Cost and System Requirements:
Digital Stories can be created using many various pieces of software, some which can be downloaded for free, some that are already on your computer, or even additional programs you can buy. See below for the cost and system requirements for this software.
Additionally for visuals, you may need a video camera that is compatible with your computer as well as the connecting cords and a digital camera with connector cords. Recording sound may require an additional microphone if your computer does not have one inbuilt. For quality sound it is recommended to use the MicroMemo which attaches to your iPod and then uploads clear sound. This requires an iPod nano with sufficient storage space as well as the connecting cords, and iTunes. MicroMemos cost approximately $89.
iPod MicroMemo System Requirements
Mac
Macintosh computer with USB port
Mac OS X v10.2.8 and later
(Mac OS X 10.3.6 and later recommended for use with
low-power USB ports)
Windows
PC with USB port
Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 and later
Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2
and later
How can I compile my digital story?
iMovie (MAC only) Part of the iLife software, iMovie is an effective and easy way to produce professional looking Digital Stories. This package starts from $79 (or $71 at educational pricing from the Apple Website).
System Requirements From http://www.apple.com/ilife/systemrequirements.html
Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 processor.
iMovie requires a Mac with an Intel processor, a Power Mac G5 (dual 2.0GHz or faster), or an iMac G5 (1.9GHz or faster).
iDVD requires a 733MHz or faster processor.
512MB of RAM; 1GB recommended. High-definition video requires at least 1GB of RAM.
Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later.
3GB of available disk space.
DVD drive required for installation.
QuickTime 7.5 or later.
24-bit recording in GarageBand ’08 requires a Mac OS X compatible audio interface with support for 24-bit audio. Please consult the owner’s manual or manufacturer directly for audio device specification and compatibility.
Burning DVDs requires an Apple SuperDrive or compatible third-party DVD burner.
iPhoto print products are available in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and select countries in Europe and Asia Pacific. Internet access required; fees and terms apply.
iWeb requires Internet and web server access (MobileMe recommended).
Windows Movie Maker – The PC Counterpart to iMovies, this is a free software that is generally already on computers using 98 and over versions of windows. It is easily accessible on pcs, but the one audio track may force users to use additional software to merge music and narration.
System requirements – From http://www.underwaterphotography.com/video-editing/windows-movie-maker/Software/systemrequirements.asp
Windows Movie Maker requires the following minimum system configuration:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional
A 600 megahertz (MHz) processor, such as an Intel Pentium III, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Athlon, or equivalent processor
128 megabytes (MB) of RAM
2 gigabytes (GB) of free hard disk space
An audio capture device (to capture audio from external sources)
A DV or analog video capture device (to capture video from external sources)
An Internet connection (to save and send a movie to the Web or to send a movie as an attachment in an e-mail message)
To optimize the performance of Windows Movie Maker, the following system requirements are recommended:
A 1.5 gigahertz (GHz) processor, such as an Intel Pentium 4, an AMD Athlon XP 1500+, or equivalent processor
256 megabytes (MB) of RAM
The following software is required to play back a movie:
Microsoft Windows 98 or later or Windows NT® 4.0 or later
Software that can play Windows Media Video (WMV) files, such as Microsoft Windows Media Player 7.0 or later (Windows Media Player 9 Series is recommended to optimize movie playback)
Microsoft Powerpoint – This program is well known by users of Office. There have been many different versions and upgrades. The following system requirements are based upon the newest Microsoft Office Suite: 2007 – From http://us20.trymicrosoftoffice.com/free-download-microsoft-powerpoint-2007-download.html
|
Computer and processor |
500 megahertz (MHz) processor or higher is required for Microsoft PowerPoint 2007. |
|
Memory |
256 megabyte (MB) RAM or higher is recommended for PowerPoint 2007. 512 MB RAM or higher recommended for Instant Search |
|
Hard disk |
Before you download Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, be sure you have 1.5 gigabyte (GB) of free space available; a portion of this disk space will be freed after installation if the original download package is removed from the hard drive |
|
Drive |
A CD-ROM or DVD drive is necessary for PowerPoint 2007 |
|
Display |
A 1024×768 or higher resolution monitor is recommended for optimum viewing of your PowerPoint download. |
|
Operating system |
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 will work best with: Microsoft Windows(R) XP with Service Pack (SP) 2, Windows Server(R) 2003 with SP1, or later operating system. |
|
Other |
Connectivity to Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or later is required for certain advanced functionality in Outlook 2007. Connectivity to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later running Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services is required for certain advanced collaboration functionality. Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 is required for certain advanced functionality. PowerPoint Slide Library requires Office SharePoint Server 2007. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32 bit browser only. PowerPoint 2007 internet functionality requires Internet access (fees may apply). * Instant Search requires Microsoft Windows Desktop Search 3.0. |
|
Additional |
Actual requirements for PowerPoint 2007 functionality may vary based on your system configuration and operating system. A complete list of PowerPoint 2007 requirements are available at: http://www.microsoft.com/office/products. |
Additional Elements:
Audio Editing:
Garage Band – Create your own music tracks with Garage band. This comes with the iLife package.
