The University of Texas Continuing Education K-16 Education Center Continue

::CBE/EA and COURSES

Computer Requirements

System Requirements

Our online courses require access to either a PC or a Macintosh computer. Minimum requirements for the PC include Windows 2000 or XP operating system, as well as at least a 500 MHz processor. Although our courses should work with the Windows Vista Operating System, we do not currently provide support for technical issues encountered while utilizing Vista. For the Macintosh, you must have at least the OS 10.x operating system and a 500 MHz PowerPC. Other hardware configurations may work, but have not been tested.

Other general cross-platform hardware requirements include:

  • an Internet connection, such as a modem, cable, DSL, or LAN connection and an Internet Service Provider (we strongly recommend high-speed Internet for all online courses);
  • speakers and/or headphones;
  • a sound card;
  • 512 MB of installed RAM;
  • a hard drive with a minimum of 40 GB of free space; and
  • a printer.

Some courses may require:

  • a CD burner;
  • a digital camera;
  • a digital video recorder (or a digital camera capable of recording movies) or webcam;
  • a flatbed scanner (this is an optional device that may be utilized in Art courses);
  • a microphone and audio software;
  • Microsoft Office Professional; and
  • iTunes or any mp3 player.

Plug-Ins

Macromedia Flash and Shockwave players
You will need the Flash player (or plug-in) and the Shockwave player (or plug-in) to enable you to benefit from all of our courses' interactive features. Test your browser with this web page to see if you have the plug-ins installed on your computer. If you do not see the animations, install the plug-ins from the sites below. Also if you are running version 10.1.1 of Shockwave, PC users will need to upgrade, and Mac users will need to download Shockwave from the alternate site listed below.

Flash Player
http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer/

Shockwave Player
http://sdc.shockwave.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?

[Mac Users, you will need to download the Full Installer version of Shockwave from here:
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/alternates/#sp]

Adobe Acrobat Reader
To access some files in the course, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.

If you are on a Windows (PC) platform, you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader at
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/acrwin.htm

If you are on a Mac platform, you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader at
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/acrmac.htm

Screen Resolution

This course is best viewed with a color monitor set at a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. Screen resolution settings can be adjusted in the display options for PC users and in the control panel for the Macintosh.

If you are having problems adjusting your settings, consult your operating system manual (Windows manual for PC users, Mac OS manual for Macintosh users).

Browser Information

Our courses require a Web browser. We highly recommend Mozilla Firefox (version 1.4 or later). You may use:

We do not support the following browsers:

  • AOL (any version)
  • Opera (any version)

Make sure your browser is set to the following preferences:

  • cookies accepted and enabled
  • JavaScript enabled
  • style sheets enabled
  • pop-up blockers disabled

Note that these are the default settings in most browsers, so if you have not changed these settings before, then the browser should be set to have cookies, JavaScript, and style sheets enabled. Consult the help file in your browser to adjust these settings.

-- Updated 03.30.09