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This document reflects the Office of Information Technology's (OIT)
current minimum recommendations for Windows-based
computers purchased for use by students, faculty, and staff at the University of
Maryland. The intention is to recommend both hardware and software that will
remain useful for the next few years.
Current and prospective members of the university can also purchase
recommended Dell computer systems and acquire recommended software through our
web page on purchasing a Dell
or Apple system.
If any of the terms used below are unfamiliar, definitions can be found at http://whatis.techtarget.com/.
| Processor |
Desktop: Intel Core 2 Duo, or AMD 64x2 Dual-Core
Laptop: Intel Core 2 Duo, or AMD 64x2 Dual-Core |
| Memory |
1 GB of RAM |
| Hard drive capacity |
80GB |
| Networking |
Computers connecting to the campus network from an office or a residence
hall will need a 10/100Mbps Ethernet networking card. Laptops should have
a wireless a/b, a/g, or a/b/g card.
|
| CD/DVD Player |
CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive. The addition of a DVD+/-RW drive provides flexibility.
|
| Removable Storage |
A USB memory key or flash drive is
recommended to backup and transport larger files.
|
| Other Devices/Ports |
The system should have at least 2 USB 2.0 ports for connecting USB
devices. |
| Operating System |
New computer systems will come loaded with either Windows Vista or
Windows XP Professional. Faculty and Staff should have Windows XP Professional. |
Note: Some students initially bring an older computer from
home to the university. Older systems that are close to the above minimum
requirements for a new computer may only be suitable for one year.
| Operating System |
New computer systems will come loaded with either Windows XP
Professional or Windows Vista. |
| Office Suite |
Microsoft Office 2007 and Office 2003 are the two most prevalent office
suite software packages used on campus. |
| Web Browser |
Mozilla Firefox 2.x, SeaMonkey, and Internet Explorer 7.0, are recommended. Most web-based university systems work with these
web browsers.
It is recommended that you have at least two separate web browsers loaded onto your computer in
case an alternate is needed for troubleshooting purposes.
|
| E-mail Client |
Mozilla Thunderbird 2.x, Windows Mail, and Outlook Express are recommended. Users of Outlook Express
are urged to download and
install the latest Internet Explorer/Outlook security
patches. |
| Anti-Virus Software |
It is strongly recommended that University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) students, faculty,
and staff
install and run the latest version of McAfee VirusScan
available for free from the OIT Virus
Notification Program, as this software is specially designed for
members of the university and will update itself automatically. The
full version of the latest version of Norton AntiVirus, if configured to
update itself automatically, is also
acceptable, but not supported by the OIT
Help Desk. |
| RSS Clients |
Mozilla Firefox 2.x (live bookmarks)
Mozilla Thunderbird 2.x (feeds) |
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