Hardware and Operating Systems
The computer you access the programme environments with should be of a reasonable specification, but you do not need the very latest or fastest in technology to do this programme. Any PC or Mac from the past 3-5 years should be able to run the core software required:
- an up-to-date web-browser (e.g. Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari)
- with standard plug-ins (Flash, Java, QuickTime)
- a PDF reader (Adobe Acrobat Reader or Mac OS X Preview)
- email software (unless using in a browser)
- a word processor (which might be browser-based, but you should be able to save as an offline document for submitting work).
A Chromebook will handle most of the core software requirements. Tablet or smartphone access (for example, an Android tablet or an iPhone or iPad) is also possible for some parts of our environments. You can also explore PDF apps for reading and annotating course readings. You will, at various points, require access to a fully-featured computer with webcam and a microphone, but there are quite a few things you should be able to do via a tablet or smartphone.
With the shift in recent years to high-resolution LCD monitors and the rise of tablets and e-readers, reading on screen is a viable option, though some people still prefer to print longer documents. If you wish to print readings, you will need a printer. Some texts, however, are simply born to remain digital - heavy with links, these are meant to be jumping-off points for further reading. Different approaches to reading on screen or paper will work in different contexts - experiment to see what works for you.
