When the e-Lybra was first available it was targetted at Windows XP, a platform that is now long gone. We have upgraded the e-Lybra as newer versions have come along. Microsoft has a policy of only supporting older versions of Windows for a while, and then an old version is considered to be "retired" and Microsoft no longer issue security updates for it. This is quite understandable because hackers are continually developing ever more devious schemes of distrupting computer systems, as the relatively recent trend is ransomware has demonstrated. Therefore WDS agrees that it is imperative to ensure that your version of Windows is kept up to date, and so our support policy tends to roughly follow that of Microsoft in that we will only support recent versions of Windows. For example Windows 7 was officially retired by Microsoft in January 2020, and WDS updated our e-Lybra installation program to only work on Windows 10 or 11 in November 2020. Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 after October 2025.
So now the e-Lybra software requires Windows 10 or Windows 11 to run on (but see note below about avoiding Windows "S mode"). It is strongly recommended that you ensure that your Windows computer has fully applied any outstanding updates (including a restart if necessary) before you try to install the e-Lybra software.
No! The e-Lybra software is written to run on the Windows operating system. Sadly we do not support the Mac OS operating system directly; at the time that the main part of the e-Lybra software was written it really was not very easy to port an application to both platforms, it basically means rewriting the code again from scratch - but in a different computer language.
However, if you have a well-specified (i.e. fast processor and ideally 32MB of RAM) then you will be able to install a product called Parallels, which allows you to run Microsoft Windows within a Mac OS window. There are currently several e-Lybra owners who are successfully running their e-Lybra software in Microsoft Windows, which is itself hosted within Mac OS. Please note however that this is not a supported configuration, so any help we can give you at this level will be limited, and we also offer no guarantees as to how well it will work.
Quite naturally this is something that we are frequently asked, both by prospective or new e-Lybra owners, and also by existing owners whose computers are in need of renewal. Our basic message is to please get yourself a computer with a decent specification!! It is not unheard of for a new e-Lybra owner to make a financial investment in the top-of-the-line energy balancing system that is the e-Lybra, and then also get hold of a cheap PC (on one occasion from a car boot sale!) and then complain that the software is slow. As with all things you need the right tool for the job.
Memory: 4GB at a minimum should be adequate to run the e-Lybra, but we think Windows 10 & 11 really needs 8GB or more to run acceptably.
Hard Disk: The e-Lybra software really doesn't require much disk space, so we recommend that you allow for a total disk space usage of 3GB - this really isn't much nowadays when computers come with at least 256GB.
USB Memory Stick: There is a dedicated backup program that is also installed along with the main e-Lybra program. This helps you to copy the important data files that you create, which contain your list of clients and any formulae that you create. You can save these files to your local hard disk but this is a bit risky - what if your hard disk fails? Using a dedicated USB stick means that your data is spread across two physical devices, so there is much less risk of a complete data loss. USB memory stick is not supplied, but we recommend that you buy a fast 32GB stick so that you can store multiple generations of backed up data.
If you are shopping for a new Windows laptop then at the time of writing you will only be able to find Windows 11. This is fine, and we regard it as a stable platform. However, you do need to be careful when you are choosing your next laptop. Windows 11 generally comes with different editions, notably Home Edition and Professional Edition. HOWEVER, some computers for sale have a special version, called Windows 11 S Mode. In this case the letter "S" stands for Security. The point of this is that it is only possible to install software from the Windows Store, so this is often a version that might be desirable to corporates with a tightly controlled computer environment. It IS possible to deactivate S mode if you have purchased such a computer but this advisory is just to save you the hassle. The "S mode" flag would presumably be clearly visible in the description of the computer that you are looking to purchase, it's just a matter of keeping an eye out for it.
YouTube video giving more information about Windows 11 S Mode
USB cables have been around for nearly twenty years and come in different shapes and sizes (click image for larger view).
The e-Lybra system comes with a USB type B socket, into which you connect your PC.
Most computers have traditionally come equipped with sockets for USB type A connectors, and for this reason we include a USB type A to type B in the package.
However, there is a new tendency for some computers - mainly the more expensive ones at the moment - to come with USB type C sockets only. The reason they do this is because it is a newer technology and allows for a significantly faster transfer of data. However we give this information here so that we can advise that if your computer only has a USB type C socket then you will need to separately purchase a USB type B to USB type C cable.
