Session 4 and 5 - Other Multimedia hardware

In our second session we researched cameras, but there are lots of "Multimedia" devices that can be added to a standard computer setup. A multimedia computer would have higher specifications on pretty much every item that sits inside the case, starting with the Motherboard and processor down to the Monitor or output device.

Projectors and Monitors

I have classified these together because as monitors get larger and the resolution gets better, the need for a projector decreases.

Projectors range in price from a couple of hundred dollars up to $5000+

Read the following Projector buying guide

https://www.officeworks.com.au/information/buying-guides/projectors-buying-guide

https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/c/technology/projectors/digital-projectors

https://www.justprojectors.com.au/benq.htm


Officeworks


Just Projectors



The above images show a sample of some of the projectors available from Officeworks and Just Projectors. Note the very large price range!

Activity 1

What is the difference in the specifications of a lower end projector compared to a high end one? Find 2 projectors at different price levels and compare what you get in regards to features and specifications.

Monitors

There is also a large price and specification variation in monitors. This is where size definitely matters.

Read the How To Buy a monitor from Tom's Hardware 
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/monitor-buying-guide,5699.html


https://www.pccasegear.com/category/558/monitors





4k UHD Monitors from PC Case Gear



Activity 2.1

What is the difference in the specifications of a lower end priced monitor compared to a high end one? 

Find 2 monitors at different price levels and compare what you get in regards to features and specifications. Note the differences in resolution, refresh rates and physical size.

VR

Virtual Reality devices also come under this category. They are a way of viewing what is happening on your computer (and interacting with it).

Here are a couple of links with some articles about VR headsets

https://www.gamingscan.com/best-vr-headset/

https://www.techradar.com/au/news/the-best-vr-headset

Activity 2.2

What VR headset would I buy if I was looking for something for a Samsung Phone? What about my iPhone? Can I add a headset to my Windows Desktop?


Audio and Graphics

There are a couple of choices when it comes to audio and computers. You also have two different decisions to make - which audio card and then which speaker system.

Audio - Speakers

With audio (and video) streaming, computers are now commonly being used as entertainment systems and every entertainment system needs a great set of speakers.

Read the following articles on computer speakers

https://www.techradar.com/au/news/best-computer-speakers

https://au.pcmag.com/speakers/4110/the-best-computer-speakers

Here are some speakers from PC Case Gear
https://www.pccasegear.com/category/567_571/speakers/all-models





Audio - Headphones

For personal sound, a decent set of headphones is a great addition to your computer entertainment system.

Here are a couple of articles/buying guides for headphones

https://www.techradar.com/au/news/audio/portable-audio/best-headphones-1280340

https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/article/headphones-earphones-buying-guide/

Here is a sample of headphones available from Officeworks
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/c/technology/headphones-earphones/pc-headsets





Activity 3.1

You are now having to work from home and would like a set of speakers for your laptop/computer that are easy to use, don't take up too much room, but would be a great alternative for if you can't or don't want to wear headphones.

Activity 3.2

The library has a couple of PCs that have been set aside for patrons to watch videos or listen to streaming music. Choose 2 headphones that will provide great sound, but also be good value. Justify your selections.

Optical Drives

Optical drives are now no longer a necessity, but can be used to play music, watch movies, gaming, and for installing software.

With most software now available online for download, it is probably not a priority. I personally have a portable BluRay multi reader/writer that I can connect via USB when needed. They are also a good option for backing up and storing photos and videos. My husband asked me where mine was only yesterday because he wanted to watch a DVD series and it wasn't on Netflix.

https://www.pccasegear.com/category/658/optical-drives-media




Activity 4

Do you have an optical drive for your PC/Laptop? Do you use it (or miss having one). What would you buy if you just wanted one that you could connect occasionally? Justify your selection. 

Graphics Tablets


The main purpose of a graphics tablet is for digital drawing or art. It comprises of a tablet surface and a pen/pointing device.

Read these buyers guide for graphics tablets:
https://tabletunderbudget.com/best-drawing-tablets/


Here is a sample from JB HiFi
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/collections/computers-tablets/graphics-tablets




Activity 5

Do you have a use for a graphics tablet? What could it be used for?

