Hardware, Software, and Connectivity
In order to enroll in National Connections Academy, families will need to have a computer, printer, and high speed Internet connectivity. You will also need to have certain software installed on your computer. See below for details.
Families considering enrolling more than one student in the program should plan to have one computer per student, particularly if one or more of the students is in grade 6 or above. If you have questions or concerns about computer usage for multiple students, please contact the NaCA Admissions and Support Representatives at NaCAAdvisor@connectionseducation.com or call toll-free 888-440-2899.
The minimum technology requirements are noted below:
Windows
Operating System:
- Windows®XP
- Windows Vista
- Windows 7
Hardware:
- Processor: 1.5 GHz Intel®/AMD® processor (Recommended: Dual-Core Intel®/AMD® processor)
- Memory: 1 GB RAM (Recommended: 2 GB RAM)
- CD-ROM: 8x or better
- Monitor: 15-inch color display (Recommended: 17-inch color display)
- Audio: 16-bit sound card with speakers and/or headphones
- Printer: Black inkjet printer
- Video: XGA (1024 x 768 resolution)
- Internet: High-speed Internet connection (e.g. cable, DSL, FiOS) strongly recommended. Users with 56 kbps modems may be unable to participate in some activities.
Browser:
- Microsoft® Internet Explorer® version 8 or higher
- Mozilla® Firefox® version 10 or higher
Other Software
- Windows Media® Player version 11 or higher
- Adobe® Flash® Player version 10.1 or higher
- Adobe Reader® version 9 or higher
- Microsoft Office XP, 2003, or 2007 or productivity software compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel®, and PowerPoint®
Mac*
Operating System:
Hardware:
- Processor: 1.5 GHz
- Memory: 512MB
- CD-ROM: 8x or better
- Monitor: 15-inch color display (Recommended: 17-inch color display)
- Audio: 16-bit sound card with speakers and/or headphones
- Printer: Black inkjet printer
- Video: XGA (1024 x 768 resolution)
- Internet: High-speed Internet connection (e.g. cable, DSL, FiOS) strongly recommended. Users with 56 kbps modems may be unable to participate in some activities.
Browser:
- Apple® Safari® 4 or higher
- Mozilla Firefox version 10 or higher
Other Software:
- Flip4Mac® version 2.2 or higher
- Adobe Flash Player version 10 or higher
- Adobe Acrobat Reader version 9 or higher
- Microsoft Office 2008 or productivity software compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
* Some course content may not work correctly on a Mac. Please refer to individual course summary pages for more information.