Tutorial Blog 2 1080p vs 720p

Hey bloggers Kevin here.  I want to talk to you guys about the difference between 1080p and 720p resolution TVs.  The average person would think that the 1080p is by far the better choice because it is a bigger number.  Well they are right, to an extent.  But as Prof. Olsen explained about the hard drives it is best to determine the application for the technology and then decide which is best.  For example, how large of a TV do you plan on getting and what will the viewing distance be from the TV.  These are very important questions to ask because it can save you hundreds of dollars.  Here is a chart that shows the best viewing range for each resolution at different screen sizes.

As you can see from the chart the two main questions that must be asked are screen size and viewing distance as I stated before.  The full benefit from each resolution is on a slope so when the TV gets bigger the viewing distance need to also get bigger to achieve the best quality.  Here is another good image comparing the two resolutions.

Step back a couple feet from your screen.  Can you see the difference?

Excel Project

This excel project was very fun and interesting for me.  I was able to use all the different techniques we learned from the lectures and actually put them to work.  At my current job I used an excel spreadsheet to display the staffing for the current shift at the unit I work on in the hospital.  What I use excel for at my job does not even scratch the surface of the capabilities that the excel program has to offer.

In the first half of the project while working with the raw data I was able to put a lot of the skills I learned from the lectures to use.  The one I found most useful was the control plus arrow keys to navigate the worksheet.  My current use of excel tops out at about 40-50 rows.  In the raw data we had over 500, so when it came to copying formulas to an entire column of 500 rows the shift/control/arrow keys were a must.  I also felt that the "IF" formula was one of the coolest as far as having total customization of the data.

In the second half of the project we worked with pivot tables.  Now I have never heard, seen or worked with a pivot table ever so this was all new to me.  I've been blessed enough with the opportunity to own a Macbook Pro, but unfortunately what we saw in the lectures didn't turn out to be similar in the Mac version of excel.  I feel that I had a decent grasp of the pivot table so hopefully my work will solidify that.  Overall I think the project did a great job of taking the new skills we learned and putting them to use.