All WATC online students must have regular access to the Internet and a computer that meets the minimum standards listed here. Keep in mind that the minimum requirements may be slow and cause you some frustration.
Note: Some courses may require additional hardware or software. Make sure you review your individual course requirements for any special equipment.
Minimum Hardware Requirements
System RequirementsThe minimum system requirements are meant to serve as a guideline for what is acceptable to access most courses using technology. Be aware that some courses may utilize more advanced technologies and the minimum system requirements may be limiting.
Minimum PC System Requirements
- Desktop with 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor or
- Laptop with 1.4 GHz Centrino processor
- Windows XP Professional operating system
- 56bps modem
- Sound card and speakers
- CD-RW, Zip, DVD-RW or USB mass-storage device (recommended)
- 512MB RAM
Minimum Macintosh System Requirements
- Desktop or Laptop with 800 MHz processor
- Macintosh OS X operating system
- 56bps modem
- Sound card and speakers
- CD-RW, Zip, DVD-RW or USB mass-storage device
- 512MB RAM
Internet Service Provider (ISP)
An ISP is a company that can provide you with the software (and sometimes the equipment) to connect you with the Internet. Contact a local ISP to set up a personal account — WATC does not provide student with ISP connectivity. Please contact your ISP to obtain your e-mail address. WATC does provide you with an e-mail address, but you will also receive one from your ISP. If for some reason you still require an e-mail address, you may register for free at any of the following Web sites:
Java Compliant Web Browser
You will need a Java™ compliant Web browser. A Web browser is a software application that allows you to view Web pages. For the Java-capable browser, we recommend Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0 (or higher) or Netscape® 4.0. You may download a current version by visiting the links below:
Your course may require additional software. Please visit your course home page to determine if there are additional software needs.
ANGEL also provides a tool to help determine if your computer is ready. This tool is available on the ANGEL log-in page.
Required Plugins
The following list of additional requirements includes browser plug-ins,
support for various technologies, and browser features which must be enabled or disabled to take advantage of all the features of the ANGEL LMS and LIVE:
- Sun Java Runtime Environment 1.4 or greater must be installed and enabled. Available from: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp
- Pop-Up blocking software must be disabled or configured to allow pop-up windows from your ANGEL url.
- Javascript must be enabled.
- AJAX (XMLHttpRequest) must be supported and enabled.
- Presenters (LIVE - Desktop Sharing Presenter Mode) must use a
Windows Operating System
- QuickTime 7.1 (previous versions may crash Internet Explorer)
Available from: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/