Purchasing a new laptop.
If you are planning on purchasing a new computer, we recommend that you focus on memory, hard disk space, and the operating system. ITSD recommends the following minimum specifications:
- 2.0 Ghz Core 2 Duo Processor
- 2 GB SDRAM
- 32 MB accelerated graphics card
- 100 GB hard drive with at least 1 GB free space
- Windows XP Professional
Babson's Information Technology Services Department recommends you purchase a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop. As a certified Lenovo self-maintainer, ITSD can provide you full hardware warranty coverage for your Lenovo ThinkPad. If you would like information on how to purchase a Lenovo laptop using the Babson discount, please click here. Please contact Lenovo directly for any specific questions you may have regarding your purchase.
Using an existing laptop.
You may already own or have access to a laptop computer. If you are going to use an existing computer it should meet the following minimum specifications:
- 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo
- 1 GB SDRAM
- 16 MB accelerated graphics card
- 60 GB hard drive with at least 1 GB free space
- Windows XP Professional/Home
Using MacOS or Unix/Linux at Babson College is not recommended.
Babson supports computers running versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system. If you plan on using a laptop running an alternative OS, such as MacOS or Unix/Linux our ability to support you will be extremely limited. ITSD will not prevent you from connecting your computer to our TCP/IP network for basic Internet access; however you may have difficulties connecting to printers, file shares, or other services which ITSD will not be able to help you resolve. Additionally, faculty frequently select textbooks with accompanying software that is not available in non-Windows versions. Babson’s web sites are also designed to be viewed using Internet Explorer running on Windows. For these reasons, ITSD recommends that you switch to a Windows operating system for your time at Babson.
If you have any questions about the specifications of these laptops, please contact the IT Service Center at 781-239-HELP(4357), or via email at support@babson.edu.
