Computing Services

2012 Student Computing

Technology is an integral part of the curriculum at IR/PS. The School supports a student computer lab and students can connect to a high-speed network through wireless connections from all classrooms, seminar rooms, and study areas.

All students are required to have their own laptop (notebook) computer for use at IR/PS. We strongly recommend the purchase of a new computer with an extended warranty to cover your stay at IR/PS. About 10% of the laptops that students bring to IR/PS experience a hardware failure during the school year, so be prepared.

General Recommendations

IR/PS is committed to an open, cross platform computer environment and supports Mac and Windows computers. We highly recommend that you purchase a new notebook for use at IR/PS. The specifications below outline the minimum hardware and software we recommend you purchase. Note: a netbook style computer is not sufficient to meet this requirement.

Laptops may be purchased from any supplier. The UC San Diego Bookstore Computer Center sells many laptop models at very competitive prices, including special models that meet the IR/PS minimum requirements listed below. The Bookstore can also provide you with Microsoft Office at a very low price.

Please also keep in mind that a laptop is a delicate instrument and should be treated as such. Carefully placing it on hard surfaces and transporting it in a padded backpack will keep your laptop healthy. Due to the fragile nature of laptops, frequent data backups are a must. You should have some kind of backup solution for your data, documents, pictures and music. A USB external hard drive is a highly recommended solution.

2012 Laptop Minimum Specifications

Specification	Minimum Windows	Minimum Macintosh
Processor	Intel Core i3 or better 2.0 GHz or better	Intel Core i3 or better 2.0 GHz or better
Screen	13-in active matrix LCD	13-in active matrix LCD
External Video	XVGA 1024x768 or better	XVGA 1024x768 or better
Memory (RAM)	2 Gigabytes or more	2 Gigabyte or more
Storage (Hard Drive)	200 Gigabytes or larger	200 Gigabytes or larger
Optical Drive	DVD-RW, BluRay optional	DVD-RW
Networking	10/100/1000 Megabit Ethernet	10/100/1000 Megabit Ethernet
Wireless	802.11n compliant	802.11n compliant
Security features	Fingerprint reader optional	N/A
Videoconferencing	Camera recommended	Camera standard
Warranty	Coverage through June 2015	Coverage through June 2015
Operating System	MS Windows 7 (not Startup Edition)	MacOS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
Productivity	Microsoft Office 2010 Must include PowerPoint (See Note 1)	Microsoft Office 2011 (See Note 1)
Virus Scan	Any current software (See Note 4)	Any current software (See Note 4)
Note 1: MS Office includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Purchase MS Office Education version at UCSD Bookstore. Be sure PowerPoint is included with your purchase. MS Office 2008 and 2011 for Mac does not include ability to run macros and add-ins that are required in some classes at IR/PS. Free Mac software from Solver.com can provide the same features as Excel on Windows. See the Computing Services team for assistance. Not recommended for use at IR/PS: WordPerfect, MS Works, AppleWorks, Apple Pages, HWP, NJStar. Note 2: IR/PS will supply the following free or specially licensed software and assist with installation: Mozilla Firefox, Acrobat Reader, Stuffit Expander, FirstClass email client, lab printer drivers, PrimoPDF, and anti-virus software. Note 3: Some classes will require purchasing specialty software. See each course syllabus for specific requirements. Note 4: To meet the UC San Diego Network Connection Minimum Standards, the operating system, anti-virus software and anti-spyware software must have current updates installed. A firewall program must be installed and activated. All accounts on the computer must have a strong password.

Contacts: Questions about this page and IR/PS Student Computing Requirements should be directed to Computing Services Manager Gary Hoffman, (858) 534-1989.