IBT Computer Requirements
The IBT program is a computer based program, so laptops are used in almost every course. Since the laptop is the main learning tool student’s use, the school has set certain requirements to ensure you have a laptop suited for learning because the students will use their laptop almost five hours a day.
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Mac Requirements
Any Apple Macintosh laptop currently available for purchase meets hardware requirements for the IBT program at North Park. One thing to take note is that the screen size must be at least 13”, because small screens can put strain on eyes and cause headaches. Also when buying a MacBook, be prepared to also buy a copy of windows (Windows XP or higher), because some courses require special Windows software, and an information session is also held, showing how to install windows on a Mac operating system.
PC Requirements.
Software Requirements
When purchasing the laptop, make you are able to get the following software, which are greatly needed on a daily basis.
NOTE: Any current version of Office with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is suitable.
The Professional edition of Office is not required nor recommended.
- Microsoft Office- Home and student edition
NOTE: Any current version of Office with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is suitable.
The Professional edition of Office is not required nor recommended.
- Anti-virus protection.
Battery Requirements
If the laptop being purchased has a battery life of 5 hours or less, it is recommended that a second battery is purchased. Students will be using their laptops for more than 5 hours a day and outlets may not always be available. http://www.battdepot.ca/, is an excellent source to buy cheap laptop batteries.
Recommendations
Here are some additional things that are recommended to be purchased with your laptop what may be needed for school, or help you maintain your laptop.
- An extended warranty providing next-day (or immediate in-store repair) be purchased. So if your hard drive ever crashes or the laptop stops working you can have it fixed for the next day.
- A high-capacity USB key (> 4 GB) and external hard drive should be purchased for file backup (>500 GB) BACKING UP DATA is extremely important because every year many students lose their data due to many reasons and if you back up your data, you can easily recover it.
- your laptop should be added to the list of items covered by your home insurance policy