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The College of Engineering Computer Requirement

The Computer Requirement

Information from Microsoft about the Tablet PC

Ordering Information:

• University Bookstore Tablet Computer Page (not active until May 1st)

Please note that the College of Engineering requirement is different from the general University requirement.

Please note that vendors will be on campus during orientation for you to speak with and view and handle their products. Computers should be purchased during orientation *after* vendors have refreshed their product configurations for the Fall buying season (late-June, ealry-July) and to ensure timely delivery before classes begin. Many vendors will not be selling new products until the orientation time-frame and we do not recommend buying last year's technology as it will put you at a technological disadvantage.

Computer Requirement	Fall 2008
Platform	Tablet PC Convertible
OS	Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005 or Windows Vista Enterprise Edition*
PC Processor speed	Core 2 Duo (dual core processor) 2.2 GHz or higher
Memory (RAM)	2 GB (minimum)
Hard Disk Drive	120 GB or larger ; 5400 RPM spindle speed or better
Video RAM	128 MB
CD/DVD drive	DVD+-R writeable DVD
Input/Output Ports	USB 2.0
Wireless	802.11 a/g
NIC/Ethernet Card	10/100/1000 Ethernet Card
Printer	Any Windows compatible inkjet or laser printer
Warranty	3 Year onsite with accident coverage (recommend 4 years)**
External Backup Drive	USB external hard drive of 160GB or more; one touch/push-button backup capability recommended***

 

Engineering Students are also required to purchase the Engineering software bundle which includes over $1,500 worth of software for around $350. The software bundle will be available for purchase at move-in in August, not during orientation.

Software:	Microsoft Campus Agreement: Include Microsoft Office, Operating System Upgrades, Visual Studio, Visio, Project, OneNote and Client Access Licenses****
	AutoDesk:  Inventor and Mechanical Desktop (free)
	MatLab: Mathematical analysis software
	LabView: Simulation and graphical programming software
	PDF Annotator: Note taking and document revision software
	Virginia Tech will provide all students with Symantec Anti-Virus software during summer orientation on the VTnet CD. Students are strongly encouraged to install immediately and update regularly.
	Questions please visit http://software.vt.edu

Check these links for more resources:

• Hardware and software requirements policy statement
• Definitions of technical terms
• Additional information on the Tablet PC
• Frequently asked questions about the tablet requirement

* Vista Statement: The College of Engineering is strongly advising its students to continue to use Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005 as their primary operating system.  Windows Vista continues to have performance and compatibility issues that make it more difficult to use and support.  These are not issues isolated to the Virginia Tech campus and are known throughout the information technology industry.  If you have purchased a machine preinstalled with a different version of Windows, you may obtain a copy (included as part of the Engineering Software Bundle) of Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005 or Windows Vista Enterprise Edition as part of the Engineering Software Bundle from Software Distribution located at 3220 Torgersen Hall, or via the software download server at http://network.software.vt.edu.

** All vendors have some type of accident coverage they offer. This will replace machines that are broken for various reasons. The College of Engineering requires that a 3 year warranty is purchased with this type of coverage.

*** Backup Drive Statement: In an effort to reduce the chance of data loss and provide for better data security, the University is requiring all students to purchase an external USB hard drive for the purposes of data backup. A majority of support requests to our IT staff are for data recovery from a system that has crashed where the user has had no means or process for backing up their data. With the rapidly decreasing costs of external mass storage devices, it has become reasonable and prudent to require students to purchase a device for backup purposes. Good data backup practices are essential to our students' academic career.

**** The Engineering Software Bundle gives the student the ability to upgrade any of the listed software during their time in the College of Engineering whenever there is a new release. When new versions of packages in the bundle become available students can update for no charge. For this reason purchasing copies of any of the software from another vendor cannot be substituted as part of the bundle.

If you have any further questions or concerns please email jlockhar@vt.edu

Previous Requirements (not applicable to Fall 2008 students!)
2007 Computer Requirement
2006 Computer Requirement