While the Office of Information Technology cannot endorse any particular brand or model, we can offer some advice in what to look for when shopping:
- Please keep in mind that while Microsoft has released their newest operating system, Vista, with MS Office 2007, NYLS is using Windows XP Professional and Office 2003. There may be compatibility issues between the 2 operating systems, and any documents created in Office 2007 would have to be ‘saved as’ an earlier version. Our recommendation would be to purchase a computer that is ‘Vista ready’, where you can apply an upgrade to the operating system and software.
- Keeping the above in mind, the first step is to figure out your budget. Look for the highest processor speed, most RAM and largest hard drive within your budget.
- Software costs should also factor into your budget. Please note: Microsoft Works is NOT compatible with the school’s PCs and documents created with MS Works cannot be opened on them. You should include MS Word (Office) and/or WordPerfect installed.
- It is strongly recommended that you purchase at least a 3 year warranty from the Manufacturer. In the event of computer failure, the manufacturer’s technical staff is your primary resource in solving the problem.
- If purchasing a laptop, please be sure to check the screen for readability, comfort with the pointing device, ease of keyboard use and make sure that you are comfortable carrying the weight of the laptop.
