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Computer Requirements


Computer

Most online courses are able to operate on IBM-compatible PCs running Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, or Linux/Unix as well as Macintosh computers running Mac OS 7.5.1 or later versions.

IBM Compatible PCs
Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000
75 MHZ Pentium or faster processor
16MB of RAM or more
28.8 kbps modem or faster
Sound card and speakers

Macintosh
Mac OS 7.5.1 or later
PowerPC Processor
16MB of RAM or more
28.8 kbps modem or faster
Sound card and speakers

Browser Plug-Ins

Plug-ins are special types of software developed to function within another software application. Plug-ins perform within your browser, such as playing a movie inside a web page rather than in a separate window. The more widely used plug-ins are currently being incorporated into the browser instead of being provided through separate applications. However, at this time, plug-ins must be obtained independently of the browser. You can download a plug in from a variety of Internet sites. Often, Web sites will direct users to a site in order to download a particular plug-in that allows the user to view a special multimedia clip.

Plug-ins can provide the Web page environment with capabilities beyond that of HTML formatted text and still images. Multimedia aspects of plug-ins include audio, animations, videos, and 3-D effects. Essentially, plug-ins extend the capabilities of the Web browser in order to make information come alive for the user.

Common Plug-ins Include:
Flash 4 Player
Authorware 5.1 Player
Quicktime
Real Player
Adobe Acrobat Reader
PowerPoint Viewer for Windows
PowerPoint Viewer Macintosh

Need help?
If you need help installing plug-ins, or have problems with the technical requirements, contact the ITS by e-mail at its@tamu.edu.


Browser Requirements

Most online courses require Netscape Communicator 4.06 or higher, Internet Explorer 4.01 or higher, or any other browser capable of interpreting JavaScript and style sheets.

IBM Compatible PCs
Go To the Help Menu and Select "About (program name)"
This tells you the name of the browser and the version number

Macintosh
Go To The Apple Menu and Select "About (program name)"
This tells you the name of the browser and the version number

Browser Configuration

Netscape
If you are using Netscape 4.06-4.71 on Windows, Macintosh or UNIX, you can configure Netscape for your online course by completing the following:

From the "Edit" menu, choose "Preferences".
Click the "Advanced" category
Make sure that the following check boxes are selected:
Automatically load images
Enable Java
Enable JavaScript
Enable Style Sheets
Click "OK".
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Internet Explorer
If you are using Internet Explorer (IE) 4.01 for Windows, you can configure IE for your online course by completing the following:

From the "View" menu, choose "Internet Options".
Click on the "Advanced" tab.
Scroll down and make sure the "Always accept cookies" radio button is selected.
Scroll down to Java VM and make sure the "Java JIT compiler enabled" box is checked.
Click "OK".

  • If you are using Internet Explorer (IE) 5.0 for Windows/PC, you can configure IE for your online course by completing the following:

From the "Tools" menu, choose Internet Options.
Click on the "Security" tab.
Click on "Custom LevelÖ" at the bottom of the menu.
Scroll down to the "Cookies" category.
Under "Allow cookies that are stored on your computer" click "Enable".
Under "Allow per-session cookies" click "Enable".
Scroll down to the "Microsoft VM" category
Under "Java Permissions" click on "High Safety".
Click "OK".
In the confirmation window, click "Yes".
Click "OK".

  • If you are using Internet Explorer (IE) 4.0 for MAC users, you can configure IE for your online course by completing the following:

From the "Edit" menu, choose "Preferences".
Click the "Web Browser" category.
Make sure the "Enable Java" check box is selected.
Select "Apple MRJ" from the pop-up menu of "Java Virtual Machine".
Click on the "Receiving Files" category.
Click on the "Cookies" radio button.
Select "Never Ask" from the pop-up menu of "When Receiving Cookies".
Click "OK".