System and Software Requirements

PCs
Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0. Also runs on Windows Me and 2000 (XP not supported).
Intel or equivalent processor @ 200 MHz
64 MB RAM
Sound card. Built-in or attached speakers.
4X CD-ROM drive or higher.
800 X 600 or 1024 X 768 monitor resolution
16-, 24-, or 32-bit mode color depth
QuickTime 5.0 (installer provided on CD-ROMs)
Netscape 4.7 or Internet Explorer 5.0 or 5.5
Macromedia Shockwave 8.0 (Click here to download)

Macintosh
Power PC processor @ 200 MHz
64 MB RAM
OS 8.0, 8.5, 9 (MacOS X not supported)
4X CD-ROM drive or higher
QuickTime 5.0 (installer provided on CD-ROMs)
Netscape 4.7 or Internet Explorer 5.0
Macromedia Shockwave 8.0 (Click here to download)

Installation and Initial Use of the VISTAS Interactive CD-ROM

Before you can begin to use the VISTAS Interactive CD-ROM, which consists of two CD-ROMs, you need to install the program on the hard drive of your computer.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR LANGUAGE LABS AND MULTIMEDIA CENTERS: The VISTAS Interactive CD-ROMs cannot be networked. You will need to have an Interactive CD-ROM Program (2 CD-ROMs) for each of the computer stations in your language laboratory or multimedia center.

Initial Installation on a PC

1. Insert VISTAS CD-ROM 1 in your CD-ROM drive.
2. Double click "My Computer."
3. Select your CD-ROM drive (usually the "d," "e," or "f" drive) and double click to open it.
4. Double click the VISTAS CD-ROM icon when it appears.
5. Double click "Set-up" on the screen that appears.
6. On the succeeding screens, click "Next," until you get the message "Set-up is complete and now installed."
7. An orange, diamond-shaped icon (the VISTAS CD-ROM launcher called "Shortcut to Vistas.exe") will appear on your desktop.
8. Each time you use the Interactive CD-ROM, you can now insert either CD-ROM 1 (Lessons 1-9) or CD-ROM 2 (Lessons 10-18) in your CD-ROM drive and double click on the VISTAS CD-ROM launcher icon on your desktop to start the CD-ROM.

NOTE: If, at step 6, your computer prompts you to install QuickTime 5 (it probably will have been automatically installed), return to the folder with the VISTAS CD-ROM icon (see step 4 above), open the QuickTime folder, and double click the installer icon.

Initial Installation on a Macintosh

1. Insert VISTAS CD-ROM 1 into your CD-ROM drive. When the icon appears on your desktop, double click it.
2. In the box that appears, you will see an arrow labeled, "To install Vistas, copy this folder to your hard drive." The folder is labeled "Vistas."
3. Drag that folder over your hard drive icon and drop it.
4. Double click the hard drive icon and find the VISTAS folder. Double click on the folder. Inside you will see an orange, diamond-shaped icon (the VISTAS CD-ROM launcher) and a few other files. Double click the launcher icon to open either disk.
5. Each time you use the Interactive CD-ROM, you can now insert either CD-ROM 1 (Lessons 1-9) or CD-ROM 2 (Lessons 10-18) in your CD-ROM drive and double click on the VISTAS CD-ROM launcher icon to start the CD-ROM.

NOTE: If you need to install QuickTime 5, double click the QuickTime launcher found in the QuickTime folder on VISTAS CD-ROM 1.

Other Information about the VISTAS Interactive CD-ROM

If you experience problems with sound on your PC

1. Make sure your computer has a sound card installed in its system.
2. Make sure your computer has built-in or attached speakers.
3. Verify that the Volume Control is correctly set. Click on the Speaker icon located in the bottom right hand corner of the Windows task bar and adjust volume settings.
4. Verify that your computer's multimedia settings in Windows are correctly set. Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Sounds and Multimedia > Audio tab. Check the following:
   ·In the Sound Playback Box, check to make sure that the correct Audio device is selected. The Audio device is the name of the installed sound card.
   • In the Sound Playback Box, click on Advanced Properties, then click on Speakers. Check to make sure that the correct type of speakers is selected. If the user has a laptop with built-in speakers, these should be selected.

