Procedure:

Summary

This is the capstone assignment for the course.
Thus, it is the most important assignment (closest to real life too).
It takes time to prepare - start working on it early! 

The assignment has 2 parts

Students will compare either:

Students will research the product's attributes using:

Around midterm, Submit a plan

During the last weeks of class, give a PowerPoint Presentation to classmates summarizing your research.
Expect to talk 5 to 10 minutes or so

Steps

1. Read this assignment page, the presentation hints and PowerPoint hints page.

2. See how this important assignment will be evaluated.

3. Submit a plan at least 3 weeks prior to the presentation (this is ¼, a quarter, of the grade)

4. Incorporate feedback

5. Do the Research using the sources named in your plan

6. Compare prices

7. Look at presentations made by students in prior semesters

8. Prepare the presentation

9. Rehearse the presentation

10. Format handouts with our name, class section and the date and print the handouts

11. Give the presentation

Presentation Plan

Select 3 similar hardware or software products to compare, for example:

Submit a plan, that is either a word processed paragraph or PowerPoint slide with two 2 long sentences

Select products produced by 3 different manufacturers. 
Select products that are comparable and have prices within 20% of one another.

Select products that are comparable, perform the same function and cost within 20% of one another. The least expansive one cannot be more than 20% less the the middle one.   For example, if the middle priced model costs $1,000 then the most expensive must cost less than $1,200 and the cheapest no less than $800.  In the real world this margin would be 5% ($950, $1,000 and $1,050).  Each product  must be made by a different manufacturer.   
The plan must list the exact page (URL) each of the 3 manufactures that describes the selected product and at least two independent review. The Consumer Search site provides links to good independent reviews.  Note Consumer Search is NOT a source itself.  It is a a "bot" , a review bot.  Consumer Search combs the web and find REVIEWS on other sites that have the information and then summarizes it and rates how good the reviews are and provides links.
That is it's real value.

Eligible products are listed on the "review bot" site in

Name the exact products; for example HP Inkjet Model 123, Epson Inkjet model 23b4 and Brother model 44GLX and the approximate cost of each.  Use www.Froogle.com or another shopbot to find prices.

Name the specific sources where you intend to get your information:

Provide the product's name or copy its image and then create a hyperlink to the manufacture's product specification page for the text name or image.

The plan will have selected and named the web sites, magazines or stores to be used for research. 
At a minimum, use all 3 manufactures' web sites and/or call their 800 numbers and get printed material. 
Additionally use 2 or more independent reviews from a paper magazine or an internet one. 

The plan MUST state very specifically where information that you intend to analyze, summarize and incorporate into your presentation.  For example: 

Other good places to get reviews are Consumer Search, ZDNET, CNET, PCWorld, PC Mag, Shopping Guides and places on my shopping site.

Again when the source is an Internet product review, use hyperlinks to demonstrate their location.

Use Reference sites such as Wikipedia, Webopedia and HowStuffWorks! to look up unfamiliar term so that you can explain them during your talk. 

A fun read on purchasing a PC might give you some ideas.

Submit a plan in time to get and use feedback (a minimum of 3 weeks before you intend to present). 
The plan is a quarter of the assignment grade!

Do Research

Read the sources identified in the plan.

Select the factors, attributes of the product, to be compared. 
For all product support, warrantee and price.  For all computers, CPU, RAM, Hard disk, Optical Storage, Display and Included software are important.  For laptops, battery life and size/weight are important factors.

For printers speed, resolution, paper capacity, and  cost of cartridges are some factors

Look at work of students from prior semesters

Compare prices

Find manufactures' suggested list prices at the manufactures' web sites.

Find the street price - how much it can be bought for.  This requires comparison shopping

Visit shopbots to find "street prices", how much the consumers will actually pay.  Good shop bots are:

Develop the Presentation

Develop a PowerPoint presentation with

Watch Videos on how (and how NOT) to give PowerPoint Presentations

Here is a terrific 3 minute presentation Richard St. John: Secrets of success in 8 words, 3 minutes- notice all the graphics and shortness of words

Rehearse the Presentation and prepare handouts

Assessment