Specifications

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Opening and closing the lid.
Can the student do this independently?
How will this impact on communication? eg. dependency, time, effort
Will the lid form a barrier to communication?
Will the lid form a barrier to wheelchair driving?
Is the lid durable enough for the environments it will be exposed to?
If you close the lid does the computer shutdown?
Turning the laptop on.
Where is the on/off switch?
Can the student turn the laptop on/off independently?
How will this impact on communication? eg. dependency, time, effort
Can it be made accessible?
Start-up time.
How long does the computer take to boot up?
This is time the student must wait before communicating.
How long does the communication program take to start up?
Can the communication program be placed in the start up menu?
Will the student be able to get into the communication program independently?
Does the computer have a resume feature?
How long does the resume feature take to return to the program?
Can the time before the device goes to sleep be adjusted so the user can communicate
whenever they want?
If so, how will this affect the battery life? (adjust screen saver settings)
Switch Connection/ Joystick.
Does the computer have a serial port?
Does the software use the serial port?
Is a PS-2 mouse driver required?
Are 2 serial ports required?
What port is required for a joystick? Have allowances been made for this?
If one joystick is required what is involved in toggling between wheelchair driving and
communication?
Will an E.C.U. be required?
What port will the E.C.U. use?
RAM.
What RAM is required to allow other software to be used while the communication
software is minimised for ready access?
How will the speed of the communication software be affected by the other software?
What RAM is required to run the on screen keyboard?
What RAM is required to run the word processor, CD etc?
What RAM will be necessary for future use/growth/new programs etc?