The following are a few notes to consider when making hardware decisions for a Burli system. These are intended as guidelines only. Because the technical demands of Burli installations vary widely, and hardware configurations and availability differ significantly internationally, please regard these as helpful suggestions ONLY and not the final, authoritative word on hardware. If in doubt, please contact Burli or your local reseller for more information about hardware compatibility.

Intel Celeron processors

Celeron processors (of any speed) have been known to cause problems with audio quality during recording and playback. They are not recommended.

Operating System

Windows
We recommend using Windows XP for Burli workstations. Windows 2000 can also be used if all updates and service packs are applied. We are phasing out support for the Windows 98 family (98, 98SE, ME) and do not recommend it. Burli can not be used on Windows 95 or NT4.
Servers and some high-intensity data ingest machines should run Windows Server 2003 or 2000.

Linux
We also support and can recommend Linux for file and database servers, especially in large or busy newsrooms. A Linux machine is both faster and more reliable than the equivalent Windows server. Note than Burli's client software does not run on Linux, so it can only be used on dedicated servers.
Novell
Burli can use Novell servers up to and including version 6.5 SP2.

Laptop and notebook computers

Burli works well on any mobile computer that meets the processor and memory minimums listed. Laptop users who are concerned about audio quality may wish to invest in a separate PC-card or USB sound card -- built-in laptop sound cards are generally low-grade consumer quality and can introduce clicks, hiss and other distortions into audio recorded on the laptop.

Network Bandwidth

We recommend at least 100Mb networks with switched hubs; some newsrooms are now wiring full 1Gb networks. Wireless networks (802.11b/g) do work for laptop connections but are not recommended as a main network architecture - wired 100Mb or 1Gb networks are always faster and more reliable .

Display

Monitor size makes an significant difference to the ease of use of Burli -- because of Burli's extensive use of drag-and-drop. We do not recommend monitors smaller than 17" (with the obvious exception of laptops). 1280x1024 is the recommended screen resolution which is now supported by virtually all monitors and videos cards currently on the market. Note monitor resolution and size does not matter on dedicated server or capture machines; they can usually share a single, inexpensive screen.

Sound cards

Burli supports virtually any Windows sound card that has valid linear drivers. We recommend using professional audio cards where budget allows, but good-quality consumer sound card are also widely used . The on-board cards that ship with many PCs these days are generally of low quality and can sometimes introduce pops, hum and noise. SoundBlaster, Turtle Beach, M-Audio and Digigram VX series cards are all widely used with Burli and are recommended.
Burli's audio editors support 8, 16, 20 and 24 bit audio at a wide range of sample rates -- but not all sound cards do. If you plan on using advanced or professional sample/bit rates, please make sure your sound cards support them.

Multiple sound cards

Burli supports multiple sound cards in one machine, though no more than two consumer-grade cards are generally recommended. If you need more than 4 channels of sound on a single PC, we recommend professional multi-channel cards. One on-board (integrated) sound card will generally coexist with one PCI sound card in the same computer, though some systems (notably from HP) will not allow it, so please check with your hardware supplier.

Back-ups and redundancy

Burli supports a range of redundancy systems for data. Most large newsrooms run live back-up servers using industry-standard redundnacy tools including RAID arrays and OS clustering; some include off-site mirrors. Burli also provides its own highly-configurable utility which maintains a live back-up of all critical newsroom data. Many newsrooms also opt to make regular tape back-ups of critical data.

Printing

Burli uses standard Windows printing drivers for printing, so virutally any printer that is supported by your version of Windows will work with Burli. We strongly recommend fast black and white laser pinters (such as the ubiquitous and inexpensive HP LaserJet series) for newsroom use. Although we still offer limited support for them, we no longer recommend dot matrix printers. We also recommend connecting at least one printer directly to a Burli workstation (USB, parallel connection) so that you can still print in case of network failure during emergencies.

Fax Modems

Burli uses standard FaxModems for fax capture. Fax ingest workstations must run Windows 2000 or higher. Virtually any fax modem that works with Windows 2000/XP can be used with Burli including USB and PCMCIA modems.