PC Purchasing Guidelines
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This memo is being distributed within the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), at the recommendation of the college's IT support staff and the technology sub-committee, in order to provide general guidance to departments' related to PC purchases. The following technical specifications should be adhered to when making PC purchases. The IT staff working group reached a consensus on these guidelines and they have been reviewed and approved by the CAS technology sub-committee. These guidelines will be reviewed several times each year to maintain relevancy within the current offerings by manufacturers (visit http://www.cas.ohiou.edu/it/pguidelines.asp for updates).
Guidelines before purchasing computers:
The college expects that departments use their IT staff as the first resource when planning all new computer purchases with internal and external funds. This will allow for smoother planning across the department, the development of replacement cycles over time, and an environment for the best technology support. As most faculty and staff now produce the bulk of their work on computers it is also critical that they work with their IT staff to establish a method to back up their data.
Minimum PC hardware specifications as of February 10, 2005 |
|
PC desktops |
PC notebooks |
Apple Macintosh |
| Processor speed |
Pentium IV class or equivalent |
Pentium M class |
*See the Macintosh section below. |
RAM |
512 Megabytes |
512 Megabytes |
|
Hard Drive |
40 Gigabytes |
40 Gigabytes |
|
Form Factor |
Department's preference |
Department's preference |
|
Monitor |
Department's preference |
Department's preference |
|
Manufacturer |
Department's preference. The IT working group recommends that departments purchase computers based on their needs and does not wish to dictate a specific brand. However, maintaining continuity of brands allows better service. Considerations should be given to warranty service options, and life cycle costs. CNS currently provides warranty repairs for Apple, Gateway, and IBM computers. |
Wireless networking |
Many notebook manufacturers are now offering wireless networking capability based on the 802.11b/g standard. If your laptop/handheld does not come with built-in 802.11b/g wireless capabilities, then you will need a wireless card and an available PCMCIA or USB slot. CNS also provides a complete description of wireless options at Ohio University at http://www.cns.ohiou.edu/wireless/ |
Operating Systems (OS):
Microsoft Windows OS:
The group recommends Windows XP SP2 Professional as the minimum standard for desktop and portable computing needs in a Windows environment. The IT working group realizes there are situations that warrant maintaining older operating systems in order to provide proprietary or backward compatibility for specific applications, but they should be updated as soon as possible and scrutinized for potential security holes. Windows XP Home should not be used in the campus network, is not included in the Ohio University Microsoft license, and should not be purchased on new systems.
Apple Macintosh OS:
Macintosh support on campus does exist both centrally (CNS) and within CAS IT areas. Apple's default warranty option only provides one year of coverage. Strong consideration should be given to purchasing the AppleCare extended warranty, as proprietary repairs out of warranty can be expensive.
Departments should assess their users' needs and computing skills before abandoning the Macintosh platform, or migrating from Windows to the Macintosh. No specific hardware recommendation is being made on the Macintosh platform due to the smaller product line offered by Apple. The general needs of space, application support, and portability should be assessed when choosing one of Apple's four product lines.
Linux OS/Unix variants:
The Linux OS is a viable desktop OS offering many modern features and it is available for both PC and Macintosh hardware. However, its use is not a direct transition for most users and departments should consult their IT staff to assess how the OS would be used, whether it meets users' needs and skill levels, and whether the IT staff can adequately support it.
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