Recommended computer configurations for 2009-10
Every year, in collaboration with the campus technical community, Information and Educational Technology (IET) develops and publishes a list of recommended Microsoft and Apple laptop and desktop configurations that work best in UC Davis’s computing environment. The recommendations are designed to provide guidelines for purchasing a new computer for the 2009-2010 school year. A system that meets or exceeds these campus recommendations is expected to have a lifespan of two to four years.

Students
To help students accomplish a broad range of educational activities and benefit from in-class and out-of-class opportunities to the fullest possible extent, UC Davis expects students to have their own personal computers. Specifically, UC Davis recommends:

• Using a laptop rather than a desktop computer. With the campus’s expanding wireless capabilities and increasing use of computers for individual and group work at various campus locations (the library, some classrooms, study lounges, cafes, wireless hot spots, etc.), there are many advantages to having a laptop.

• If purchasing a PC, selecting a system with the Vista Home Premium edition or better. If you have already purchased a new computer with the Vista Home Basic edition, this may be sufficient. Please check with your school or college to find out if it has specific recommendations.

Faculty and staff

When purchasing a computer for personal or university use, UC Davis faculty and staff are encouraged to check with their departmental technology support staff to determine whether to buy a Mac or PC and, if purchasing a PC, whether to buy a system with Vista and which version to select. Before upgrading an older PC to Vista or an older Mac to OS 10.5 (also known as Leopard), departments should take into consideration the system’s hardware configurations and any installed software, which may or may not be compatible with Leopard or Vista. The campus started supporting systems with Vista on July 1, 2007 and systems with Leopard in December, 2007.

For help deciding which system to purchase and when to upgrade to Leopard or Vista, please visit the  UC Davis Microsoft Web site and UC Davis Macintosh Web site and contact the technology support staff in your department (see the Technology Support Coordinators directory). Please note: departments may purchase Dell computers for University use from UCDBuy via the UC system-wide Dell agreement which includes deeper discounts ("sweet spots") for nine bundles. The bundles are the “Standard Configurations” found on UCDBuy and are updated quarterly, as specified by the UC system.

Obsolete computer systems
These computer systems may not be able to run current software products necessary for daily computing or access specific files required for classes. Also, they are commonly unsupported by vendors.

UC Davis Bookstore TechHUB
The UC Davis Bookstore offers several laptop and desktop computer systems that have been specially designed to meet or exceed the minimum campus performance standards. For more information, see the UC Davis Bookstore TechHUB Web site.

Tech support
The IT Express Computing Services Help Desk provides assistance with many topics, including software, campus Internet access, and activating and accessing your UC Davis email and computing accounts. Call for help at 530-754-HELP (4357).

The campus also offers computer repair services to students for a reasonable fee. For more information, contact Desktop Enterprise Services (DES) at 530-757-8907, or email them at desktop@ucdavis.edu.