Technical Requirements

Technical Requirements

Minimum Computer System Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 98, 2000, XP, NT, or ME;
MacOS 9 or MacOS X
Processor: 350 MHz or higher
Memory: 64 MB of RAM
Hard Drive Space: 1GB free disk space
Anti-virus Software: Make sure that you have a reliable anti-virus program and that its virus definitions are kept up-to-date.

Which Internet browsers can I use?

You will need a current, Java-Script enabled Internet browser to access your Blackboard course. Please make sure that you have one of the following:

Internet Explorer 5.x or 6.x
MSN Explorer 6.x
Netscape 6.2 or higher

Note: AOL, COMCAST or, PEOPLE PC browsers will not work completely with Blackboard. You can still use AOL, COMCAST OR, PEOPLE PC to connect to the Internet, just not to access Bb. Once you are connected, minimize the AOL, COMCAST OR, PEOPLE PC window and open one of the browsers mentioned above.

How can I tell which version I am using?
To see which version of Internet Explorer or Netscape you have, click "Help" on the browser's menu bar, then "About [Program Name]". If you are using Internet Explorer, the version number should begin with a 5 or a 6; for Netscape it should begin with a 4. If you have MSN Explorer, it will be version 6.x because that is the first and, so far, only version.

Download Center

You can use the links below to download the latest versions of the browsers.

Internet Explorer 6
Netscape version 8 Download Center

Other plugins that your course may need - These are not part of the minimum requirements, but depending on the file types that your instructor uses, you may require these free plugins.

Microsoft Word 2003 Viewer - If you do not Microsoft word installed on your computer, but would like to view WORD documents, you can use this viewer.

PowerPoint 2003 Viewer - If you do not Microsoft PowerPoint installed on your computer, but would like to view PowerPoint documents, you can use this viewer.

Shockwave and Flash Players - Allow you to view certain multimedia files.

Adobe Acrobat Reader - This plug-in allows you to view Adobe Acrobat files.

Helpful Tip: By clicking on the link below you will be able to verify that your system meets these requirements.

http://scos.mccvlc.org/FIPSE/SCO/general/technologyDetection/lesson.xml?skin=none