FAQ: Student PCs

Classroom

Classes are held in the FDU web labs. These labs provide hands-on instruction to prepare students for independent work using their own PC at work or at home outside of class time. Although the labs are equipped with PCs, Macintosh users find they can fairly easily adapt the technologies learned on these PCs to their Macintosh systems.

Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 by Jasc Inc. Windows 95 / 98 / NT / 2000 / Me / XP

Paint Shop Pro is an excellent professional product that we have been using in our Web Skills and Webmaster Skills Certificate programs since 1997. Feature-rich for under $100, we think it's a bargain. The Animation Shop is included. Often, the package is available with special promotions for under $50. It can be downloaded from the JASC Software, Inc. web site for free, and used for 30-90 days. This ability lets ALL our students experiment with a graphics program without risk, before they make a decision to buy or not.

Software Brands

The product brands used in class are representative of similar products currently on the market. Our criteria for selecting a particular product used for class instruction is based on:

• functionality
• price (we like free)
• popularity/marketability
• instructor familiarity
• usefulness in an instructional environment

The particular brandnames of products used in the classroom will be discussed in class. Students will receive instruction on how to purchase -- or, if free -- how to acquire these software packages or others.

The students are encouraged to use these products on their own workstations at home or office. Alternatively, students that may already own particular software are encouraged to use those products. The instructors can provide limited email support on products used in class.

Software Installation

Students are encouraged to download free or trial copies of software to install on their PCs at work or home, in order to use the technologies taught in class. Although the products used have never had any history of containing viruses, students are cautioned to scan any file -- free or purchased -- for viruses prior to installation. Students install even recommended software at their own risk.

Students are not to install or reconfigure any software on the PCs in the classroom, without prior approval from the instructors. Students are not to alter the settings of the hardware or software without permission from the instructors.