What kind of computer should I buy?
Marshall University's Art & Design program maintains a 25-station Apple Macintosh computer lab with all the software and computing power students need. However, students often benefit after their first year from owning their own system on which they can strengthen their understanding of software and spend more time on their work. Students in the Art & Design programs will find the most success (and fewest problems) with the following computer equipment and software:
Hardware:
Apple MacBook Pro
- 15-inch Widescreen Display
- 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- 2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
- 160GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
- SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- Apple Care Protection Plan
Here is a link to the Apple store.
Be sure to use the education discount when you order to save $200 on your purchase.
The following accessories would also prove very helpful:
- a 1GB or larger USB Flash drive
- an external hard drive (USB 2.0 or Firewire)
Software:
Minimum:- Apple iWork '08 or MS Office for Mac (available January '08)
Recommended:
- Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium
- Apple Final Cut Express