Online-History.com
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Navigation Tips

Links on this website are identified by white text with a red rollover effect (i.e., the text will appear white until your cursor hovers over it, then it will change to red). For example, this link will take you to the search engine Google.com.

Downloading the Latest Browser

Internet Explorer 4.0 or above is recommended for best viewing. If you need to upgrade, you can download the latest version of IE from Microsoft. Total download size for a typical installation is approximately 12 megabytes (MB). However, because Setup downloads only those files that are necessary for your computer, this size may vary from 6 to 12 MB.

Adobe Acrobat

To view some documents on this site, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don’t currently have Acrobat Reader on your system, you will need to download and install it.

Office Productivity Software: Microsoft Office or StarOffice 8

Most course documents on this website are Microsoft Word documents. If you do not have Microsoft Word on your computer, you will need to download and install Word Viewer 2003. Similarly, there are a number of PowerPoint presentations. If you do not have Microsoft PowerPoint on your computer, you will need to download and install PowerPoint Viewer 2003.

If you are enrolled in one of my classes, these two viewers should take care of your needs in the beginning. However, to complete all course requirements, including self-assessments, bibliography assignments, an occasional diagram or chart, and at least one simple presentation, you will need access to either Microsoft Office (which includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) or StarOffice 8. The Microsoft Works and Corel WordPerfect suites, which come with many home computers, do not have the required features to complete course requirements.

Free StarOffice 8: Compatible with Microsoft Office

Good news if you do not have access to the full Microsoft Office suite! Sun Microsystems's StarOffice 8 is a full-featured office productivity suite that's compatible with Microsoft Office. It includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, drawing tool, and database. The program allows you to read and edit Microsoft documents and to save your documents in Microsoft formats so they can be shared with others. This demonstration gives you a quick tour of the program's features.

Impressive, isn’t it? And remember, if you are a student, researcher, staff, or faculty member, you can download StarOffice 8 for free from Sun's Software Download Center. Follow this link to Sun's Education & Research page, scroll down to the paragraph entitled "How to Get StarOffice 8 - Individuals" and follow the directions for downloading. Registration is free.

To download this software, you will need a high speed Internet connection (cable, DSL, or T1). The file is large (140.62 MB) and Sun indicates that it takes a high speed connection about 30 minutes to download. However, I have a high speed cable connection and it only took me ten minutes.

You may also want to download the "Getting Started Guide" (1.18 MB) and the "Basic Guide" (1.08 MB) during later sessions. (You can only download one file per session.)

If you have a dial-up connection and are currently enrolled in one of my classes, please contact me for additional information about obtaining this software.

 +  Edrene S. McKay © 2002-2006
Last Updated: January 03, 2006