Important Downloads for Online Learning Students

(E)= Essential download

These are downloads that are important for your computer and to be able to use the most common Blackboard features. Please take advantage if the browser checker program located on the
Online Learning welcome page

• GOT EMAIL? SWC is going paperless! Click here to see the campaign!

• Blackboard SYNC: Now you can sync your IPOD TOUCH and IPOD PHONE to your blackboard class!

• Blackboard Mobile Learn for your IPAD!

• Internet Explorer: Latest version. This browser is not recommended for use with the Blackboard Online learning System. Firefox browser is better

• (E)Mozilla Firefox: This browser works better than Internet Explorer with Blackboard

• Goggle Chrome: This browser works well with Blackboard, super fast and fully featured.

• (E)Adobe Acrobat Reader: To view PDF documents.

• What is Java?: Short description and downloads for your desktop

• (E)Adobe Flash Player: An absolutely necessary download for using the online learning system.

• (E)Java upgrades: You need to run the latest version of Java to view certain features in Blackboard. Click on the JAVA logo below to download

• Microsoft Computer Upgrades: Your computer should be using the latest security upgrades and versions for compatibility
  

• AbiWord: AbiWord is a free word processing program similar to Microsoft® Word. It is suitable for a wide variety of word processing tasks

• OPENOFFICE.org: A free version of the entire MS OFFICE suite of products. These are NOT the actual software, but an open source copy that can be read and used with the MSWORD products.

• GIMP: GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software suitable for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. Many people find it extremely useful in creating logos and other graphics for web pages (all of the graphics on this web page were created using GIMP). The GIMP has many of the tools and filters you would expect to find in similar commercial offerings, and some interesting extras as well.

• CUTE pdf Writer: Turn documents into readable PDF's. It is free and easy to use

• Viewers for Microsoft Office Products

  

  Important: This download area is for WINDOWS users who DO NOT have access to Microsoft Office products such as Word, Power Point or Excel either in a computer lab or at home.
  These viewers allow those users to open, view, and print documents from MS Word, MS Power Point, and MS Excel. Do not attempt to install any of these viewers in a computer lab.

  Viewer for Microsoft Word
  (right-click and save the file to your personal hard drive, then install)

  This free download allows users to open, view and print Word documents. The viewer does not allow the user to edit a file.

  Additional information can be found on the Microsoft web site at http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/wd97vwr32.aspx

  Viewer for Microsoft Power Point
  (right-click and save the file to your personal hard drive, then install)

  This free download allows users to view and print Power Point 95, 97, 2000, and 2002 Power Point presentations. (TIP: To conserve time, paper, and ink when printing slide shows, print "handouts" with more than one slide per page.)

  Additional information can be found on the Microsoft web site at http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId= D1649C22-B51F-4910-93FC-4CF2832D3342&displaylang=en

  Viewer for Microsoft Excel
  (right-click and save the file to your personal hard drive, then install)

  This free download allows users to view and print Excel for Windows (versions 2.0 and greater) and Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh (versions 2.2a and greater) spreadsheet files.

  Additional information can be found on the Microsoft web site at http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/default.aspx?Product= Excel&Version=95|97|98|2000|2002&Type=Converter|Viewer