• Microsoft Office is a suite of software products oriented for home and office use, including Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. Office Pro 2003 is an older edition of the suite that included a Professional version of the products designed for a business. You can still install the Microsoft Office Pro 2003 version if your computer system specifications do not fit the necessary requirements of the newer editions.
  
  

Processor and Operating System

• The computer processor, or CPU (Central Processing Unit), is the computer chip that determines how advanced your PC is and what kind of programs it can handle. The faster a processor, the more operations it can handle per certain period of time. CPU speed is measured in MHz (megahertz) or GHz (gigahertz). Microsoft Office Professional 2003 requires a Pentium processor with at least 233 MHz speed or higher, while a Pentium III processor is recommended.
  
  Office Pro 2003 supports Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 and Windows XP or later operating systems.
  
  

RAM and Hard Drive

• RAM (Random Access Memory) is your computer's memory. The size of RAM determines how many programs you can work with simultaneously and how fast they will work. Your computer's hard drive is the storage device where all data is stored, including the operating system files. Both RAM and hard drive are measured in MB (megabytes) or GB (gigabytes). Microsoft Office Professional 2003 requires at least 128 MB of RAM and 450 MB of free hard drive space.
  
  

Peripherals

• Office Professional 2003 requires a Super VGA (800 by 600) or higher resolution monitor with 256 colors for proper display of graphics. You will also need a mouse, a keyboard and DVD/CD drive.