Technical Information
System Requirements for taking the Course:
Computer - any one of the following recommended
Mac: PowerPC processor, G3, or G4
Windows: Pentium processor
Unix: any processor to run a current operating systemOperating System - any one of the following recommended
Mac OS, Win95, Win98, Win2000, Win NT, Linux, FreeBSD, Sun Solaris, SGI Irix
Printer - any one of the following recommended
Laser printer (i.e. HP Laserjet, Lexmark Laser, etc.) or an Inkjet printer (i.e. HP Deskjet, Epson Stylus, etc.)
Modem or LAN
A modem or access to a Local Area Network connected to the Internet. Conventional Modem Speeds include 28.8kbps, 33.6kbps, 56kbps, as well as faster ISDN, DSL, and Cable Modems. At least a 56k modem or better is recommended.
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
A company that provides access to the Internet usually via a dial-up line using a modem, or via cable TV using a cable modem. Some of the companies that are considered ISP's include Mindspring, Earthlink, America Online (AOL), BellSouth, Charter Communications, Intermedia, Netzero, FreeDSL, your local ISP, etc. These companies are often times associated with other products, typically phone service or cable TV service.
Any reliable and convenient e-mail facility recommended. Suggestions include:
- E-mail from your Internet Service Provider which is usually provided as part of your dial-up account.E-mail from "arches", a UGA provided e-mail account for all enrolled students. To get an arches account, go to the main arches web site at <http://www.arches.uga.edu/>, click on "Account Creation" and follow the directions.
- Web-based e-mail (requires access to the web - dial-up, cable modem, or LAN). Some suggestions include Yahoo Mail, Excite Mail, Microsoft Hotmail, or numerous others available free of charge.
Application Software
Web Browser - any one of the following recommended:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or greater or Netscape Communicator 4.0 or greater (both are available for free from their respective web sites).
Please note: there is a known problem with accessing a secure site using Netscape version 4.05 due to a Y2K bug. Since we require secure access to the GCTWeb Student Area, version 4.05 of Netscape is not recommended, however other version numbers of the Netscape browser should work fine.
Also note: America Online (AOL) browsers may or may not work when trying to access our Chat area. We require Java in order to participate in Chat and have experienced problems with AOL browsers. AOL browsers are not recommended.
Adobe Acrobat Reader - available for free at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html
Technical Glossary:
Cable Modem - a modem that allows your computer to send and receive signals through coaxial cable provided by your cable company (i.e. Charter Communications, Intermedia, MediaOne, etc.)
DSL - Digital Subscriber Line
Digital subscriber lines carry data at high speeds over standard copper telephone wires. With DSL, data can be delivered at a rate of 1.5 mbps (around 30 times faster than through a 56-kbps modem).ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network
ISDN allows for wide-bandwidth digital transmission using the public switched telephone network. Under ISDN, a phone call can transfer 64 kilobits of digital data per second. But, it's not always easy to adopt.
Modem - Modulator / Demodulator, allows digital signals from a computer to be converted to analog signals for transfer over telephone lines. Modems can be internal or external. Standard modem speeds are 28.8kbps, 33.6kbps, and 56kbps.
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