Multimedia keyboards and Mice

Multimedia Keyboards and Mice can be used as a replacement for a standard keyboard. The main differences are the type of mechanism, sensitivity, lights and programmable buttons.

https://www.pccasegear.com/category/113/keyboards


Here is a sample of some of the Logitech Keyboards available






https://www.pccasegear.com/category/258/mice-mouse-pads



And some Logitech mice to go with the keyboard, although there are no rules about matching brands.





Activity 6.1

What is the difference in the specifications of a lower end keyboard compared to a high end one? Find 2 keyboards at different price levels and compare what you get in regards to features and specifications.

Activity 6.2

What is the difference in the specifications of a lower end mouse compared to a high end one? Find 2 mice at different price levels and compare what you get in regards to features and specifications.

Activity 6.3

Is there a decent deal to be had on a Keyboard/Mouse combination? 

Video Conferencing Tools

Activity 7

Research task: What hardware do you think you would need for a decent home video conferencing setup? Is comfort an issue? Ergonomics? 

Recommend a basic setup - something affordable but functional for a home office. Justify your response

Recommend a more advanced setup. It can just be the next level from your basic setup or it could be your "dream setup".

How do we choose?

How do we decide what we want when it comes to Multimedia devices? Often it is just a personal choice, but we do have to take into account what we may want to use the devices for. What software will we use? What other hardware do we have? Budget? Personal experiences with a particular brand?

Another important question is what software. Some high end multimedia software may have an optimal specification for hardware and so you do need to make sure that what you get, meets those standards.

Here are some specification recommendations for some standard multimedia software.

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html

https://products.office.com/en-au/office-system-requirements

Printers




When buying a printer, you will need to consider some or all of the following points:
  • Budget - always start with this!
  • Laser or Inkjet
  • Colour or monochrome
  • Single cartridge or multiple (ink jet printers)
  • Printer only or multi function device
  • Network capability/connectivity
  • Devices that will be connected
  • Card reader or USB reader
  • Speed 
  • Quality of output
  • Paper size
  • Paper trays
  • Paper types
  • Duplex ability
So many decisions! If you go back a few years, most people had an inkjet style of printer. They were reasonably cheap to buy, could produce photo quality colour prints, and were generally easy to buy and maintain. Colour Laser printers were beyond most household and even organisational budgets. Today, the gap has reduced and colour laser printers are as affordable as many inkjet printers.

Inkjet versus Laser Printers

Laser printers work by creating static electricity, which essentially magnetises the paper. Laser printer "ink" is a very fine powder that "sticks" to the charged paper. An inkjet printer uses liquid ink that is pushed out through a nozzle to spray a tiny dots on the paper. 

Watch this video that explains the technologies. While this video is a couple of years old, and some of the facts may be slightly outdated, it does a pretty good job of explaining the differences.

Ink-jet vs Laser Printer - printershowcase https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAlbvv6q2rc



Alternatively:
Printers Explained - Laser, Inkjet, Thermal, & Dot Matrix - PowerCert Animated Videos

 

Class Activity 8.1

What type of printer do you have?

Does it cover ALL of your printing needs?

Ink and Toner

When you buy a new printer, it will come with ink or toner - not full cartridges, but enough to last you for a little while. Eventually, though, you will need to refill or replace the cartridges.

Things to consider when deciding between brands of printers:

Number of cartridges

Depending on the printer, this can vary from 1 and up to 6 or more (some even have 10 tanks). Early inkjet printers had only one cartridge that could produce all of the colours. The main disadvantage is that you have to replace the whole cartridge if one colour ran out. If there was no separate black ink, the black produced was a bit brownish.

Generally, printers will use four separate cartridges - one for each Colour of CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black). Those that use more may also have light Cyan and light Magenta.

Cost of Cartridges

Before you buy a printer, check out the cost and availability of replacement cartridges as well as any other consumables, for example, with laser printers you may need to change the drum after a certain number of prints. 

