Investing in a Laptop 2009

For students entering the Pacific University program in 2009 I would strongly recommend investing in a laptop computer. Your laptop will become the most important tool that you have as a graduate student and subsequently as a teacher. Very early in the graduate program you will become proficient in the use of the hardware and much of the software. There are some specifications that I recommended for your computer:

- RAM: Your computer’s working memory. Larger amounts of RAM are better for speed and the ability to utilize multiple programs at once. I recommend no less than 2Gb of RAM, and it offers a speed and multitasking advantage if you can purchase 4 Gigabytes or more if you can afford it. As you purchase, note the number of slots that your computer has and the ease of adding additional RAM without throwing out existing RAM. Typically it is less expensive to buy a minimal amount of RAM with your computer and to add your own RAM later. I will be glad to teach you how to do this. The new MacBooks and MacBook Pro work best with matching memory in the two slots and the cheapest way to get 4Gb is to purchase it installed from Apple.

- HardDrive: Your computer’s long term memory. The bigger the hard drive, the more space you will have to store your software and your ongoing projects. I recommend no less than 160 Gigabytes.

- Screen Size: Your visual interface with the computer. A 13" monitor will be adequate for most student/teacher work with a computer. If you will be creating extensive web pages, graphics or video, having a 15" monitor is wonderful and I would recommend it if you can afford it. Most people find the 17" monitor on a laptop to be too cumbersome.

- Wireless Connectivity: The ability to access the Web and connect with other computers without plugging in. The Pacific campus is now wireless as are a growing number of business and schools. A wireless card will allow you to connect to the Web and to your colleagues while in classes which will be quite a useful capacity.

Your optical media (CD/DVD) drive is one of the critical ways that you can input information into your computer. Having the ability to burn CDs and even DVDs, allows you to store, backup, and output information and to share your work with others. A "CD" drive plays CDs. A "Combo Drive" plays CDs and DVDs and Burns CDs. A "Superdrive" plays and records all disks. There are also new double-layer superdrives on some laptops that will now burn special DVDs with twice the capacity. I strongly recommend purchasing a SuperDrive in your computer

Other systems elements that will affect the utility of your computer include the speed and the type of the processor, graphics card, and peripheral connectivity. If this description of computer elements is a bit unclear to you and you would like a deeper explanation, you can use this LINK to connect with that information

For a wide range of reasons, I strongly recommend the purchase of an Apple MacBook. Because of the use of an Intel chip, your computer will be able to run Windows and Apple software (at the same time if you would like!). This means that when you get a job, no matter which platform your school uses, your computer will be able to access this network and run their software. Furthermore, much of the specialized software that we will use in the program will be Apple-based, and over the life of the computer Apples are less expensive than comparable PCs. Finally, there is a significantly reduced risk of viruses on a Macintosh.

Apple has a line of lower cost laptops. These MacBooks come in two basic configurations. The least expensive model is adequate however it comes in a plastic case. The next step up is a MacBook in an Aluminum unibody shell that is a bit more solid.. While all MacBooks come with at least 2GB of RAM, it will improve your speed and the ability to multitask if you have more RAM, your might consider 4GB of RAM if you can afford it (I would be glad to help you add increased RAM at a later date). For the extra $67 dollars I also recommend a roughly 30% larger hard drive. This will allow you to store all of the wonderful multimedia projects you will do for the program and during your first few years of teaching.. This cannot be added later and will make a difference in the long run. In conclusion, any of the MacBook choices below will be a good program choice. The best value will be a model with an increased hard drive. The fastest most powerful Macbook will be one with added RAM. MacBook Pros are more expensive, however they add increased monitor size (15" instead of 13") as well as graphics capacity over the MacBook. They are a wonderful tool if they can be afforded, and they also have a firewire input that will be very useful for the requirements of this program.

If you go to the Apple website and select the Education link on the upper left side, you will be able to purchase a computer at a discount as a Pacific student. I have linked to it above.

Below you will find a listing of recommended configurations for MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Each will come with software for email, photo editing, movie editing, music creation, webpage creation, and much more. While most of the software that you will need as a student is shipped on these laptops, you may want Microsoft Office (containing Word, Entourage, Powerpoint, Excel). This can be purchased many places, however it is available for under $100 to registered Pacific students through TechHead at http://www.techhead.org/. Office or its equilivent is recommended for Pacific Students.

If you are committed to purchasing a PC, I recommend Dell as the top brand in similar configurations as noted above.
Please let me know if you have other questions or need further guidance.