Hardware Requirements

These requirements refer specifically to your computer hardware. Remember, it is all right if you satisfy or exceed the "Recommended" settings. "Minimum requirements" are meant for basic use of Blackboard. If you require any additional plug-in software applications, always check with the appropriate vendors as the "minimum requirements" may change.

You should also check with your instructor for any other hardware/software requirements specific to your course. Remember, always be prepared for your online class before it begins for the best learning experience!

Hardware \ Platform	Apple Macintosh		Microsoft Windows
Hardware \ Platform	Minimum	Recommended	Minimum	Recommended
Operating System	MacOS 8.6	MacOS X 10.2 Jaguar	98 SE or ME or NT4 w/SP6	2000 or XP
Processor Speed/Type	300 MHz PowerPC G3 processor	800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor, or better	400 MHz Intel Pentium II processor, or equivalent	800 MHz Intel Pentium III processor, or equivalent/better
CPU Memory	64 MB of RAM	256 MB of RAM	64 MB of RAM	256 MB of RAM
Monitor Resolution	800 x 600	1024 x 768	800 x 600	1024 x 768
Internet Connection	56 kbps Dialup Modem	Any high-speed connection (e.g. Cable Broadband or DSL)	56 kbps Dialup Modem	Any high-speed connection (e.g. Cable Broadband or DSL)
Free Hard Disk Space	100 MB	500 MB or greater	100 MB	500 MB or greater
Audio (Sound) Card	16-bit sound card	24-bit sound card	16-bit sound card	24-bit sound card
Video Card	Virtual memory turned on and allocated to at least 64 MB	Virtual memory turned on and allocated to at least 128 MB	16 MB VRAM with 65,000 colors or 16-bit	64 MB VRAM with True Color (24-bit or 32-bit)

Software

To create and/or edit Microsoft Office files, you will need the Microsoft Office suite version 2003 or 2007(Word, Excel, PowerPoint). If you already have an older version of a Microsoft Office product, you can download the free Microsoft Office Converters from here.

Microsoft Office Viewers

Microsoft offers free viewers for users to view documents created by the Microsoft Office product suite (i.e. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint). Below are just a few:

For the full list of Microsoft Office Viewers, visit http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/9798/viewerscvt.aspx

Browser Requirements & Settings

You need a web browser to access Blackboard. We recommend an up-to-date, popular browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE), Netscape Navigator, or Mozilla as your standard web browser for Blackboard.

For Windows platforms, use MSIE version 5.5 SP2 or 6.0 SP 1 and above, Netscape Navigator 7.0 and above, or Mozilla 1.3 and above. For Macintosh users, use MSIE version 5.2 and above, Netscape Navigator 7.0 and above, or Mozilla 1.3 and above. In general, just about any up-to-date browser should work; but if you run into problems, you might try another browser. Get more information on which versions of web browsers are certified by Blackboard.

Your Web Browser Information
Browser Name	Microsoft Internet Explorer
Browser Version	7.0

There are three important settings for your web browser that must be enabled in order for you to use Blackboard. All of these three settings can be easily configured by choosing the Medium Security Level (default setting).

Your Web Browser Settings
Java	Enabled
JavaScript	Enabled Enabled
Cookies	True

Blackboard requires the Java Virtual Machine version 1.4.1 and higher from Sun Microsystems. You can obtain this free software from Sun's Java web site.

Conduct a browser test for Java to determine what version of the Java VM you currently have on your system. If this test does not execute, you probably do not have the current version of the Java VM or need to change your Web Browser's Security settings.

Firewalls

Many companies have firewalls installed to protect their networks and prevent unwanted installations of software and possible viruses. If you are having network connectivity problems with your Blackboard resources at your office (outside Shaw University) we advise you to contact your network administrator first. If you are at Shaw University main campus or any of the remote campuses (CAPE sites), contact Shaw University's Help Desk at 919-546-8587. There are also software firewalls for home users. If you have installed such a firewall and are facing difficulties connecting to your Blackboard resources, contact your ISP or the manufacturer of your firewall to determine if your software firewall is causing these issues.

Pop-Up/Spam Blockers

If you have installed pop-up/cookie/spam blockers on your computer, you may experience difficulties connecting to Blackboard resources. Please contact the appropriate Help Desk to determine if such software could be the cause of your difficulties.

Virus Scanners

You should have anti-virus software installed and running on your computer when connecting to any SOU resources. Some of the most popular virus scanners include McAfee VirusScan, Symantec (Norton) AntiVirus, Command Antivirus, Virex, and Sophos Anti-Virus.

There are thousands of computer viruses today. An effective way to reduce any possible damage/harm to your files is to have a virus scanner configured on your computer to perform background system scans constantly. This requirement is for your own protection and for the protection of all Blackboard users. Also, one of the most common methods of passing on a virus is through the sharing of files (e.g. via web sites, emails, floppy disks, ZIP disks, or CD-ROMs). Always be cautious of whom you are downloading files from, and verify that downloaded files are safe first before opening them.

Browser Plug-ins

For some courses, you may be required to have one or more of these plug-in application programs. Generally, plug-in software should already be present on your computer. However, we recommend that you verify that (1) you have these plug-ins installed and configured on your web browser, and (2) you have at least the minimum required version for each plug-in.

Vendor	Plug-in Name	Required Version	Download Link	Test
Adobe	Reader (a.k.a. Acrobat Reader)	5.1 +		Test PDF
Apple	Quicktime	6.3 +		Test QuickTime
Macromedia	Flash Player	5.0 +		Test Flash
Microsoft	Windows Media Player	6.4 +		Test Windows Media Player
RealNetworks	RealOne Player	version 2		Test RAM
Sun	Java VM	1.4.1 +		Test Java

Remember, all these plug-in software applications are FREE downloads from the vendors. For installation assistance with these plug-ins, please contact the technical support of the respective vendors.