University of California, San Francisco  University of California, San Francisco   |  About UCSF   |   Search UCSF   | UCSF Medical Ctr.     advancing health worldwide™ 
UCSF School of Nursing, logo
School of Nursing  |   about the school   |  prospective students  |  faculty / depts.  |  masters specialties   
 research  |   current/new students   |   news and events   |  alumni / friends  |  Search (Nursing)  |  Applications
Nursing Press Home Page      Computer Requirements   |  Buying  |  Literacy   |  Hardware  |  Op. Sys.  |  Office  |  Internet

Computer Requirements
(Main Page):

Computer Requirements

Software: 
Other Required Software

Unless noted otherwise below, the following software is required for all students entering this year, and much of may be provided for free to you on a CD-ROM at Orientation.

If you already have the computer you plan to use this fall and you know how to download and install software from the Web, we strongly recommend that you begin these important tasks as soon as possible to enable you to better focus on Orientation activities.

Some of the software downloads below require registration, and some can take a long time to download over a slow connection. If you don't feel like registering, or if you have dialup instead of broadband, you can wait to install much of this software from the CD-ROM you'll receive for free at Orientation.

Software Application What does it do? Notes
Windows users must have both of the following web browsers:
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (MSIE)
Apple users must have both of the following browsers: 		Enables you to view and print web pages. All are available as free downloads: Some of our required software or Web sites may be incompatible with your preferred Web browser or operating system. When this happens, you'll need to install a compatible browser and use it only when you need to use that particular software or web site. We encourage you to become comfortable using more than one web browser.
Any one of the following:
  • Adobe/Acrobat Reader 9
    (Earlier versions of Adobe/Acrobat Reader should be upgraded to version 9.)
 Enables you to view and print .pdf files, which are files that let you view and print a file exactly as the author designed it, without needing to have the same application or fonts used to create the file. Learn more: Introduction to Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader is available as a free download:
Download Adobe Reader
Both of the following:
  • Macromedia Flash
  • Macromedia Shockwave
 Enables you to view and interact with multimedia creations. Both are available as a free download:
Anti-Virus
software		 Protects your computer from computer viruses.
  • UCSF provides "Sophos" Anti-Virus software to you at no charge. You'll receive it on CD-ROM at Orientation, so you must wait until then to install it.
  • If you already have anti-virus software on your computer, we recommend that you wait until you have received your software CD-ROM at Orientation to uninstall your current anti-virus software and install Sophos instead. Sophos will protect your computer for your entire stay at UCSF at no charge, whereas other anti-virus software applications will require a new subscription each year at about $40 per year. Be sure whatever anti-virus software you use has an active subscription, so that newly identified virii can be detected and blocked.
Any software or hardware firewall
Windows users: At minimum, enable the firewall included with Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista. We also recommend any current version of Zone Alarm by Zone Labs.
Apple users: We recommend the firewall included with Mac OS X. For Details:  Set up a firewall.		 Protects your computer from intruders who exploit flaws in your computer's software to create annoyances or to steal or damage your data. UCSF does not provide this software or hardware for you. Some software firewalls are available for free.
For Details:  Set up a firewall.
Webroot SpySweeper
(Windows only)
(UCSF site license version)		 Protects your computer from intruders who exploit flaws in your computer's software to create annoyances or to steal or damage your data.
  • UCSF provides this software to you at no charge. You'll receive it on CD-ROM at Orientation, so you must wait until then to install it.
  • If you already have anti-spyware software on your computer, we recommend that you wait until you have received your software CD-ROM at Orientation to uninstall your current anti-spyware software and install SpySweeper instead.
  • Apple/Mac users are not required to have anti-spyware software at this time.
Media Players -
All of the following:
  • QuickTime 7
  • Real Player
  • Windows Media Player 10/11 (Windows) or
    Flip4Mac (Apple)
 Enables you to play music, video, and other media files. All are available as free downloads:

Resources/Links

Home Page for these documents




Revised:  July 2009
© Copyright 2009 University of California Regents, All Rights Reserved.