Week 2 - Studio 1

Hey guys!

I realized that its already week 5, so i decided to get all my portfolio material that i have so far and put it up ASAP! =D

Anyway, just to introduce the new studio concept. They're nothing like ive experienced before, with a lot more hands-on experience required from myself and my group members, as well as a lot more dedication. Its WAYYY more difficult than any lab ive attended so far...however, its a nice change to the usual practice of assignments...

SO!

hehe, no complaints so far..! =D

Alright then! On towards all the tedious tasks ahead!


Part 1: The Power of Relational Database Standards

Task 1.1:

1. I began the task by reading the database and client tasks we were supposed to do. I watched the video on how to create an ODBC link. However, remote connections are not possible..and since the server is located in Australia, and we're all the way in Malaysia, i couldnt create a link. Below are some screenshots of the process.





2. So, after that didnt work, i went on and downloaded the local copy of the database that we had to work on. There were some compatibility issues in the uni labs with MS Access, so i had to try opening it using MS Excel... and it worked! Woo! =D hehehe!

Below are some screenies i took...



Since i couldnt open the file with MS Access 2007, i tried converting the database to MS Access 2003 version... the conversion seemed to work.... BUT, for some extremely weird reason, the file STILL could not be accessed.... hmmm =\






3. When i opened the local database file with MS Excel, it worked fine.



Here is the view of the Grocery Table:




4. After going through all that, we were supposed to download an ODBS client tool. Since the lab PC's werent going to allow us to install anything anyways, i had to go home and try it out. Unfortunately, it was not very easy to use, and i got kinda lost after a while.

Summary:
Anyways, i did some research into what exactly ODBC was, and learnt how ODBC can be used as a standard which could allow applications and databases to be developed separately, yet allowing them to interface with each other, as long as the apt drivers are installed on the client.


Task 1.3:

This task is additional, but i still did it anyways...i mean, whats so crazy about getting a few more marks, eh? ;) hehe

We were provided with a chapter from a book called "The Invisible Computer" by David Norman (never heard of him..!)

It was basically about how society is moving from Technology-centered to Human Centered products...

Below are some of the key points i could extract:

1. In its early days, a technology cannot meet all the needs of its customers. Leading-edge adopters, the early adopters, need the technology, and they are willing to suffer inconvenience and high cost to get it. Meanwhile, they keep demanding better and better technology, higher and higher performance. With time, the technology matures, offering better performance, lower price, and higher reliability.

2. As the market develops, competition arises, the technology matures, and quality improves. This is the adolescent stage of a product. At some point, the technology can be taken for granted; that is, everyone has roughly comparable technology, so other dimensions of the product take on added relevance: reliability, maintenance, cost. This is where the pragmatic wave of adopters comes in, people who wait until they see whether the new technology stabilizes, whether it can actually deliver on its promises.

3. Eventually, the product reaches adulthood. It is mature, stable, reliable. Now, new dimensions are important; cost, appearance, and convenience play more important roles, with the technology and its functionality and reliability taken for granted. Now we get the late adopters, conservative purchasers who wait until the product has reached consumerhood, the final state of maturity.
Now, the product provides real value. The technology moves to the background. Convenience and reliability are more important than technological superiority. Appearance, prestige, and pride of ownership start to matter.


4. This is when companies have to transform themselves from a technology-driven to a customer-driven or a human-centered company.


In Summary:

What do late adopters want? Convenience, low cost, a good user experience. This is what Human-centered Product Development is all about.