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FAQs | Technology Requirements

Technology Requirements

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have access to a computer that meets the minimum hardware and software requirements. The minimum system may be slow and cause some frustration. Note: Some courses may have additional hardware/software requirements. Please contact the course instructor for special requirements.

Minimum Hardware Requirements

PC Configuration:

400 Megahertz Intel Pentium III Processor (933 preferred)
64 Megabytes RAM (128 or more preferred)
6-Gigabyte Hard Drive
17" Monitor
56.6 Kbps Modem (or Cable Modem / DSL if available)

Mac Configuration:

400 Megahertz iMac (933 preferred)
64 MB RAM (128 or more preferred)
6 Gigabytes Hard Drive
56.6 K Modem (or Cable Modem / DSL if available)
17" Monitor
Macintosh OS 9

Special Note to MAC Users:

Blackboard works very well with the Macintosh platform. However, there are some issues that Mac users should be aware of when accessing Blackboard courses. For instance, Mac users must use the proper file extensions when uploading files to Blackboard courses. Failure to provide a file extension can cause the file to appear as gibberish when downloaded via Blackboard.

Software Requirements

Operating system

  • Windows 2000/XP
  • Mac OS 10.3 or higher

Supported browsers

Browser plug-ins (available for free download)

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
    This plug-in allows you to open PDF files. These files are universal and require no other software than the free Acrobat Reader download.
  • The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.3.1_04 or higher Plug-in
    Needed for Collaboration Tools (Virtual Classroom & Lightweight Chat) - Plug-in for PC users only: This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session or from the following link.
  • Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) plug-in
    Needed for Collaboration Tools (Virtual Classroom & Lightweight Chat) - Plug-in for Macintosh Users: Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X both come with the plug-in you need for using the Collaboration Tools. Mac OS 8 users may need this plug-in.

Video players (available for free download)

  • Windows Media Player
    Media player lets you play a majority of streaming media audio and video files, as well as MP3s and AVI files.
  • Apple QuickTime
    The Apple QuickTime plug-in lets you experience QuickTime animation, music, MIDI, audio, video, and VR panoramas and objects directly in a web page. Available for Windows 95 or later, and Mac OS 8.1 or later.
  • Adobe Flash Player
    Flash files are animations your instructor may use to illustrate an idea or concept. The files usually carry a SWF suffix.
  • RealPlayer
    RealPlayer lets you play streaming audio, video, animations, and multimedia presentations on the Web. Plays RealAudio, RealVideo as well as the vast majority of popular media file types such as MP3.