While students are encouraged to seriously consider purchasing a laptop for mobility and convenience, a desktop computer should be purchased if you think that a desktop will better meet your needs. If you purchase a desktop computer, your system is expected to meet certain minimum performance standards and to connect effectively to the Internet.

MICROSOFT VISTA

The recommendations for Windows PC computers on this site meet the hardware requirements of Microsoft's newest operating system, Vista. If you have questions about Vista or its compatibility with campus applications, see http://iet.ucdavis.edu/microsoft/vista/index.cfm.

MACINTOSH OS X LEOPARD

The latest Apple operating system, Mac OS X version 10.5 (also known as Leopard), was released in October 2007. The recommendations for Apple computers on this site meet the hardware requirements of Leopard. If you have questions about Leopard or its compatibility with campus applications, see http://iet.ucdavis.edu/macintosh/leopard/matrix.cfm.

Starting in December 2007, Information and Educational Technology (IET) officially began supporting Leopard. In consultation with the campus technical community, IET has developed recommendations and support plans for Leopard and continues to examine Leopard’s compatibility with other applications commonly used on campus. Before upgrading to Leopard or purchasing a new Mac, please read the Mac Leopard Campus Recommendation.

Consult your department about specific software and/or hardware requirements that may be different from these recommended minimum configurations.

If you believe a laptop will better meet your needs, then you should purchase a system that meets the minimum recommended laptop computer configurations for 2008-2009 and that connects effectively to the Internet.

Additional Computing Needs

Backing up files: At a minimum, you should backup your important files to CD, DVD, or USB drive. To backup your entire system, you should consider purchasing an external backup drive. If you need to backup various large files, such as multimedia and music files, you should consider purchasing an external hard drive with up to a third more storage than your hard drive (e.g., roughly 200 GB for a 160 GB hard drive). If you’re backing up smaller files, a few GB may suffice. For more information on computer backups, please visit the UC Davis Security Site.

Software: IET provides UC Davis students, staff and faculty access to free Sophos Anti-Virus software and other products to protect your computer. (Please note that Sophos Anti-Virus may not be used by UC Davis Health System students, staff, or faculty. UCDHS has a separate agreement with McAfee for anti-virus software). Students, staff and faculty may download Sophos Anti-Virus software from the Software License Coordination (SLC) Web site. Additionally, the TechHUB offers productivity, creativity, and other software packages to students, staff and faculty. Many of the software packages offered by the TechHUB have special academic pricing that may be substantially lower than commercial vendors.

Network Interface Card (NIC): A network-ready computer has an installed Ethernet network interface card (NIC). Visually inspect your computer for the RJ-45 port that indicates an NIC. An RJ-45 jack looks similar to a regular telephone jack used by modems and telephones, but it is slightly wider. You must also have an Ethernet cable with RJ-45 connecters to connect your computer NIC to the data wall jack in your dorm room. For best performance, the cable should be Category 5, 5e, 6, or better. The recommended length is about 15 feet. You can purchase a 10 Base-T or twisted pair network pair cable from the TechHUB.

Tech Support

The IT Express Computing Services Help Desk provides assistance with many topics, including software, campus Internet access, and activating and accessing your UC Davis email and computing accounts. Call for help at 530-754-HELP (4357).