April 20, 2004
To Whom It May Concern:
Ronald D. McDonald has enrolled in several computer courses for the summer session, all of which require extensive homework generated on a computer. A personal computer is almost a requirement in today’s college environment.
Shawn would greatly benefit from having a computer at home to assist with his school work.
A modern computer for his work should include:
1. CPU – 2.5 GHz or greater
2. Memory – 512 MB minimum
3. Windows XP operating system
4. Hard drive – 80 GB or larger
5. Built in (integrated on motherboard) video, sound card, modem, NIC
6. USB 2.0
7. Monitor – 17 to 19 inch LCD flat panel ( less desk space, less power)
8. Floppy drive – file transfer
9. CDRW/DVD ROM combination drive or two separate drives
- CDRW
– file transfer, backup storage, read textbook companion disks
- DVD ROM – read textbook companion disks ( more are starting to use
DVD vice CD – estimate within two years majority will be DVD)
10. Microsoft Office XP/2003 Professional
– must be Professional edition to include Access program, a required program for Integrated Applications class.
These specifications are the minimum for a computer today. In the very near term (12 – 18 months) a computer of this size will be outdated and in need of upgrade or replacement. The increased size and complexity of the applications packages used on the computers dictates the speed and storage requirements and these are going up rapidly everyday.
Sincerely
Talma Botts
Instructor, Computer Information Systems
Temple College

254-298-8465 talma@templejc.edu