HCC Distance Learning Help Desk

You must have Internet access for all Internet courses. A T1 or higher, DSL, Cable, or high speed Satellite connection is recommended (56k dial-up will work, but Blackboard will run very slowly).

HCC's library offers computer access on a first come, first served basis. Some of our computer labs are available at certain times of the week for non-computer class work. Public libraries also provide internet access.

Hardware: Minimum and recommended computer and connection requirements are as follows.

Hardware / Platform	Apple Macintosh		Microsoft Windows
Hardware / Platform	Minimum	Recommended	Minimum	Recommended
Operating System	MacOS 10.2	MacOS X 10.4	Windows 98	Windows 2000, XP or Vista
Processor Speed/Type	800 MHz PowerPC G3 processor	1.3 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, or better	800 MHz Intel Pentium II processor, or equivalent	1.3 GHz Intel Pentium III processor, or equivalent/better
CPU Memory	256 MB of RAM	256 MB of RAM	256 MB of RAM	512 MB of RAM
Monitor Resolution	800 x 600	1024 x 768	800 x 600	1024 x 768
Internet Connection	56 kbps Dial-up Modem	Any high-speed connection (e.g. Cable Broadband or DSL)	56 kbps Dial-up 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: Minimum and recommended software requirements are described below.

Software	Apple Macintosh		Microsoft Windows
Software	Minimum	Recommended	Minimum	Recommended
Browser	I.E. 5.2 or Safari 1.0	I.E. 5.2 or Firefox 2.0.x	I.E. 5.5 or Firefox 1.0.x	I.E. 6.0 or Firefox 2.0.x
Antivirus	Updated Anti-Virus protection, installed and running.

Other Software Needs: You will be required to turn in many written assignments, so you will need access to a word processing program. We recommend Microsoft Office, since it is the most common suite of software. However, other word processing programs are usually sufficient. If you have questions about what software might be necessary, please check the course syllabus or contact the instructor for the course. It is your responsibility to have access to the software for your course.

Some Internet courses require more RAM and hard drive capacity due to specialized software needs. This will be indicated in your course syllabus. Some courses also require the purchase of additional software. Most courses do not require special software, but if you are in a program that requires extensive computer skills (CIS, NET, GIS, etc.), you may need to purchase special software and upgrade your computer's capabilities.

Remember you are responsible for the safety and integrity of your work. If you use borrowed or lab computers, make sure all your work is stored on removable media.

Computer Settings: There are 3 important things you must do to ensure that Blackboard functions normally.

Picture of security settings on medium in IE. 1. Select Medium Security Level (see illustration at left) in your browser. To do this, click Tools > Internet Options > Security.

2. If you have installed pop-up/cookie/spam blockers on your computer, you may experience difficulties connecting to Blackboard resources. Turn these off for Blackboard or temporarily disable them when using Blackboard.

3. Make sure that your firewall permits you to connect with Blackboard and other course-related sites.