PC Requirement for OU Course A103 An Introduction to the Humanities

Melmoth

Hi,

I am signed up to start the above mentioned course in Feb '05. The equipment required material says that a Windows PC is required, however I am the owner of an Apple Powerbook, do I really need to go out and beg, borrow, or buy a PC ?

Regards

Capt'n Midnight

http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/bin/p12.dll?C02A103

You will need

An audio cassette player to listen to the block audio material; a CD player to use the audio CD that will contain samples of music used in the assignment material (although an audio cassette version can be provided if necessary on request); television and if possible, video recorder for recording television programmes at unsocial hours. To take advantage of the supplementary computing resources, a computer as described in our Personal Computing for OU Study section.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/personal-computing/courses/A1032005.shtm - SPEC

A103 - An Introduction to the Humanities

Computing specification valid for OU study: October 2004 - September 2005.

If you wish you may use a computer on this course for the following activities

* our general computing services, including course website (where available), an OU e-mail account, computer conferencing, online library services and the facility to complete administrative tasks, like booking and paying for a course and changing your personal details.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/personal-computing/tech.shtm

If your PC doesn't match the specifications for your course, first check the expandable boxes for more information. If you still need help call or e-mail the Helpdesk:

Student Computing Helpdesk
Tel. + 44 (0) 1908 653972 (9.00 till 22.30)
E-mail LTS-student-helpdesk@open.ac.uk
Website www.open.ac.uk/students/helpdesk

At a guess a MAC would do fine - unless there was special software that needed windows. - still a computer is not a core requirement and I'm sure you could ask the helpdesk AND post the reply here for the next person.

If you need Microsoft Office there is a free version of www.openoffice.org for MAC's

BuffyBot

A PC isn't essential for A103. You can most certainly use a Mac - there is a Mac compatible version of FirstClass (the OU's online conferencing system) available should you want to use it.

wasted_winter

Melmoth wrote:

do I really need to go out and beg, borrow, or buy a PC ?

The answer, in short, is NO!

I've just finished A103 and you definitely do NOT need a PC!

Unless they've made some changes since last year (and I doubt it) then you'll be fine... the only computer related part of the course is Firstclass... and like someone else mentioned - it's available in a Mac version... and even better, if you don't have to pay for your net access, you can access it online (loads of surfing at work!).

Good luck with the course, it's definitely interesting but not an experience I'd like to repeat! :rolleyes:

eth0_

Further into your degree you'll almost certainly need access to a PC, a fact which really p*sses me off about the OU! There are an awful lot of mac users now and they refuse to cater to us. For example, on the psychology degree you use a statistics program called SPSS. This is only provided in Windows format, even though the same student version is available for mac users, for the same cost.