 |
 |
University of California, San Francisco | About UCSF | Search UCSF | UCSF Medical Ctr. advancing health worldwide™ | |
|  | | Computer Requirements | Buying | Literacy | Hardware | Op. Sys. | Office | Internet | |
|
|
University of California, San Francisco | About UCSF | Search UCSF | UCSF Medical Ctr. advancing health worldwide™ | |
| | | Computer Requirements | Buying | Literacy | Hardware | Op. Sys. | Office | Internet | |
Computer Requirements
|
All entering students must own a computer that meets the following criteria as specified on this page.
Minimum is better if you have purchased a new computer within the past 2 years. This configuration will likely not provide adequate performance through the end of your program.
Recommended is better if you need to purchase a new computer. This configuration will likely provide adequate performance for three or four years.
Regardless of when you purchase/purchased your computer, you should plan on upgrading or purchasing a new computer three to four years later. Attempting to upgrade a four-, five-, or six-year old computer never makes economic or engineering sense.
Students generally prefer the laptop (or "notebook") type of computer over desktop-format computers, as prices have fallen in recent years. Be aware, however, that laptops may be 50% - 100% more expensive than desktops with similar power.
(Also see: "Should I Buy a Laptop?" at this website.)
Shopping tip: manufacturers usually offer a range of models for each platorm, e.g., desktops from $400 to $2,000, or, laptops ranging from $500 to $2,500. Careful shoppers should find their best choices in the middle of these ranges, machines which are relatively affordable and still meet UCSF requirements. The top-priced "deluxe" choices are best suited to those users with special needs, such as video production or high-volume data collection/analysis.
| Category | Minimum | Recommended | How To Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | No Recommendation. All processors sold in the last few years (except some Celerons™) are adequately powerful. Examples: Pentium D, Core Duo, Athlon X2. |
No Recommendation. All processors sold in the last few years (except some Celerons™) are adequately powerful. Examples: Pentium D, Core Duo, Athlon X2. |
|
| Memory (RAM) | 2 GB (i.e., 2,000 MB) or more | 4 GB or more | (see above) |
| Hard Drive | No Recommendation. Buy the largest drive you can afford. -- 60 GB is an absolute minimum. |
No Recommendation. Buy the largest drive you can afford. |
|
| Optical Drive CD and/or DVD |
CD-RW/DVD minimum (CD burner, reads DVDs) |
CD-RW/DVD±RW (DVD burner, will also read/burn CDs) |
|
| Don't forget to buy some blank CDs and/or DVDs to make backups of your work! | |||
| Category | Minimum | Recommended | How To Check |
| Graphics Hardware (Internal) |
Supplemental/upgraded graphics hardware is recommended. Look for ATI/AMD or NVidia brand names, and also look for Vista AERO or DirectX-10 capable equipment. |
||
| Display/Monitor |
|
|
See the user manual for your monitor to determine its diagonal size. |
| Network interface card (NIC) |
|
|
|
| Sound | Yes | Yes |
|
| Printer | Yes | Yes | |
| Mouse or other pointing device |
Yes | Yes two- (or more) button version |
|
| Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
| Category | Minimum | Recommended | How To Check |
| Power Surge protector |
UL 1449 listed | UL 1449 listed | UL 1449 certification is typically indicated by a stamp/label on the device. |
| Security tether cable/chain |
(laptops only) | (laptops only) | |
| Warranty | Not required | 3 years parts and labor with on-site support |
|
| Hardware to support the Internet requirement |
56K V.90 modem
"Dial-Up" or faster |
anything faster than a 56K modem, such as a DSL modem or cable modem |
To determine if your computer has a built-in modem:
|
| Hardware for file transfers |
2 GB (2,000 MB) or larger USB flash drive |
4 GB (4,000 MB) or larger USB flash drive |
(keychain drive, now readily available for under $20.00.) |
There are many occasions during the program when you will need to copy files from one computer to another. We require a USB flash drive (i.e., keychain drive, examples shown below) with a minimum 2 GB of space; note that 2 GB (i.e., 2,000 MB) and larger drives are readily available at low prices and are preferred.
On occasion you might need to copy a file that is too large for your USB flash drive. For an extended discussion which helps you decide which forms of transferring files are best for you at UCSF, see the File Transfer Options page of this web site.
You may purchase computer hardware or software from any vendor. We recommend the UCSF Technology Store (formerly, "The Source") because its location on campus at 500 Parnassus Avenue (Millberry Union) is convenient and because students can receive educational discounts on hardware and software. It provides complete computer systems as well as individual items, such as printers, mice, and cables. It also sells a wide variety of software applications.
Computers come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit different needs, for example: desktop, minitower, tower, laptop, all-in-one. We do not require any particular type. However, we recommend laptops because many students in our program have preferred them for mobility and flexibility reasons.
See Should I buy a laptop? for more information.
Starting immediately, you will be required to complete and submit assignments to your instructors. Caution: the vast majority of School of Nursing faculty members use Windows-based computers. You must be prepared to submit documents in Windows-readable form, using appropriate and compatible fonts, symbols, formats, and file-names. Be sure you are completely proficient in these skills before beginning your classes.
It is your responsibility and obligation to ensure that your submissions are compatible and readable on Windows-based machines. Older Apples/Macintoshes are particularly unsuitable and incompatible, your Apple must be running the OS X 10.5 ("Leopard") or later operating system and up-to-date copies of all software, e.g., Macintosh Office 2008.
You will have better success and more options with a new computer from Apple, e.g., models built with the Intel "Core" series processors. Also be sure you buy and use a two- or more-button mouse with your Apple instead of an obsolete single-button Macintosh mouse.
Your options:
The following web sites offer Apple/Mac to Windows compatibility advice:
For loan information, see the home page of this Computer Requirements discussion (link below).
Home Page for these documents
UCSF Campus Resources
Hardware Technology Resources (listed for information purposes only)
Revised: July 2009
© Copyright 2009 University of California Regents, All Rights Reserved.