Purchasing Guide - Computers

We've provided some general guidelines and recommendations to help you navigate through the complex decision of buying a computer. If you have any questions regarding the purchase of a computer, please consult one of our technology staff members if you are a faculty or staff member, or a DMC fellow if you are a student. Columbia University School of the Arts technology staff members are happy to discuss your needs and provide guidance about technology, there are no warranties, express or implied, for guidance provided and users are solely responsible for personal purchasing decisions.

Columbia University School of the Arts does not make specific recommendations about manufacturers or models, for several reasons: 

• Product lines, particularly from manufacturers of Windows computers, change so frequently that any recommendation we make is likely to become obsolete within weeks or months. 
• Users are not advised to purchase equipment sight unseen. We believe that it's very important that users get a computer that suits their needs. For instance, the feel of the keyboard is a critical component for a writer, and the quality of the display may be critical for a digital video editor or a photographer. The best way to get a feel for a computer is to visit the Apple Store or Tekserve (for Macintosh computers) or a "big box store" like BestBuy, Target, or Costco (for Windows computers) and try some of them out. There is no substitute for hands-on experience.

Computer Recommendations

We recommend the following minimum hardware and software requirements for a basic system for writing, email, and browsing the web:

Apple Macintosh System Recommendations:

Updated June 20, 2012.

• Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion)
• Processor: Intel i3, i5, i7, Xeon or equivalent
• RAM: 4gb minimum, 8gb recommended
• Hard Disk: 250gb minimum, 1tb recommended. Users should consider ordering a configuration with Flash Storage or a solid state (SSD) drive instead of a traditional drive - the performance increases are considerable. Cost vary and can be considerably higher than a traditional hard drive. See this link for more information on SSDs, and this link for information about Flash Storage.
• Modem, Ethernet Port/Card, Wireless Connectivity (802.11g or 802.11n)
• Optical Drive: DVD-RW Drive
• AppleCare Extended Warranty

Windows System Recommendations:

• Operating System: Windows 7
• NOTES: University IT groups, including SoA IT, do not support Microsoft Vista Vista, and existing Vista users should consider upgrading to Windows 7. Microsoft support for Windows XP ends in April, 2014.
• Processor: Xeon, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 or equivalent
• RAM: 4gb minimum, 8gb recommended
• Hard Disk: 250gb minimum, 1tb recommended
• Modem, Ethernet Port/Card, Wireless Connectivity (802.11g or 802.11n)
• Optical Drive: DVD-RW Drive
• Extended warranty

Gamers and users who will be working with digital video, multimedia, web development or graphics applications should consider: 

• increasing the amount of RAM installed in the computer (the more the better)
• choosing a larger, faster hard drive if the option is available (many laptops ship with 5400rpm drives, and 7200rpm drives should give better performance). 
• choosing a more powerful GPU (graphics processing unit, aka faster video card with more VRAM) 

Users are encouraged to choose the Operating System that they are most comfortable with, but they should consider the following before making a purchase:

• All currently available Apple Macintosh models use Intel processors. A benefit of the Intel chips is that Macs - in addition to Mac OS X - are capable of running Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7, Linux and other Unix flavors via virtualization software such as Boot Camp, Parallels, VMWare, etc. The reverse is not true, however: Apple does not authorize the Mac OS to run on hardware from non-Apple vendors such as Sun, Dell or HP. Users who wish to run Microsoft Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, or Linux/Unix on a Mac may incur additional costs to purchase licensed copies of the operating system and/or virtualization software from Microsoft, Parallels, VMWare, etc.
• Apple Macintosh computers are strongly recommended for anyone interested in maintaining compatibility with the School of the Arts Digital Media Center (DMC) facilities and labs, particularly those working with digital video or graphics and imaging.

Users who'd like to check out reviews or user recommendations might be interested in the following links:

http://reviews.cnet.com/
http://www.pcmag.com/reviews
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/
http://www.consumersearch.com/computers-and-internet 
http://compreviews.about.com/od/buyers/u/BuyersGuide.htm
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews.html#topRated
http://www.geek.com/
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/

COLUMBIA apple store

Columbia has a custom Apple Store available below.

Click here to begin your purchase

HOW TO PURCHASE AN Windows COMPUTER

Dell has a customized Personal Purchase Program available to all University staff, students and faculty. Users can find a list of computers recommended by CUIT for general business productivity and instructions for purchasing at this link:

http://procurement.columbia.edu/purchasing/contracts/personal/dell-personal.asp

Columbia University Purchasing has a wealth of information about discounts from additonal vendors here: 

http://procurement.columbia.edu/purchasing/personal_p.html