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Computer Recommendations for Students
Owning a computer is not required. However, it offers a student guaranteed access to a computer and provides the opportunity to connect to Denison's residential network, which offers Internet access and local area network services. Our wireless network service, available throughout the campus, encourages using personally owned laptops.
While almost any computer will connect, it is important to consider how well your computer will operate on a local area network. Many of the business class computers offer more robust networking options than the similar home class computers. Denison's wired and wireless networks are fully compatible with Macintosh OS X and Windows XP Professional. Linux users connect with little difficulty, but they may need to refer to their system's documentation. Windows Vista can connect, but there are still some limitations because of software incompatibilities.
Vista Caution
Many new computers will have Windows Vista pre-installed. While Vista will work for most tasks, there are still a number of products which do not work with Vista. For this reason, we do not recommend Vista at this time. If you already have Vista or if the computer you are purchasing has no other option, we will be able to accommodate.
If you have to buy Vista on your computer, Home Pro or Business Pro will be fine. Our Microsoft Campus License Agreement allows us to provide Vista Enterprise and Vista Ultimate for students who wish to upgrade their computers.
Denison's Recommended Systems
| Laptop | |||||||||||
| Apple | MacBook | ||||||||||
| Dell | Latitude D630 | ||||||||||
Denison University Information Technology Services recommends that students purchase a computer from Apple or Dell. Although this is simply a recommendation, we have more experience with these products and there have been times when our contacts have helped students get through trouble with warranty support.
Both Apple and Dell offer academic pricing for most of their products. Dell provides Denison with a web page where we can post our recommended configurations but you can shop their entire line of products. Manufacturer's academic prices are not always the best available. Use our recommendations and check for other discounts or sales to get what you want. Likewise, computers other than Dell and Apple will work with our network. Please use our recommendations as guidelines when deciding.
| Recommended Configuration | |||||||||||
| Operating System | Macintosh OS X 10.4 (10.5 OK) or Windows XP Professional (Vista OK) | ||||||||||
| Processor | Intel Core Duo | ||||||||||
| Memory | 2 Gigabytes | ||||||||||
| Warranty Support | 3 or 4 years of on-site support | ||||||||||
| Network Support | Standard in new computers - compatible wired/wireless network connections 10/100/1000 Ethernet & 802.11b/g wireless |
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| Bundled Software | The University provides Microsoft Office and McAfee anti-virus software for both platforms. You will not need to purchase these with your computer. |
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| Power Conditioning | Purchase an Uninterruptible Power Supply or Surge Protector - These are essential for power outages and surges. |
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Software Considerations
Instead of purchasing Microsoft Office from a vendor, you may want to wait and borrow the installation CD from the Library. The software is covered by Denison's Campus License Agreement.
Denison also provides McAfee Virus Scan for Windows and Macintosh.
Bringing an Older Computer
We don't expect everyone to bring a new computer. Many older Macintosh and Windows computers are likely to be at least minimally compatible with Denison's network. These absolute minimum standards are what we feel will provide a reasonable experience on a system secure enough for a network environment.
| Minimum Configuration | |||||||||||
| Macintosh | Windows | ||||||||||
| Operating System | OS X 10.4 | XP Professional | |||||||||
| Memory | 1 Gigabyte | 1 Gigabyte | |||||||||
| Processor | G4 or better | Pentium 4 or better | |||||||||
| Network Interface | 10/100 Ethernet | 10/100 Ethernet | |||||||||
| Available Disk Space | 10 GB free disk space | 10 GB free disk space | |||||||||
Denison Computing Services cannot guarantee that attempts to connect to Denison's network with computers that meet only the Minimum Configuration standards will be successful. However, we have turned away very few.
Denison's Software Offerings
Denison has a Campus License Agreement with Microsoft which allows the University to distribute the Microsoft Office suite of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, as well as Microsoft XP Professional and Vista Enterprise operating systems. Office for Macintosh is also provided. However, we have not been able to obtain similar licensing from Apple for the Macintosh OS X operating system and updates. Macintosh owners can obtain academic discounts on the purchase of OS X upgrades through Apple. The Microsoft software is available to students at the Library Circulation Desk.
Denison also has licensed McAfee Anti-Virus software for all student computers. This software is available on our Big Red Disc.