-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 1
/
Copy pathcomputer_reqs.Rmd
34 lines (23 loc) · 2.25 KB
/
computer_reqs.Rmd
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
---
title: "Computer requirements & recommendations"
---
The MEDS program requires all students to have a personal laptop to use during the program. Our curriculum is designed to work across different operating systems and computers, as long as they meet some minimum requirements.
### Specifically, your computer should:
- be no more than 4 years old, and in any case be fully supported by the manufacturer. For example, [Apple won't repair anything that's more than 7 years old](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624)
- be running Windows, macOS or Linux. (Please note that we offer limited support for Linux)
- have at least 50 GB storage space available for MEDS applications and coursework
- have at least 8 GB of RAM (the more the better!)
- have a 64-bit CPU
If you have a Mac, be sure to update macOS to the newest supported version, as indicated by *System Preferences→Software Update*.
If you have a PC, you should have Windows 10 installed but if you don't, you can [purchase Windows 10 Education for $14.99 from UCSB](https://ucsb.onthehub.com/WebStore/OfferingDetails.aspx?o=14f7e678-4731-e511-940e-b8ca3a5db7a1).
### New Computers
If you are purchasing a new computer, we recommend:
- at least 16 GB of RAM
- at least 512 GB of SSD (not "disk"!) storage
- the manucafturer's extended warranty or service plan (e.g., [AppleCare+](https://www.apple.com/support/products/mac/)).
If you are trying to decide between Mac and Windows we would recommend a Mac, but if you purchase or already have a Windows PC, don’t worry that will be just fine as long as it meets our minimum requirements.
You can [purchase a Macbook Air using the higher education discount](https://www.apple.com/us-hed/shop) for \$899 before tax and AppleCare. A PC can cost anywhere from \$500 to more than $3,000; you generally get what you pay for.
### Loaner equipment
If your computer breaks or dies, we can usually loan you a Windows laptop for up to a month, which should be long enough to have your computer repaired or buy a new one.
### Home setup
At home you may want to have a dedicated computer setup that includes an external monitor (or 2!), keyboard, and mouse. A stable at-home Wifi connection is necessary for completing work remotely (i.e. off-campus).