Please note that SUNY New Paltz does NOT require students to bring their own computers to campus. We have many computer labs on campus that will meet the academic needs of our students. For more information about these facilities, see our Lab Information guide. Further, the university does not endorse the use or purchase of any particular hardware or software product, brand, or manufacturer.

For students who bring a computer to campus, we recommend that the computer meet the minimum requirements outlined below. Most new computers will already meet or exceed these standards. Older computers should be upgraded if possible to meet these standards as well. This is especially true of the Windows operating system, as Windows 95/98/ME are no longer supported on campus.

If you are not sure what to bring, consider waiting one semester before buying a computer. That way, students will have a better idea of their specific needs when making a purchase.

Most Windows computers will be sold with Windows Vista. Due to the highly graphical nature of this new operating system, we are recommending a faster processor and more memory. Note: Vista has been tested with most of the services the college provides.

Suggested but optional:

• USB memory stick– otherwise known as a “flash drive”, is quite useful for transporting large files between lab and other PCs.
• Wireless Network Adapter for laptops Wireless network capability is available in some campus locations, though it is not available in some of the residence halls.

Windows Software:

Windows Updates: To access ResNet, students running Windows 2000 or XP must first install ALL available Windows updates categorized as “high priority” by Microsoft. If all high-priority have not been installed, ResNet access will be very limited. Once these updates are installed, access will not longer be restricted. Students must continue to install all high-priority updates as they become available.

Antivirus: Students who connect with ResNet are required to have anti-virus with current virus definitions. SUNY New Paltz has purchased a campus-wide site license for Symantec Anti-Virus. Students can download it from the Antivirus download site.

Bring all your CD’s and Documentation: Please bring all Recovery and O/S CDs that came with your computer, along with the license/registration information (on Windows machines, this is that colorful card or sticker with a lengthy number—see example). In the event that the Help Desk needs to help restore a computer after a serious error, these discs will be required (we cannot install our copies of operating systems on student computers).

Applications: Students do not need to have Microsoft Office on their computers, though they will have to save their documents into Microsoft Word format. Nearly all word processing programs can save as RTF, which is compatible with Microsoft Word. Instead of buying an expensive office suite, consider using OpenOffice. It is free and can be downloaded from OpenOffice.org. Alternately, consider the Microsoft Office Professional special at Back to School Specials

Game Consoles And Other Network Devices

Game consoles and other devices with an Ethernet adapter can use ResNet for Internet gaming and other functions. However, these devices must be manually registered before they will be able to access any service on the Internet. See the Game Consoles guide for more information.

Linux Support

The use of computers running the Linux operating system is allowed on ResNet but is considered unsupported. Properly configured Linux based systems will work fine on ResNet but the Student Help Desk and Academic Computing staff will not be able to help you troubleshoot and configure Linux systems.