Using the Web sites listed in Technology Summary 17.2 ( pg. 662) as a starting point, resolve the following issues:
a. Select sites (or parts of sites) that describe two similar software or hardware products. Write a summary that compares and contrasts the information provided about those products.
b. Select two sites that provide demos of a system. Write a report that compares and contrasts those demos in terms of the functionality and what you are able to learn about the system from the demo.
c. Select two sites that provide tests of a system. Write a report that compares and contrasts those tests in terms of the functionality and what you are able to learn about the system from thetest.

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SOURCES OF VENDOR INFORMATION online services to identify and evaluate computer hardware, soft- ware, and vendors. The information contained in these services especially that resulting from independent expert analysis of a ven- dor and its products or from user surveys, can provide valuable insight into the vendor's quality, financial condition, number of installed systems, and similar information. Some are reports such as those available from Gartner Group, Inc. (www.gartner.com) Gartner's services indude Dataquest, with research and advice in a In addition to these independent sources of information about software, hardware, and vendors, the Internet provides a wealth of variety of papr-based, computer-based, and information directly from the vendors. For example, in a quick tour of the Web (une 2010), sites were found for Symantec (network secu rity, virus protection, and so on-www.symantec.com) IBM (www. ide valuable ibm.com), Microsoft (www.microsoft.com), SAP (www.sap.com), Dell (www.dell.com), and Gateway (www.gateway.com). Through these sites, news was obtained about upcoming products, lists of existing products, customer support, technical support, software purchases bm.com), Microsoft and software fixes and upgrades. Finally, in additon to traditional software vendors, many open- number of areas, including market insights related to market share,source vendors exist, These vendors may be able to meet forecasts, industry norms, and a variety of other metrics. Gartner also needs in less time and for less money than publishes reports in a variety of technology areas to provide insight to IT managers when making decisions. needs in less time and for less money than can be done through other means. They build applications using existing open-source components rather than developing them from scratch or by using commercial soft- ware. Once developed, however, the application is made available to others via the open-source software network. Consequently, knowing that the improvements made while creating your open source system Magazines both printed and online -also dent reviews of vendors, hardware, and software. For example, ZDNet (www.zdnet.com) publishes reviews in its online magazine eWEEK and in magazines that are both printed and published online, such as PC M Shopper (computershopper.com) may be used by others agazine (www.pcmag.com) and Computer may be used by others (including your competiftors) should be consd- ered when using open-source vendors for business-critical systems or those that provide a competitive advantage.