Also check whether the company has a recycling program and whether the cartridges can be refilled. Some manufacturers may have a clause in their warranty that does not cover faults if you use non-genuine cartridges or have refilled them.

Check to see if the particular printers you are looking at quote an average cost per page figure. While they are based on a certain percentage of page coverage, it can be used to compare running costs when your decision has come down to just a couple of options.

Class Activity 8.2

Do you refill and/or recycle your ink or toner cartridges?

Find 2 places that provide either refilling or recycling of cartridges. What are the advantages? What is the process? Do you think it saves money? 

Printer or Multi-function device

Do you need a copier/scanner/printer in one device? If space is at a premium and you have a need for the other functions, then a multi-function device might be a good option. When choosing a multi-function device, make sure that the functions work independently i.e. that the scanner will work even if there is no ink/toner.

Network capability and Device options

Do you need to be able to print from multiple devices? Phone? Computers? Do you need Wifi, Bluetooth or other connectivity? Does it need to be able to read from or write to USB memory or SD Card? Is being able to print straight from a camera or camera SD card something that is required?

Class Activity 8.3

Can you find an inkjet printer and a laser printer that has WiFi and Bluetooth?

Can you find an inkjet printer and a laser printer that has the ability to read SD cards to print photos from a camera?

Speed and Quality of output

Print speed is usually measured in pages per minute (PPM or ISO ppm) with monochrome usually faster than colour printing. Higher resolution photo printers may be slower, but will print at an exceptional quality. 

Quality is measured in DPI or Dots Per Inch. The bigger the numbers, the higher quality print output. 

For more information on DPI requirements and photo printing:

Class Activity 8.4

What is the highest resolution photo printer that you can find? Provide the make, model, resolution and cost. What resolution (DPI) seems to be the best value for money for a photo printer? Is there a direct correlation between DPI and cost? What other factors seem to affect cost with photo printers? 

Paper Handling

How large will you be printing? If you print 90% of your work on A4, do you need your printer to be able to handle larger paper? If you very occasionally need larger print formats, places like Officeworks can do that on the spot at a very reasonable price. This might be inconvenient if you have to do it often, but for occasional print jobs, it might be more economical than paying a lot extra for a larger capacity printer. Inkjet printers are generally much cheaper to buy if you are looking for a large format printer than a laser printer. 

Do you do lots of bulk printing? If you regularly print large quantities, then you will need to consider paper trays that have a large capacity so that you are not constantly having to hold up printing while you refill the paper. 

Duplex printing is where the printer is capable of printing on both sides of the paper. Duplex can be automatic or manual, but if you are regularly printing on both sides, then you will want it to be automatic. Be careful with inkjet printers when printing duplex as some paper can be quite porous and you will end up with a smudgy mess.

Will you be printing on special paper such as parchment or other textured surface? Card or thicker paper, envelopes or sticky labels? Will you be printing on smaller paper such as business cards? Check whether the printer is capable of printing on a variety of paper sizes, gsm, and types.

Maintenance

Both types of printers have some maintenance that may be required as well as consumables. 

Class Activity 8.5

Research some basic maintenance tasks for an inkjet or laser printer. How often should you perform these tasks?

More information on Printers







Class Activity 8.6

You have a budget of $500. You need a printer that meets the following requirements:
  • Colour printing
  • Capable of duplex printing (printing on both sides of the paper)
  • Economical
  • Available now (Currently in stock)
  • 600dpi
  • WiFi

Nice to have:
  • Ability to print from phone/tablet would be nice
  • Scanning ability would be nice but not essential
What printer would you recommend and why?

3D Printers

Many libraries now have 3D printers as part of their Makerspaces. 3D printers can be priced from a couple of hundred dollars to tens of thousands. Things to consider when purchasing a 3D printer include the maximum size of the print Length, Width and Height, the types of material (filament) that it uses, and Budget.

3D printer purchasing Guide at Toms Hardware https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/3d-printer-buying-guide,6335.html

PC Mag https://au.pcmag.com/3d-printers/25115/the-best-3d-printers


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