Software Research and Analysis - Learning activity 1

30533a – Learning Activity 01

When you do your research, remember your list of requirements and make notes as you go along. A good way to make a record is by creating a table.

Below is a comparison table that a student has used in order to conduct her research. In this table she has set out all of her requirements as column headings and addressed all the programs that she has investigated. The benefit of this comparison table is it helps ensure she collects all the information that she needs and it will provide an overview so she can compare all her results to one another (it is not pictured here).

Now, here is my own creation.

Program	Effects	Raster	3D	Save as PDF?	Other notes	Cost
Adobe CC	Y	Y	Y	Y	Other great features that aren’t on other programs; support and training is available	A lot!!!  (about $A400 per year subscription)
MS Office	Y	?	?	Y	Know how to use	Not as much as Adobe
Apache Open Office	Some	?	?	Y	Like Office but preloaded on computer; Not as many features and can be temperamental	free
Roxio	Y	?	N	N	Simple to use but not as many features as Adobe – includes DVD and video making, and Photosuite	free
Clay Animation	N	?	N	N	This is a video-making application specifically for clay (i.e. plasticine) animations	$A10-20