If you experience problems running video footage on your PC or MAC

1. Verify that QuickTime 4.0 or higher is installed on your computer. If it isn't, you can install it from a folder on the CD-ROM.
2. Verify that your computer has a 4X CD-ROM drive or higher. If it is slower than 4X, video playback may be erratic with broken or skipped frames and sound.
3. Verify that your computer has 64 MB of RAM.
4. PC users only: Check your Display or Monitor settings:
   ·Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings tab.
   • "Colors" should be set in 16-, 24-, or 32-bit modes.
   • "Screen area" should be set to 800 by 600 pixels or 1024 by 768 pixels for proper monitor resolution.

Recording your voice when doing certain Interactive CD-ROM activities
Many of the activities in the VISTAS Interactive CD-ROM allow users to record their own voices and compare them with the voices of native Spanish speakers.

1. Activities that involve recording your voice have "record," "stop," "play," and "compare" buttons. During each work session with the CD-ROMs, the first time you hit a "record" button, you will be prompted to select a location on your computer's hard drive where your recordings will be saved so you can play them back.
2. If you are a PC user, you will see a dialog box called "Select sounds directory." You can simply hit "OK" and your sound files will be stored on your "c" drive. An icon called "userSound" will appear on your desktop. At the end of each work session, you may retain the icon or delete it by sending it to your recycle bin.
3. If you are a Mac user, you will see a dialog box that says "Please select a directory for recorded sound files." (See attached drawing.) You can simply click "Desktop" and then "Select Desktop Folder," and your sound files will be stored on your hard drive. At the end of each work session, you may retain the icon on your hard drive or delete it.
4. If you are having trouble recording or playing back recorded files, check your microphone and speaker connections and refer to the documentation that came with your computer. PC users may be able to adjust sound recording capabilities by double-clicking on the speaker icon in the system tray (icon on the lower right hand corner of your taskbar). Mac users may be able adjust sound recording capabilities through the Sound Control Panel (click on the Apple icon in the upper left hand corner of your screen, scroll down to the Control Panel icon, and select Sound).

Rewinding or Forwarding Video Footage

1. Hold your mouse button down on either the "Rewind" or the "Forward" button to rewind or advance the running video footage in each lesson. Release the mouse only when you have reached the place in the footage where you wish to resume viewing.
2. You can also click on the small, gray square box in the bar under the video footage and drag the square left to reverse the footage and right to advance it.

Seeing everything on the screen of your PC's monitor
If any parts of features or images at the top, bottom, or sides of the screens of the Interactive CD-ROMs bleed off so you cannot see them in their entirety, you need to check the settings for your monitor to confirm they are set correctly.

1. Click on Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings tab.
2. "Colors" should be set in 16-, 24-, or 32-bit modes.
3. "Screen area" should be set to 800 by 600 pixels or 1024 by 768 pixels for proper monitor resolution.

Switching between the two Interactive CD-ROMs

1. If you are working in CD-ROM 1 (or 2) and you want to work on a lesson that is on CD-ROM 2 (or 1), you may select "Main Menu" in the bottom right area of your screen and click on the lesson that you want to view. You will see a dialog box with the message "Please put in the Vistas CD 2 (or 1) CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive," and the choices "continue" and "exit."
2. You can a) open your CD-ROM drive, switch CD-ROMs, and select "continue" or b) choose "exit," open your CD-ROM drive, switch CD-ROMs, and double click on the VISTAS CD-ROM launcher icon to start the CD-ROM.

Contacting Vista Higher Learning with Questions

If you have any other questions or need help with the VISTAS Interactive CD-ROMs, please e-mail us at techsupport@vistahigherlearning.com or contact your local Vista Higher Learning sales representative.