Computer requirments and Setup

System Requirments

Students taking CS 301 and 302 must have access to computer systems with the following capabilities:

PC clone with Windows 95 or later
Network connection: either direct or at least a 28,800 modem
Sound board

If you are using the computers in the MSU student PC laboratories, then you will need headphones, because they don't want sound playing over the 40 systems in those labs.

Web browser: Netscape or Explorer

Setting up your computer

You will need to download two plugins (programs to help your browser) to be able to view the online lectures. . These can be downloaded free from the Authorware Web Player Download page .

Macromedia Shockwave Player Download this one first.
Authorware Web Player 7.0 Full Plays any Authorware application, created with Authorware version 6, 5.x, 4 or 3.5.

(NOTE: Be sure to install the

first and the

second. If you don't you will get an error popup window talking about a missing Xtra file. Just reinstall the Authorware Web Player to get around this error.

Test Your Downloads

Once you have set up your system, test it by clicking on short audio test which will send you a short test.

Purpose of the Downloads

Authorware (with Shockwave) allows the lectures to be sent to your web page using streaming technology. Since audio files are usually quite large, it would take quite a while to download an entire file. Streaming technology allows you to begin viewing (and/or listening to) the file while it continues to download. Most of the time, the file will stream as quickly as the audio needs to be displayed, so you receive an uninterrupted lecture.

It should also probably be added that streaming audio and video can have some drawbacks. If your modem is slow, or traffic on the internet is heavy, or our server gets bogged down, streaming can be choppy. There are alternate ways to view and listen to the online lectures.

Alternatives to streaming the lectures

Download zipped versions of the entire lecture before you start to use it.
To download the zip versions of the lectures you will have to first download the Xtras.zip file. Then unzip it in a directory where you plan to put the zipped lectures. After unzipping this Xtras.zip file you will have an Xtras folder and a few other files. Don't change any of them, just leave them where they are. After downloading and unzipping a zip version of a lecture to this same directory you should get the authorware run image logo. (A small brown icon with something that looks like an computer chip in it.) Double click on this icon and you can run the entire lecture full speed on your home machine. After unzipping, you can delete the Xtras.zip file.
Buy or copy a CD with the unzipped lectures on it
A CD will be made available with these zipped files unzipped along with the Xtras files that you need. You can purchase this to avoid downloading problems for $1.00 from the department if you wish.
You still need the plug-ins, even if you opt to listen/watch the lectures from a disk.