case, and companies like Lenovo even going UP by 20%. There will always be a need for PCs, be it for casual use, like for gaming, and professional use, with graphic design programs and office programs.

    2. This guide is very helpful, its hardware descriptions are helpful, and with visuals to help with comprehension.

    3. CDW seems like a more accessible site, its layout is better suited for home users or businesses ordering huge orders, and Troxell is more for school district purchases for campus use rather than for personal purchases.

    4. http://goo.gl/TlJYn5 This project made with an arduino is a program that allows the user to write using their eyes. This is especially useful for people who aren't able to use their hands.

    5. On this site, I found a cool part: http://goo.gl/SwdKYx The Monochron Clock Kit, which is a simple, hackable display for an arduino.

    6. Yourduino is a website similar to Makershed, but it specializes in arduino parts.

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  21. 1.PCs are dieing because of all of the other technology industries out there. People already have house computers and don't need other laptops. They just buy easy portable i pads now adays.

    2. The Tutorial was very good. I want to learn how and maybe if i spent more time i could. The steps look very legit and proffessional.

    3. Cdw looks the best so far. I think me and Clifton will use Cdw.

    4. I explored and found about planes, flamethrowers, and ROMANCE PANTS. Also self making sandwiches and things.

    5. For this i saw the maker shed hexipod. I think that me and Clifton will do this project if not something else.

    6. This website shows prices of materials of the arduino. You can buy it already made, or use the parts that they provide to buy. This site is all about different types of arduino's

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  22. 1. PC are not dead even though they are slowing down in production. They still live in laptops.

    2.There are many things to consider in build a computer and the parts that you use. I would probably build a high performance computer to satisfy my needs.

    3.I would choose a high core processor and a larger hard drive.

    4.The best project in there was probably the cube because it takes mre program over most of the other ones.

    5.Some of them would be cool like a robot which they had a lot of different ones.

    6. I would try to have more ram because it might help assess each piece of code faster.

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  23. 1. The PC Popularity article does have some good points to maybe consider before buying your PC or changing systems but I do feel that PCs are being a little outdated. I mean, a lot of people are using different systems to browse like their gaming systems.

    2. Whoa, that was long. I found a lot of the article interesting, since i'm kind of new to the manufacture of electronics. I really thought that there would be more parts to the computer itself, for the size that mine at home is.

    3. Oh. My. Goodness these websites are confusing! But really you just need to search anything and they will tell you if they have it or not.Me and Meghan S. are looking at project to do and the LED Cube that is 4x4x4 looks pretty cool. Basically what you can program it do do is flash different bulbs at different frequencies to make a light show. Unfortunately both websites didn't have a lot of what we needed, so we switched projects.

    4. OFFICIALLY for our project, we are going to do the Arduino Charliplexed Heart or the Led Ladder Game. Going to make like an M or something. It is very similar to the LED Cube but this is only 2-D. Adding all of the prices, this project could be anywhere from $40 to $75, depending on how big you make it. Considering this, we will probably make two.

    5. The Audio Player WaveShield Kit SOUNDS pretty cool. (like my pun?)

    6. Oh, look at them arduinos! Still looking for te right one for our little project we got going on here.

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  24. 1. PCs are not dead. The arduinos and new fancy technology might be taking away some of PCs bank but that doesn't mean that the PCs are unpopular. I have tons of friends into building PCs but that just might be because I have more tech savvy then most people.

    2. I'm not sure but from the above posts I think I am the only one that read this all the way through. I learned so much reading about building PCs and what parts to buy and what does what. It sounds like one of those things that is hard to learn but super easy once you get the hang of it.

    3. I have been looking at PC parts and it seems like the ideal build would be quad core processor with high clock speed and spread the rest of the money out evenly.

    4. The possibilities that an arduino can do is endless. There are definitely some wild ideas out there. It all depends on what you program it to do.

    5. An amount of money that an arduino costs basically is determined by how complicated you want the task to be. For example making an arduino that waves an arm in a circle would be cheap an easy to do. But something like the romance pants might take a little more out of you bank.

