Macintosh

Below are the minimum required specifications for any Macintosh computer to be used on the network. It is not recommended to use a computer on campus under these specifications.

  • Intel Core 2 Duo
  • 512 MB RAM (1 GB Recommended)
  • 40 GB hard drive with at least 15% free space
  • OS 10.6 or higher with the latest software updates
  • Ethernet adapter (we strongly recommend purchasing an Ethernet adapter if you have a MacBook Air/MacBook Pro with Retina Display; wireless is not guaranteed to work in your individual dorm room)
  • Current Internet Web browser

Recommended Computer Specifications

Recommendations for students who intend to keep a computer for four years without a major upgrade:


 Desktops Laptops
Monitors 21.5" iMac with 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processor MacBook Pro 13",15" (Personal preference)
Operating System OS X Mountain Lion (10.8), fully updated with firewall enabled OS X Mountain Lion (10.8), fully updated with firewall enabled
Processor/CPU Intel Core i5 (2.66 GHz, Quad Core) or AMD FX (3.0 GHz, Octa Core) Intel Core i5 (2.4 Ghz, Dual Core) or AMD APU (A6-3400M or higher)
Ram 4 GB RAM 4 GB RAM
Hard Drive 1 TB Traditional hard drive or 256 GB Solid State Drive* (SSD) with external hard drive 750 GB Traditional hard drive or 180 GB Solid State Drive* (SSD) with external hard drive
Networking Hardware 10/100/1000 Ethernet adapter 10/100/1000 Ethernet adapter, 802.11 G/N
Software Microsoft Office Suite Microsoft Office Suite

*A solid state drive is a hard drive that does not use "traditional" hard drive technology of recording data on magnetic disks, meaning it has no moving parts. This makes them more reliable, faster, and less prone to data loss from dropping / carrying a laptop around. The downside is solid state technology is still more expensive than "traditional" hard drive technology, and space is still a limiting factor. If a solid state drive is purchased, we recommend also purchasing an external hard drive for data storage.

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