ECS Student Purchasing Information

Personal Computer Recommendations

Earlham has chosen Dell and Apple as the standard hardware vendors for college owned equipement. Discounts are available to students for these vendors.

Because configurations vary from vendor to vendor, ECS would recommend that any computer purchased should have a minimum of the following:

Desktop Computers

2+ Ghz Intel or AMD Processor for PCs
Intel Core Duo Processor for Macs
512MB RAM (1GB or more recommended for heavy media use)
80GB Hard Drive (160GB or more recommended for heavy media use)
DVD/CD-RW Drive (DVD-RW recommended for large scale data backup)
100 MB Ethernet Port (You can purchase an Ethernet cable on campus from the bookstore or bring one from home.)
17" Display (Flat panels recommended to save space and reduce power consumption and heat.)
Surge Protector (Power surges, although infrequent, do occur in the dorms.)
Three Year Warranty (Although sometimes expensive, computers frequently have hardware problems that are far more expensive to repair a la carte than with a warranty.)

Laptop Computers

Celeron M, Pentium M, Intel Dual Core Processor for PCs ("M" branded processors are designed for mobility; other processors generate excessive heat and reduce battery life.)
Intel Core Duo Processor for Macs
512MB RAM (1 GB or more recommeded for heavy media use)
40GB Hard Drive (larger hard drive recommended for heavy media use)
DVD/CD-RW Drive (DVD-RW recommended for large scale data backup)
100 MB Ethernet Port (You can purchase an Ethernet cable on campus from the bookstore or bring one from home.)
802.11b/g (or Apple Airport) Wireless Network Card
Surge Protector (Power surges, although infrequent, do occur in the dorms.)
Sturdy shock and vibration rated carrying case.
Three Year Warranty (Although sometimes expensive, computers frequently have hardware problems that are far more expensive to repair a la carte than with a warranty.)

Back-up Options

ECS recommends that all students back up their data regularly. There are several options.

Network: Earlham provides students with 300MB of storage space on the campus network for the most critical documents. Learn how to access network storage space from any computer.
DVD/CD: For students with RW drives, DVDs and CDs are an inexpensive backup option. CDs hold 700MB of data; DVDs hold 4700MB of data and cost only slightly more.
External hard drive: External hard drives are an excellent option for backing up your entire hard drive. This is the best option for users who have large collections of music or other media files that will not fit on multiple DVDs. Currently external hard drives range in size from 20GB to 350GB and cost bewteen between $100-$350.
USB key drive (aka thumb drive): These small portable disks allow for the easy transfer of small files. Currently USB key drives range in size from 128MB to 4GB and generally cost between $15-130.

Antivirus and Other Security Software

Antivirus and anti-spyware software must be installed and functional for access to the Earlham campus network. Because of this requirement, however, Earlham provides students with antivirus and anti-spyware software free of charge. Learn more about network access requirements.

Restore Disks

When you purchase a new computer, chances are it will include several CDs or DVDs to restore the computer to its original state. It is essential that you bring these CDs with you to campus. If your system encounters serious problems and you need support, these disks will be indispensable. ECS cannot provide students with copies of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, or Apple's Mac OS X. By bringing these disks to campus, you will insure you will continue to have access to these programs even if something goes horribly wrong.

Microsoft Office

Current versions of Microsoft Office are available for about $60 (standard) or $70 (professional) to full-time Earlham students through the Microsoft Student Select Program. If students are interested in a free and open source solution, ECS recommends OpenOffice.

Student Discounts

See discounts available to students on software and hardware.