Do You Need a Computer for College?

Every fall semester brings new students to SVSU, along with questions about technology needs. This document is here to provide basic guidelines for parents and students to consider when purchasing computers to prepare for the demands of college life. Before you go out and buy a computer, you should know that SVSU provides several ways for students to use computers on campus, and how students may connect to the campus network (see Where to Connect @ SVSU). Those living on campus can connect their own personal computers to ResNet data ports available in their housing units.

While SVSU has one of the best student to computer ratios amongst Michigan colleges, many students prefer having their own personal computer (be it a laptop or a desktop). So, if you're wanting to buy a computer you should first think about your college/career needs, your budget, and if mobility is necessary. Mobility refers to notebook/laptop computers that can be carried around with the student.

SVSU is primarily a wired campus, but does offer both wired and wireless access points for laptops to access the campus network at different locations through-out the campus and in all of Housing (see Wireless Network Overview). The predominant computing platform on campus, and throughout the world for that matter, is Microsoft Windows. SVSU does provide a higher ratio of Windows computers versus Apple Macintosh, but both are widely available to students on campus (see MicroLab Open Lab Schedule).

Important Note

There are not many restrictions on the type of computer system to bring to campus. It needs to support ethernet for wired connections, and wireless access requires WPA-2 security encryption. Regardless of how you connect your personal computer to the campus network (wired or wireless), all systems/devices must be registered and have a valid antivirus program (fully operational and updated), along with the latest operating system critical updates installed.

College/Career Needs to Consider

Most of the computers on the market today will suffice for most students entering into college. They simply need to have network capabilities and run basic software applications). Students can always find and download "free" Microsoft compatible software, such as OpenOffice.org. SVSU has both Microsoft and Corel WordPerfect applications available in all teaching and open labs, and are used by faculty/staff in their offices. See Home Computer Choices in left menu for more details.

Students should have an idea on what the computing demands are for their career or field of study. Art majors computing requirements are significantly different than those in say English, Political Science, Psychology, and so on. Courses/careers in Art, Communication/Multimedia, Engineering and other scientific fields of study, typically demand powerful computers to run the software for their perspective industries. Such computers usually have more powerful CPUs, more RAM memory, and larger hard drives.

Again, you need to consider the student's major or field of study when making your computer purchase. Art and Communication/Multimedia students would find their industry to lean heavily on Apple Macintosh computers. Students can do just about everything on WindowsXP computers, but the Apple computer is dominant in those graphics/multimedia industries and owning one would provide that extra benefit of hands-on knowledge when seeking employment. Apple computers tend to be more costly, but are becoming more versatile in their product offerings (you could make the system dual-boot, providing both Mac OS and Windows on the same hardware). Most industries will utilize Microsoft Windows.

Hardware Recommendation

Considerations for Desktop Users

CPU power should coincide with perceived need of career field (some programs require more power to perform basic functions)
Buy a system with at least 2GB of RAM - more, if affordable. Vista and Macs run best with 4GB of RAM.
Ethernet port for wired network connectivity (also need to purchase a straight-thru 8-wire Cat5e - or better - ethernet cable).
DVD/CDRW combo drive

Considerations For Laptop Users

Laptops must have WPA2 security encryption capabilities when connecting to the SVSU wireless network (WEP is not sufficient as it is easily hacked)
CPU power should coincide with perceived need of career field (some programs require more power to perform basic functions - audio/video/graphics)
Buy a system with at least 2GB of RAM - more, if affordable. Vista and Macs run best with 4GB of RAM.
If your need is that of a power user (high-end graphics and video production), you could consider sacrificing CPU power to get more RAM (applications starve for RAM).
Housing units provide wireless access, and also have data ports available for connecting to ResNet. This is a wired ethernet connection that requires an ethernet port on the computer and a straight-thru ethernet cable. Ethernet (wired) connections provide faster data transfer rates.

Other Considerations

USB ports for extra devices (such as printers and USB Keydrives for file backup)
Regardless of what computer system you choose, consider the warranty and service options offered. How important/critical is getting the system repaired in a timely fashion? The answer dictates the type of service you may need to purchase. It may be a local computer store, on-site service technician, or mail-in depot repair (common for laptop purchases). Be sure to ask about the options and the associated costs, and time to repair estimates...
When using the wired connections on campus (such as ResNet), your laptop/computer must have an ethernet network interface card (NIC) and a straight-thru 8-wire Cat5e ethernet cable.

Free Software?

Visit the Home Computer Choices and/or Software Downloads page for more information (see left menu).

Still Not Sure?

Feel free to contact the ITS Support Center for advice. It would also be to your advantage to talk with the faculty to get their perspectives on what kind technology is best suited for the field of study chosen.