Buying a Personal Computer

Recommended Minimum Specifications

OTS provides a list of recommended minimum specifications for computers that will meet the requirements for most academic needs.

Students: check with your college or department relevant to your major for additional requirements and recommendations.

Component	Windows Desktop/Laptop	MAC Desktop/Laptop	Tablet
Operating System (OS)	Latest 64-bit OS	Latest OS	Latest OS
Processor	Intel Core i5	Intel Core i5	Intel Core i5
RAM or Memory	8GB	8GB	4GB to 8GB
Hard Drive	120GB/250GB Solid State or Flash Drive	120GB/250GB Solid State or Flash Drive	Your Choice
Warranty	Yes, get warranty	Yes, get AppleCare	Yes, get warranty/AppleCare

Make a Purchase

Apple

Apple products and accessories can be purchased in two ways:

• At the Apple retail store. Visit Apple to search for retail locations.
• Through the Apple Online Store. If you shop online, select change your school and make sure its set for Towson University.

Dell

Get exclusive deals and discounts on Dell consumer computers, electronics, and accessories:

• Dell’s Employee Purchase Program (EPP) 

Note: the business line of Dell products used at the university are quite different due to the demands of enterprise computer.

Support

Support for Personally-Owned Devices

If you have issues with personally-owned computers and similar devices (laptops, tablets, routers, cable modems, smartphones, etc.), you must seek support and service outside of the university.

Towson University, as a public university, cannot provide technical services for devices that are not owned by the university. The Office of Technology Services (OTS) is able to assist you with connecting to:

• university systems
• websites
• applications
• other campus-hosted resources

For more information, see Your Personally-Owned Computer: Tips on Getting Service, Support and Repairs (PDF).