Computer Specifications

Generally speaking, any computer purchased in the last 5 years will be capable of supporting distance education. The nature of the this activity, the internet connection is as important as the hardware capabilities. The fastest computer will be incapacitated by a slow connection; likewise, a budget computer on a super-fast fiber optic internet package will outperform an expensive system on dial-up!

Below are the minimum configurations for student and faculty PCs and Macs (desktop or laptop) used for distance education. These configurations will allow for the most basic work and interaction, but will probably not be suitable throughout a student’s entire program (2-3 years in the future).

Computer Specification

	Windows	Mac
processor	Pentium 4/ 600 MHz	PowerPC/G4
ram	128 MB	256 MB
hard drive	40 GB	40GB
modem	56k standard modem	56k standard modem
monitor resolution	800x600 pixels	800x600 pixels
sound card	Basic (integrated or motherboard)	Basic (integrated or motherboard)
operating system	Windows 2000 or XP	Mac OS X
web browser	MS Internet Explorer 7 Modzilla Firefox 2	Safari 2 Modzilla Firefox 2
pdf reader	Adobe Reader 8	Adobe Reader 8
browser plug-in	Adobe Flash Player 9	Adobe Flash Player 9
browser options	Java, JavaScript, and Cookies must be enabled	Java, JavaScript, and Cookies must be enabled
microsoft office (for classes that use)	Office 2000	Office 2004: Mac

 

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Janice Samuels
support@wtu.edu