Lesson 2 Hardware Technologies
     
  Objective Ensure you have the proper hardware technology to participate in online learning
     

Computer Hardware

Generally if you can connect to the Internet, you will be able to participate in an e-learning course. Each course may have specific audio and video requirements that may require a certain level of video or audio card, but these can usually be installed in your existing machine. VillaNova University, a major online education center, recommends the following minimum hardware configuration:

  • Speed: 1.5 GHz
  • Memory: 512 MB (1 GB preferred)
  • Hard Drive: 40 GB (80 GB preferred)
  • Networking: wireless card for laptops or ethernet card for direct connection to cable/DSL

Of course, the faster the system, the faster the response time. If you are shopping for a new computer, be sure to outline that your needs will primarily be for Internet access and simple computing. You can then direct your monies towards having a faster Internet connection and throughput.
     
  Alphabet Soup? If the above terms are confusing, you might want to examine http://whatis.techtarget.com/. It is a good resource for beginners and those in the market for purchasing a computer.
     
  Explore

Not sure what kind of a system you have? If you are interested in finding out your current hardware or software configuration, visit the BrowserHawk web site.

     
  Next lesson In the next lesson, you will learn about the software requirements of e-learning.