System Information

  • Due Jan 14, 2014 at 11:59pm
  • Points 100
  • Questions 10
  • Available after Jan 9, 2014 at 5:30pm
  • Time Limit None
  • Allowed Attempts Unlimited

Instructions

Please answer the following questions. There are no right or wrong answers, per se, but this is a graded assignment and you must enter some text that addresses each question asked. (In other words, if you get it in on time, this a easy way to earn a good score on an assignment.) The point of this assignment is not so much to test your knowledge, as to help me understand the tools and skills you have at your disposal. So long as you try to answer each question, provide a reasonable response, and do so in a timely manner, you will do well.

When taking this survey, it might be helpful if you understand my primary reason for giving it: I want to know if you have a viable machine capable of performing the fundamental computing tasks you will encounter this quarter. This usually means having the following:

  • A reasonably powerful computer that you can access at all times.
  • A modern operating system such as Windows 8 or Windows 7. Windows XP will probably no longer do, and is certainly anything but ideal. I use Windows 8 and all my instructions are geared toward that OS. Vista and Windows 7 are enough like Windows 8 that you will probably be happy with either of them. 
  • An up-to-date browser. (BC is Microsoft centric, so having IE 11 on your system is understandable, though you will also need Firefox or Chrome for use with Canvas, and I use Chrome as my primary browser when developing web based applications. I probably use Chrome more than any other browser, and find its debugger all but essential.)
  • A high resolution monitor is recommended. 1280 x 1024 would be a good start, and 1024 x 768 is a bare minimum which will likely leave you struggling at times.

I understand that not everyone will have access to a great computer. If you don't, then you can use the computers in N252 as your primary machine. If that is your plan, please let me know.

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