    6. This site kind of looks like someone took apart a transformer and stuck random fancy labels on everything and is trying to sell it piece by piece online.

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  25. 1.) I read this article and though it was pretty interesting and understandable, PC isnt really dead, its just going in the phase of slowing down.
    2.) This sight is just building a computer and its parts in a nutshell. I already know how to build a computer and know its parts, maybe not every aspect of the parts, but I do know where they plug in and know what is best for it.
    3.) granted I wish we could use newegg.com , these websites are still substantial. These 2 websites are used to buy computer parts and components. I looked through them and took a look at some of their parts and prices, it seems to be that they look reliable.
    4.) Honestly, I never knew what an Arduino was until this came up. I learned that an Arduino is a micrcontroller that has a nearly limitless array of innovative applications for everything from robotics and lighting to games and gardening.
    5.) Maker Shed is a website that sells products involving an arduino, componects for one.
    6.)Just like # 5, YourDuino is a website that sells products or componects involed in an arduino.

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  26. 1) i think that PC are still popular because PC can do a lot of stuff that a tablet can't and PC are sometimes easier to use than tablets
    2) it was extensive but informative it stated everything in a simple easy to understand method
    3) troxell seems more for schools as apposed to cdw that is more for home and business users
    4)the arduino projects on instuctables are actually pretty coo Maggie found a lader game on instuctabes that we will most likely do
    5)this place really didn't have projects it had parts so i really didn't look for specific parts there
    6)this place seemed kinda hard and confusing to find what you need

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  27. 1. While I do agree that Pc rates have been dropping lately due to tablets, smart phones and other electronic devices, the power that Pc's have is still the dominant power. Even if it is more expensive.

    2. The second site has a tutorial on how to build a complete computer. The tutorial makes the construction of a Pc very simple and reasonable. I haven't built a decent computer yet so it's definitely going to be helpful when I start. The last time I build a computer was 2-3 years ago. The computer had ribbon cables.

    3. After viewing both websites, I think I'll be mainly using CDW for finding my project parts. I find trox.com annoying to use because of it's difficult to navigate and find computer parts.

    4. This project has been my first experience with learning about arduinos. While I was looking through the project website I noticed something about a laser tag system. It turns out that someone has developed their own way to program a light gun with the help of an arduino. It can send signals to other objects too. http://www.instructables.com/id/Duino-Tagger/

    5. Makershed.com has many projects on building your own arduino machine. And most of the time, it comes with the parts needed too.

    6. The yourduino site is much like the CDW of arduino parts. You can get the components and accessories you need to build your own fully functional machine.

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  29. Part 1:
    1. The worldwide sales of PCs dropped in the last quarter. However, in the US the PC is not dead. The drop in sales for the US was less than half the drop in sales worldwide.
    2. For those who have never built a computer, the how to build a PC from scratch is a great PDF to take a look at. It shows you all the basic parts, explains what they do, and explains what kind of machine you'll need for people with different needs.
    3. If I built a pc, I would use CDW over Troxell because CDW has more selections.
    4. The project that I would do is probably the LED cube because it looks really cool.
    5.. The project I would probably want to do would be Hexy the Hexapod because I love using robots and it looks really interesting and I've always wanted to build a robot.
    6. I believe we should buy a robot kit and controller, just like the rover Rover 5 Tracked Vehicle: 4 Motors, 4 Encoders.
    Part 2:
    http://www.instructables.com/id/Hexapod-robot-instructables-coming-soon/
    I think building a hexapod arduino robot would be a great project.

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  30. 1. PCs aren't really dying, people just aren't as into them as they are tablets and touchscreen phones. Though on the article it says that PCs will be used when it is hard to use the small touch screen on the other device. Like if you were to be writing an essay or playing a game.

    2. What we want to do first when thinking about building a computer it seems would be the performance and type. Depending on this there will be a certain amount to create the computer. Lower or middle performance computers as it says in the articles have the lowest pricing and are ideal for this project.

    3. CDW seems to have reasonable pricing and looks like everything is easy to find. The Troxell site is a little confusing and the prices are a little high.

