The following is an overview of the hardware rules for projects 1 through 5.
There are five different specific project options ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) as well as general project rules (project 1 rules, project 2-4 rules [not yet posted]) that apply to whichever specific project option you choose.


In project 1, you should not consider issues such as programming languages. You should instead focus on issues such as tasks, appearance and functionality.

In project 2, you will choose the specifics of how to implement your project within certain limits. Since you will need to demonstrate your project in class as well as give it to another team to evaluate, all projects must be able to run under Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000 unless other arrangements are made in advance. My laptop is running Windows 2000 and the PCs in AVW 1122 are running Windows NT. Those machines also have Java 2, PocketPC emulators that can access the network, Visual Studio 6, Visual Studio .NET and Visual C++ for PocketPC and Visual Basic for PocketPC installed. If you would like a copy of Visual Studio 6 or .NET for use on this project, contact Dr. Golub. Java 2 is freely available for download. Visual C++ for PocketPC and Visual Basic for PocketPC can be downloaded or a CD of it can be borrowed from Dr. Golub. You may create (for example) Java 2 applications that run on a PC which appear just like a Windows CE application would even though Java 2 does not currently run on my actual PDA. If you would like to simulate communication over a network by simply having both the client and server running on the same machine and communicating via sockets (for example) you may do so.

If you are doing project option 1 you must write your client tool to match the capabilities of a PocketPC such as the iPAQ. This includes display size, the use of pen input (ie: use no mouse motion, only mouse clicking and dragging), and special-purpose buttons. You can also assume that the iPAQ has a GPS card installed.

If you are doing project option 3 you must write your client tool to match the capabilities of a slate TabletPC, preferably in portrait mode. Note that a slate TabletPC has no physical keyboard - data entry is accomplished via a stylus. There is a "soft" keyboard that can be brought up on screen to allow users to tap things out on the image of a keyboard. Stylus interaction is similar enough to mouse interaction that you may select to code use mouse movement events rather than the Microsoft Ink programming library. You can program using the Ink library on a non-TabletPC running Windows 2000 or XP. I will have an actual TabletPC available for short-term usage if you would like to test things on the actual device.

If you are doing either project option 2 or project option 4 or project option 5 you must assume a 15" color touchscreen with 1024x768 resolution as the interface (similar to the ones in CSIC that control the lights, etc.). External keyboards are not allowed (though you could have an on-screen keyboard). For option 4, you can add a requirement such as a bar code reader, IR port or card reader. For option 5, you can assume there is a credit card reader and that you can either add a simple printer that prints a secure receipt or a CD/DVD burner that burns a full CD or DVD in under a minute.

Note: In all cases where you are allowed to assume a cetain piece of hardware, you may simulate that piece of hardware if you do not have access to it during the semester. For example, if you wanted to use biometrics, you could say "there would be a thumbprint recognition device here" and simulate it by having an image that represented it and a pop-up menu of names that comes up if you click on that image so you can make the selection which would really be done by the biometric device in practice. Be sure to do your homework on the design and use of these other devices though, since their usability issues become your usability issues.

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