Operating System

• Windows XP Pro w/ Service Pack 2 (SP2 can be downloaded for free at windowsupdate.microsoft.com)
• Windows Vista* (Home Premium or better)

Hardware

• Pentium 4 processor (or newer - Celeron, Pentium M, etc. are fine)
• at least 512MB RAM / 1GB for Vista
• at least 40GB hard drive
• 10/100 Ethernet adapter
• Ethernet Cable (CAT5, 10'-15' long)
• Wireless adapter (802.11b/g) (optional)
• USB flash drive (optional, but recommended for backing up and transporting files)

Software

• Microsoft Office Suite 2003 or 2007 (Student Edition)
• Antivirus software with real-time protection & automatic updates

Warranty

• We recommend an extended 3-year warranty.

Macintosh

Operating System

• OS X (10.2.8 or newer)

Hardware

• G4/G5 (PowerPC) or Intel processor
• at least 512MB RAM
• at least 40GB hard drive
• 10/100 Ethernet adapter
• Ethernet Cable (CAT5, 10'-15' long)
• AirPort wireless adapter (optional)
• USB flash drive (optional, but recommended for backing up and transporting files)

Software

• Microsoft Office Suite 2004
  (Student and Teacher Edition)
• Antivirus software

Warranty

• We recommend an extended 3-year warranty. Apple offers the Apple Care Protection Plan. For more information, visit http://www.apple.com/support/products.

* About Vista

At the time of this writing, LIS has not comprehensively tested Windows Vista, and so cannot guarantee complete compatibility with every service that Dickinson provides. However, we do not anticipate any problems for student-owned computers. Please be advised that support for Vista may be limited, and available on a case-by-case basis. For more information on which version of Vista is right for your needs, visit Microsoft's Vista comparison chart at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/choose.mspx .

Wireless

If you choose to bring a laptop, you may also want to include a wireless network adapter. Wireless access is currently available in the library and in the Quarry. Students are not allowed to bring their own wireless access points (WAPs) for use on campus. Please refer to our Wireless Internet policy.