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Hardware Support

The following table identifies the DCC's minimum standards for supported hardware, as well as recommendations for new hardware purchases.

These desktop/laptop standards will be considered current through July 2006. They are reviewed bi-annually.

Visit this link for information and purchasing procedures for the Tech Refresh program..


Component/Measure	Minimum Supported		Recommended Minimum New Purchase
Component/Measure	PC⁽¹⁾	Mac⁽¹⁾	PC⁽²⁾	Mac⁽²⁾

Clock Rate	933 MHz	800MHz G3	2.4Ghz	1.25Ghz

RAM	256 Mb	256 Mb	512 Mb⁽³⁾	512 Mb⁽³⁾

Disk	10 Gb	10 Gb	40 Gb	40 Gb

CD ROM	required	required	DVD-CDRW Combo	DVD-CDRW Combo

Network	10 base T Ethernet	10 base T Ethernet	10-100 base T Ethernet	10-100 base T Ethernet

OS	Windows 2000	OSX	Windows XP Pro SP2	OSX (10.4)

Extended Warranty			3 Years⁽⁴⁾	3 Years⁽⁴⁾

Estimated Life	July 1, 2006 only	July 1, 2006 only	3 years w/ upgrade⁽⁵⁾	3 years w/ upgrade⁽⁵⁾

Notes 1: Minimum Supported PCs and Macs The minimum systems are just adequate for current operating systems and software, however some features may be unavailable. 2: Minimum New Purchase PCs and Macs Minimum configurations are balanced between performance and longevity for a reasonable cost. The recommended configurations provide most users good performance on common applications with an expected lifetime of 3 years. Users with specialized or demanding software may need higher performance (such as additional RAM and/or faster/multiple processors) In addition to these generic performance specifications, ITC urges purchase of computers matching reference standards of campus or local technology support where available; such reference platforms may specify configurations or vendor-specific models which are known to operate in your environment. Additional features enabling higher levels of management and support may also be desired. Different PC brands have varying levels of support services; DC&C has good experience with the following desktop brands: Apple, Gateway, Dell. For laptop computers we have had good experience with Apple, Gateway, Dell, Compaq, IBM, and Toshiba. Almost all new systems available on the market will exceed our minimum supported guidelines. 3: RAM RAM is currently relatively inexpensive and represents an economical way to gain additional performance and stability from both PCs and Macs. More RAM is recommended, especially for those who routinely use very demanding applications or work with more than one application open at once. Video RAM determines how many colors can be displayed; minimum 2 Mb provides thousands of colors - suitable for most office applications but not for demanding color imaging or publishing. 4: Extended Warranties Warranty extension to 3 years, typically available for about $100, is recommended for most users. An extended warranty provides faster and/or better service and replacement parts should a component fail after the initial standard one year warranty coverage. On the other hand, hardware failure in years 2 and 3 of ownership is relatively rare, so some users accept the risk. 5: Lifetime and Potentially Needed Upgrades We anticipate that computers purchased at the current minimum recommended levels will remain supported for three years; however, an upgrade to the operating system is likely to be needed during this time; hardware upgrades may be also recommended or desired.

Hardware Support

Component/Measure

Minimum Supported

Recommended Minimum New Purchase

Notes