Hartwick students are often on the go. Some travel to other continents with their peers and professors to study during January Term. Others have an internship off campus or undertake a practical-learning experience with classmates in communities near or far. When the sun is up, most Hartwick students are on the move. Our long-standing respect for mobility and information technology means that learning is best served if each student owns a personal laptop computer.
The College strongly recommends that students purchase a laptop computer, complete with applications and networking software, from one of our approved vendors. The purchase of a laptop from the Hartwick Recommended Vendor Program has the advantage of including three or four years of on-site hardware support and four years of on-site software support.
The College also recommends purchasing the maximum extended manufacturer’s warranty and the maximum extended accidental damage protection plan. Laptops that are not purchased from the Hartwick Recommended Vendor Program do not include on-site servicing for the warranty and damage protections offered through our vendor program.
Although we think that you will be best served by our recommended laptop program, the Hartwick College Technology Resource Center (TRC) will facilitate students' use of laptops of their own choosing if those laptops meet the College's minimum specifications (see below) for hardware, operating system, networking, anti-virus, and other software. The TRC is certified to provide hardware warranty service for all Lenovo, Apple, and HP laptops. We offer software support on other student-owned computers as time permits, for an hourly fee.
The purchase of additional software, like the purchase of books and other instructional materials, may be necessary to meet the requirements of some courses, as determined by the course instructor.
The College minimum and recommended laptop specifications for 2009-10 are:
| Category | 2009 Minimum Specification | 2009 Recommended Specification |
|---|---|---|
| Processor[1] | 1.8 GHz | 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo |
| Hard Drive[2] | 100 GB | 160 GB or more |
| Memory[3] | 2048 MB | 3072 MB or more |
| CD/DVD drive[4] | CD/DVD Combo Drive | CDRW/DVDRW Combo Drive |
| Wireless[5] | 802.11b/g | 802.11a/b/g |
| Graphics Adapter[6] | Dedicated video memory | |
| Network[7] | 10/100 Ethernet network interface | 10/100/1000 Ethernet network interface |
| Network cable[8] | 25’ Category 6 Ethernet cable | 25’ Category 6 Ethernet cable |
| Battery | Suitable | |
| USB | 2 USB 2.0 ports | 4 USB 2.0 ports |
| Warranty | Manufacturer’s warranty | 4-year manufacturer’s warranty |
| Accidental Damage Protection[9] | 4 year | |
| Operating System[10] | Microsoft Windows XP Professional-32 Bit | Microsoft Windows XP Professional-32 Bit |
| Productivity Software | Ability to create and edit file types commonly used in Microsoft Office | Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 (for Windows machines) or Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac |
[1] Any CPU that exceeds the minimum specification in performance is acceptable
[2] More is better, but not necessary
[3] More is better and offers a significant improvement in performance
[4] A CDRW and/or DVDRW is required to write data to a CD or DVD
[5] 802.11n is not supported at this time
[6] Dedicated video memory may produce a significant improvement in performance
[7] 1000Mbps Ethernet is available in certain Hartwick locations only
[8] Residence hall Ethernet jacks are located at the ceiling and require a long cable
[9] The College strongly encourages purchasing accidental damage protection
[10] Microsoft Windows XP Professional is the only supported operating system. Other versions of Windows, such as XP Home, Vista, will not work with all applications
Students who arrive at Hartwick without a laptop can use our computer labs and the library public use machines, as available, during normal building hours. Some courses require use of a laptop in the classroom. Students without a laptop who find that they need one for a particular course or project can rent one (as available) from the Technology Resource Center.
If you have any questions, please contact the Technology Resource Center (TRC) at technology@hartwick.edu or call 607-431-4357 (HELP).