    4. These projects are very cool and it looks like arduinos could be used for many everyday things or even innovative to our daily life, like the turning bike signal jacket. This jacket has turn signals on the back to tell the cars behind them which way they will turn.

    5. These arduino projects are more for mechanical everyday items that will help you. Including a heart rate sensor. Though also many innovative devices like small robots.

    6. It looks like arduino parts are generally not very expensive as shown on the site ranging from $1.00 to about $40.00

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  31. 1. The PCs are not dying, they are just not being bought anymore because most people already have one. The sales are dropping because people don't need better PCs than the ones they already have. They would rather get mobile devices along for on the go.

    2. This PDF is great for people who are wanting to build a computer or at least learn how. It can also help people who already have built PCs to upgrade or fix their hardware.

    3. I wish we had more of a selection. CDW would be the better site because it offers more selections for multiple hardware and computers.

    4.I would like to do something with the musical parts like the MIDI Shoes or gloves that can make music. That would be cool. Maybe light up the notes that play on the glove.

    5. I would also like to make a robot that could pick up things or something similar to the hexy hexapod. That would be interesting. We could put a camera on it and use it as a spy device.

    6. We should get a wheel parts of the robot and hook it onto something else like maybe a remote control tray that carry things, like a robot waiter.

    ReplyDelete
  32. 1. This website states the PC prebuilt sales are dropping. They state the next level is tablets and PC's are being shifted out due to portability. Just remember you cant upgrade a tablet but you can upgrade components in a PC just let that sink in.

    2. This site offers step by step of how to build a computer and what components do what. I didn't read it in detail because I know most the stuff their talking about.

    3. CDW looks more professional than Troxell. I would trust CDW overall if I was to pick one or the other. One item I would get is the AMD FX 8350 its 240 and for the price you can't beat it you will pay another 100 dollars for a Intel processor for about the same performance,

    4. Arduinos=Pocket sized PC The arduinos are good if your doing something that requires your PC to be light and small. The power laces is a cool invention but it seems unneeded. There are a lot of cool gadgets you can make with the arduinos.

    5. You can select starter kit,accessories or just the arduino its self. The most expensive arduino is 90 bucks. This is very interesting because of all the accessories you can get with it.

    6. If I was to get a part off of the website it would be the 6 AA battery kit. It makes your arduino portable therefore allowing you to make a handheld console.

    Part 2
    https://docs.google.com/a/pvlearners.net/document/d/1n-MrIRLNf77tXfn7Gj1N7g9nx_rbTFDcsLJE_pdDTw4/edit
    People in group - Dillan Partridge, Jake Liddle, Jacob Fox, Louis Snooks, Anthony Herzog, Marshall Digges

    ReplyDelete
  33. 1. In my opinion, the PC is not "dying" everyone will have their own type of Personal Computer, but people might not be purchasing boxes or towers anymore due to space consumption.

    2. Thanks for the article, I'm going to use this when I build my gaming computer for Xmas. I really enjoy the thought of making something from scratch that I personalized.

    3. The website has all the parts required to build a PC of my choice, but the prices are a bit higher than what you would find on amazon or ebay.

    4. As cool as the Arduino inventions look, I would prefer to build a PC instead.

    5. Hexy the Hexipod in freaking amazing. I would buy it any day.

    6. I think the infrared remote is the most useful part, it makes you robot move. That is, unless, if you want your robot to be a no good vegetable.

    ReplyDelete
  34. 1. I personally don't think the Personal Computer, as we know it, will die out completely. PC Gaming, much like console gaming, will always have a place on home computers.
    2. This seems to be an excellent and complete guide for building a computer, and if I had the money for the parts I would probably turn to this guide as a resource when building my own personal computer.
    3. [Site was undergoing maintenance, could not access]
    4. These arduino creations look really cool, I would love to look at these in more detail some time, and our group hardware project is using an arduino invention.
    5. Various starter kits and beginner sets for arduinos. Our group will probably order from a different site.
    6. Lots of cool sensors and receivers here, remotes and other robotics parts. These would be really useful!

    ReplyDelete

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