System Requirements From http://www.apple.com/ilife/systemrequirements.html
Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 processor.
iMovie requires a Mac with an Intel processor, a Power Mac G5 (dual 2.0GHz or faster), or an iMac G5 (1.9GHz or faster).
iDVD requires a 733MHz or faster processor.
512MB of RAM; 1GB recommended. High-definition video requires at least 1GB of RAM.
Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later.
3GB of available disk space.
DVD drive required for installation.
QuickTime 7.5 or later.
Other configurations may be supported. AVCHD video and 24-bit recording have additional requirements. Visit iMovie ’08 Camcorder Support for more information on AVCHD.
24-bit recording in GarageBand ’08 requires a Mac OS X compatible audio interface with support for 24-bit audio. Please consult the owners manual or manufacturer directly for audio device specification and compatibility.
Burning DVDs requires an Apple SuperDrive or compatible third-party DVD burner.
iPhoto print products are available in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and select countries in Europe and Asia Pacific. Internet access required; fees and terms apply.
iWeb requires Internet and web server access (MobileMe recommended).
Some features in iLife require MobileMe. MobileMe is available to persons age 13 and older. Annual subscription fee and Internet access required. Terms and conditions apply.
Audacity – This program is excellent for editing and recording sound. You may record your own narration, while adding a music track then combine the two. Audacity is free to download from the internet. It is compatible with Windows, Macs and Linux/Unix.
System Requirements From http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows
|
Windows version |
Recommended RAM/ |
Minimum RAM/ |
|
Windows 98, ME |
128 MB / 500 MHz |
64 MB / 300 MHz |
|
Windows 2000, XP |
512 MB/1 GHz |
128 MB/300 MHz |
|
Windows Vista Home Basic |
2 GB / 1 GHz |
512 MB / 1 GHz |
|
Windows Vista Home Premium/ |
4 GB / 2 GHz |
1 GB / 1 GHz |
MAC System Requirements
Audacity 1.2 requires Mac OS X 10.1 or later.
Audacity 1.0 requires Mac OS 9.0 or later.
Audacity runs best with at least 64 MB RAM and a 300 MHz processor.
iTunes – iTunes allows you to buy additional background tracks as well as creates an accessible library for your music.
Windows Software from http://kb.iu.edu/data/avrn.html
Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later, or 32-bit editions of Windows Vista
64-bit editions of Windows Vista require the iTunes 8 64-bit installer
QuickTime 7.5.5 or later is required (included)
200MB of available disk space
Screen reader support requires Window-Eyes 7.0 or later; for information about accessibility in iTunes,
MAC most recent iPod.iTunes version 4.1.2 supports:
•An Apple Macintosh with an Intel- or G3/G4/G5 processor (iPod.iTunes is a Universal Binary).
•Mac OS X 10.3.9 – 10.5.5 (there is a dedicated release for Mac OS X 10.2.8 up to 10.3.8).
•Tunes version 4.2 – 8.0.1
•Any iPod: Mac- or Windows-formatted.
Photo Editing:
Photostory – This is freeware available from the Microsoft website and it is very nifty to have when making Digital Stories. It stores and uses still images and can also add narration.
System Requirements for Windows XP from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/sysreqs.mspx
Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP; Windows XP Home Edition ; Windows XP Media Center Edition; Windows XP Professional Edition ; Windows XP Service Pack 1; Windows XP Service Pack 2
Processor Required: Intel P3 700-megahertz (MHz)
or equivalent processor, an Intel P4 1.7-gigahertz (GHz) or equivalent
processor recommended.
Memory: 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM, 512 MB of RAM
or more recommended.
Disk space: 400 MB of available hard disk space.
Monitor: Super VGA (800 x 600) or
higher-resolution video adapter and monitor.
Microsoft Windows Media Player 10.
Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or later.
Windows XP–compatible sound card and speakers.
Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing
device.
Microphone to record narration.
Additional programs may include Quick Time, Windows Media Player, Adobe Photoshop, Inspiration.
