Technical Requirements
for Blackboard Online Courses
The following hardware and software are minimum specifications to work with the Blackboard application.
PC Requirements
- Windows 98, 2000, XP
- 64 MB of RAM (128 MB or higher recommended)
- 500 MB of hard disk space
- An active e-mail account
-
Access to the internet through a local internet service provider
- 56K Modem (DSL/Cable Internet access or better is recommended)
- NOTE: If a course includes video and/or audio media, dial-up Internet access may not be adequate.
Macintosh Requirements
- Mac OS 9, 10.1 or higher
- 64 MB of RAM (128 MB or higher recommended)
- 500 MB of hard disk space
- An active e-mail account
-
Access to the internet through a local internet service provider
- 56K Modem (DSL/Cable Internet access or better is recommended)
- NOTE: If a course includes video and/or audio media, dial-up Internet access may not be adequate.
Browser Requirements
The following information was provided by Blackboard, Inc., "END USER CONFIGURATION MATRIX". 
End users must use a certified or compatible operating system and browser configuration with the Blackboard Academic Suite.
NOTE: JavaScript & Cookies must be enabled.
| Browser Name | Browser Version | Operating System Version | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 5.2 | Windows 2000 | Not compatible |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 5.5 | Windows 2000 | Not compatible |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 6.0 | Windows 2000 | Compatible |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 5.2 | Windows XP | Not compatible |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 5.5 | Windows XP | Not compatible |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 6.0 | Windows XP | Fully Certified and Supported |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 5.2 | Mac OS 10.2 | Compatible |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 5.5 | Mac OS 10.2 | Not compatible |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Version 6.0 | Mac OS 10.2 | Not Compatible |
| Netscape | Version 4.78 | Windows 2000 | Not Compatible |
| Netscape | Version 4.78 | Windows XP | Not Compatible |
| Netscape | Version 4.78 | Mac OS 10.2 | Not Compatible |
| Netscape | Version 4.78 | Mac OS 10.3 | Not Compatible |
| Netscape | Version 7.1 | Windows 2000 | Compatible |
| Netscape | Version 7.1 | Windows XP | Compatible |
| Netscape | Version 7.1 | Mac OS 10.2 | Compatible |
| Netscape | Version 7.1 | Mac OS 10.3 | Compatible |
| Firefox | Version 1.0.x | Windows 2000 | Compatible |
| Firefox | Version 1.0.x | Windows XP | Fully Certified and Supported |
| Firefox | Version 1.0.x | Mac OS 10.2 | Compatible |
| Firefox | Version 1.0.x | Mac OS 10.3 | Fully Certified and Supported |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.0 | Windows 2000 | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.0 | Windows XP | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.0 | Mac OS 10.2 | Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.0 | Mac OS 10.3 | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.1 | Windows 2000 | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.1 | Windows XP | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.1 | Mac OS 10.2 | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.1 | Mac OS 10.3 | Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.2 | Windows 2000 | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.2 | Windows XP | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.2 | Mac OS 10.2 | Not Compatible |
| Apple Safari | Version 1.2 | Mac OS 10.3 | Fully Certified and Supported |
NOTE 1: All configurations marked as Compatible and have undergone a limited engineering analysis to test areas of the Blackboard Academic Suite that may have browser issues. Additional information on known browser issues may be found in the Knowledge Base on www.Blackboard.com.
NOTE 2: Microsoft Windows 2000 supported configurations are considered compatible when run on Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME.
NOTE 3: Gecko is the shared rendering engine at the heart of the Firefox 1.0, Netscape 7.1 and Mozilla 1.5 browsers, which are all considered compatible browsers. Only Firefox has undergone testing that qualifies it as Fully Certified and supported.
NOTE 4: The Safari Web browser and the Gecko browsers for Mac do not currently fully support the Live Connect technology used by some features in the Blackboard Learning System. The Equation Editor, Collaboration tool and SCORM Content type may experience issues when these browsers are used. See the Knowledge Base articles 181-2429, 181-2428, 181-2431, 181-2432 for detailed information.
NOTE 5: The Visual Text Box Editor is only available to users with Microsoft Internet Explorer.
NOTE 6: As a general rule and for security purposes, Distance & Continuing Education recommends using the most current version of your browser and apply all operating system security updates as provided by the manufacturer.
Additional Software:
Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Word or Word Viewer
- Microsoft Excel or Excel Viewer
- Microsoft PowerPoint or PowerPoint Viewer
Browser Plug-Ins: (Suggested)
You may or may not need the plug-ins, depending on what type of files your instructor shares with you via Blackboard. The plug-ins are free downloads.
-
Apple Quick Time
"The free QuickTime Player is an application for playing, interacting with, or viewing any video, including MPEG-4, audio, VR, or graphics files compatible with QuickTime (Apple Web site). -
Adobe Flash Player, Shockwave and Authorware
These Adobe plug-ins let you experience automation and entertainment in your Web browser. -
Adobe Acrobat Reader
View and print PDF documents on the Web with the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader. -
Real Networks RealPlayer
Play online audio and video content. -
Microsoft Media Player
Windows Media Player supports Windows Media (WMA,ASF), MP3, WAV, MIDI, AVI, and other formats.