The College strongly encourages you to bring a Windows-based PC or Macintosh computer to campus with you. Laptop computers are recommended for flexibility and convenience, and can be used in your residence and in classrooms.

Computer Purchasing
As a Hampshire student, you can purchase computers and software at an academic discount. We’ve set up a web portal for computer and software purchases at http://www.hampshire.edu/techdiscounts. Log in using your HampNet login, and follow the links to the Dell or Apple websites for educational personal purchases. We have recommended bundles on the Apple and Dell sites that contain a laptop, case, lock, and an ethernet cable. You can also order items a la carte if you prefer.

Please note that this year the bundles no longer include Microsoft Office. Many of our students have been very happy with Open Office, a Microsoft-compatible application suite that is available as a free download. You can still purchase a student version of Microsoft Office, if you prefer, through Apple or Dell when you order your computer. For questions about computer purchases, please contact Asha Kinney.

Anti-Virus Software
The College requires that you have up-to-date anti-virus software installed on your computer. We recommend Microsoft Security Essentials, which can be installed for free here.

Planning to Work in Video, Sound, Animation, Digital Photography or Design? This part's for you.
Most media classes at Hampshire run on Macintosh computers. You can use a PC, but you will probably experience some problems moving back and forth. Another thing to consider is that, in our experience, a student’s first year is usually not the best time to purchase a high-end computer for media work. Technology and our own desires change too fast to make the machine you purchase now truly useful to you for your Division III work later. It may make more sense to use something basic your first year and save your money for later. We do recommend you have your own external firewire (not USB) hard drive, but that too can wait until during your first semester. If you have more questions, please see our Advanced Media web pages or email John Gunther, manager for advanced media, at jgunther@hampshire.edu. And again, this is only applicable to students planning to work in film, video, etc.

Minimum Supported and Recommended Computer Configurations
In order to take full advantage of the available services on campus, you will need:

What Else Should You Bring With Your Computer?

• If you are bringing a laptop, we strongly recommend that you acquire and use a laptop lock. These locks are included in the recommended system bundles for Apple and Dell.
• Be sure to bring your original operating system and software discs with you. If you encounter a problem and we need to help you reinstall your system, we’ll need the legal copies to do so.
• An ethernet cable almost always needs to be purchased separately from a computer or ethernet card. You will need an RJ45 ethernet cable to connect your computer to the network jack in your room. This is the same type of cable that is used to connect to high-speed cable and DSL connections in homes.

Support

The IT staff provide support for systems that meet at least the minimum configuration. Support includes assisting with troubleshooting and resolving software or hardware related problems and providing basic instruction on use. At this time, there is no official staff support for Linux, but there are local Linux users groups that provide support.