We recommend making a computer purchase in June or July. Order the computer before August to ensure that it arrives in time for September. Questions regarding computer purchases can be sent to firstyear.techinfo@williams.edu
If you do not choose to buy a new computer at this time, please be aware that older computers may not be adequate for the Williams network. Computers that don't meet minimum specifications will still receive Help Desk support, but they usually take longer to configure and are harder to repair.
Williams College is committed to supporting both PCs and Macs. Academic departments and our public labs are split evenly although departments tend to choose one platform or the other depending on the software they use. Contact the departments of your interest to see if they have a recommendation. Administrative departments are almost entirely PC.
Please note: Office 2007 is for PCs only, and Office 2008 is for Macs only.
We strongly recommend purchasing Microsoft Office. All public lab computers have Microsoft Office but you will likely want your own copy to run on your computer. At the very least you will need Microsoft Word (any version) and we recommend Excel and Powerpoint.
If you are bringing a PC, the cheapest and best method for getting Office is to take advantage of Microsofts educational promotion site: http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us
For Mac you can get the Office 2008 for Mac - Home and Student Edition for about $140 from Microsofts web site http://www.microsoft.com/mac. OR shop around. As of April 2009, Amazon was selling it for $109. You can also include a discounted copy of Office 2008 when you buy a Mac.
Note that Microsoft Works for PC is not a substitute for Office. Apple iWork can open and save Office files, but is also not a direct substitute for Office.
Sophos Anti-Virus will be provided for student computers. If you plan on using your PC computer before September and you have already received your Williams account information in the mail, you should uninstall any existing anti-virus software that came with the computer (usually a trial version) and install Sophos from sophos.williams.edu. If you have not received your Williams account information, then continue using your existing AV software until you do. Other academic software can be downloaded from the Williams servers after connecting to the network.
There are many public network printers available at Williams, in the Library, OIT, academic buildings, but only a few located in dorms. If you choose to bring your own printer there are many inexpensive options. You will need to decide whether you want a color inkjet or a black and white laser printer. A black and white laser printer will tend to be faster, be more efficient with consumables (toner lasts longer than inkjet cartridges), but will cost a bit more initially and be heavier. Dell offers many printer options, so it may be convenient to purchase a printer at the same time as your computer, but any usb model from Staples or Best Buy should also work. If you choose a Dell model, the Dell Laser 1110 (laser) or the Dell Photo All-In-One Printer 924 (inkjet) are both under $100.
Wireless at Williams is currently available in all buildings on campus. All modern laptops will have compatible wireless cards. Full details on the Williams wireless network are available in the Wireless Center. Please do NOT bring your own wireless router or airport base station to campus as it will conflict with our wireless network.
Please remember to bring a network cable. We recommend a 25-foot Base-T network cable, to allow for flexibility in arranging your room. The cable is also known as an RJ45 patch or ethernet cable. It can be purchased at stores like Staples, Walmart, local computer shops, or online.
When shopping for a new computer, remember to include a backup storage device. CD-R (recordable) and CD-RW (re-writable) are the most common backup peripherals used on campus. DVD-R disks are also good choices for backup. USB flash drives are becoming popular. For large capacity fast backups consider purchasing an external USB harddrive. Please read our FAQ on backing up data for further information.
There are no scholarships available for purchasing a computer. However, financial aid recipients may be eligible for a one-time increase of their student loan by up to $2,000. Students interested in this program should contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss.
There are a number of steps you can take to reduce the environmental impact of your computer. More information about this, including estimated power use for a number of different computers, can be found on our Green Computing pages.
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