In the UK you can purchase a cable like this from Amazon at https://www.amazon.co.uk/deleyCON-MK1088-USB-2-0-Cable-black/dp/B071RKJB6K/ref=sr_1_11
This is the bit that we really want to draw your attention to. Historically, screen resolutions on laptops have been along the lines of 1366x768, 1024x768, or 1440x900. In some cases a higher specification was called 1080p, also known as 1920x1080. The e-Lybra software works fine on all of them but we advise . The reason we mention this is that Microsoft is guiding developers to create applications that work on larger displays, such as 3000x2000. The latest generations of computers offer these higher kind of resolutions and are quite mainstream now, but because many customers look for the cheapest computers they can find then they tend to end up with the older resolutions. That will work OK for the time being but WDS are guided by Microsoft design conventions and are now developing newer software that looks and works better with a more modern resolution. If you already have a computer with the older resolutions then you will be fine but if you are buying new then we hope you will appreciate this suggestion.
Please note that the e-Lybra software does frequently bring its windows to the foreground so we do not recommend performing other activites on the computer while an active e-Lybra session is running. However, the computer can be used at other times as normal so the specification of the computer you buy will be influenced by whether you want to solely use it for e-Lybra or whether you are looking for more general purpose usage.
We are often asked to simply recommend a computer so here are a few suggestions, based on British GBP currency. We give a cheap example, and then some higher quality examples. The e-Lybra will certainly run OK on the cheaper computer but our motto with computers is that you get what you pay for. NB Please check all specifications before you buy in case of errors.
This is the cheapest computer in our list of recommendations. Screen resolution 1536x1024, which is at the lower end of what is acceptable in comparison to what else is available on the market in our opinion. Both options come with an Intel Core i5 processor option which we would recommend in preference to the AMD option. Option 1: 8GB RAM, 256GB hard disk. This would really be of use if you were going to use the computer for dedicated e-Lybra usage i.e. nothing else. UK price £799 Option 2: 16GB RAM, 256GB hard disk. Bit more powerful and flexible but still a cheaper offering. UK price £999 NB You can claim a good discount if you "intend to buy this for a student" (wink, wink). In our experience they have never checked but it is a good idea to have a student on standby if asked.
UK weblink: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/d/surface-laptop-go-3/8p0wwgj6c6l2
This would be the ideally recommended laptop. It is well specified for general usage, but not at the lowest nor the highest price range. This is a good modern spec for e-Lybra usage, and other tasks such as Microsoft Office. Computers and applications are evolving to use larger screen resolutions so this range would stay relevant for longer. 13.5" display at 2256x1504, 8GB RAM, 512GB hard disk, Intel Core i5, UK price £999 15" display at 2496x1644, 16GB RAM, 512GB hard disk, Intel Core i7, UK price £1,799 NB These are basic prices. You can optionally include coverage for mechanical breakdown and any accidental damage; this is worth the extra cost in our opinion. Another NB See note above regarding discount for students (also applies to parents, teachers, military and NHS staff). It's worth investigating!
UK weblink: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/d/surface-laptop-5/8xn49v61s1bn
This is an alternative to the Microsoft range of computers. NB The purchase link below is via the John Lewis company, we have found their warranty and after sales service to be excellent. 8GB RAM, 256GB hard disk, Intel Core i5, 15.6", Screen resolution 1980x1024. This is a good modern spec for e-Lybra usage, and other tasks such as Microsoft Office , UK price £599
UK weblink: https://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-galaxy-book-laptop-intel-core-i5-processor-8gb-ram-256gb-ssd-15-6-inch-full-hd/p5729962?tmad=c&tmcampid=7&s_share=jlcom_desk_Y29tLmZhY2VibdsasadasdasWAWw
Dell computers are generally reliable, but in our experience the ordering is often chaotic. On more than one occasion we have placed an order, received a message saying that they are unpectedly out of stock and the item that we have ordered will be delayed by about 4 weeks, and then to have it suddenly arrive unannounced by courier next day! 8GB RAM, 512GB hard disk, Intel Core i5, 15.6", Screen resolution 1920x1080. This is a modern spec for e-Lybra usage, and other tasks such as Microsoft Office UK price £539
UK weblink: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/inspiron-15-3000/spd/inspiron-15-3511-laptop/cn31138sc11