Many students already have the equipment
required to take online classes with no problems, but it’s important to
know if what you currently have will do the trick. A computer that
was manufactured recently should be able to handle any online school
program. Of course, the minimum requirements may also be dependent upon
the course management system (CMS) your school will use
A computer with the following basic specs should be sufficient for online distance learning:
- 80 GB hard drive or higher
- 2 GB RAM or higher
- 2.0 GHz Intel or AMD processor
- Windows XP or Windows 7 or later/ OS 10.6 or later
- Soundcard
- MS Office 2007 or later, Office 2008 (for MAC) or later
- Internet Explorer 8.0 or later, Firefox 3.6 or later, Google Chrome 7.0 or later
- Safari 5.0 or later
- Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 or later
- Anti-virus program (updated regularly)
- Computer microphone and speakers
- Web Camera
- High-speed Wi-Fi connection obtained either at home (preferred for
the best study setting) or via an outside source, such as the library, a
quiet restaurant, etc.
You will be using your computer to research schools, apply for online
schools and most importantly, taking your classes. Beware of borrowing a computer from a friend. This could be potentially lethal to your studies if the computer for whatever reason is not available to you.