Beginning in Fall 2023, students majoring in the Technology Division are required to have a suitable laptop which is in good working order with the latest software and antivirus updates for their entire period of undergraduate study.
Classroom instruction, course assignments and research in and out of class will require the use of a personal computer. Some Technology Division instructors will also require that students bring their personal laptops to every class or lab. We recommend new or transfer students purchase laptops in mid-June or early July of the year they start at UH to allow adequate time to order and receive the laptop before classes begin. Waiting to purchase until mid- summer enables students to acquire laptops with the latest technological advances.
Required Laptop Configurations
Three hardware configurations are provided for laptop computers running Microsoft Windows OS: minimum, recommended, and best. One configuration is provided for Apple Mac laptop computers.
Note on the purchase of a laptop: The information provided below will guide you to purchase a laptop with enough capability. We cannot review individual systems, provide guidance on preferred manufacturers or vendors, or tell whether a specific model will work. If the laptop meets or exceeds the specifications below, there should be minimal issues.
Microsoft Windows Laptop Computer – Minimum, Recommended, and Best Hardware Specifications
| Minimum | Recommended | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Must be a Laptop Computer | Must be a Laptop Computer | Must be a Laptop Computer |
| Intel Core i5 or i7 Quad-core processor (Intel 11th Generation or newer, minimum 1.9 gigahertz) or AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 Quad-core (AMD 5000 or 6000 series Ryzen or newer, minimum 1.9 gigahertz) | Intel Core i7 Quad-core processor (Intel 11th Generation Core i7 or newer, minimum 2.3 gigahertz) or AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 Quad-core (AMD 5000 or 6000 series Ryzen or newer, minimum 2.3 gigahertz) | Intel Core i7 Quad-core processor (Intel 11th Generation Core i7 or newer, minimum 2.9 gigahertz) or Intel Core i9 Six-core processor (Intel 11th Generation Core i9 or newer, minimum 2.9 gigahertz) or AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 Hexa-core (AMD 6000 series Ryzen or newer, minimum 2.9 gigahertz) |
| 16 GB RAM (DDR4 SDRAM or newer) | 32 GB RAM (DDR4 SDRAM or newer) | 32 GB RAM (DDR4 SDRAM or newer) |
| 500 GB SSD | 500 GB SSD | 500 GB SSD |
| Integrated Graphics card or Dedicated Graphics card. | Dedicated Graphics card (minimum 2GB GDDR5 or GDDR6) | Dedicated Graphics card (minimum 4GB GDDR5 or GDDR6) |
| 13” – 15" screen (minimum resolution of 1920 x 1080) | 14” – 15" screen (minimum resolution of 1920 x 1080) | 14” – 15" screen (or larger, minimum resolution of 1920 x 1080) |
| IEEE 802.11 wireless capability (ac, g, or n are the most used). | IEEE 802.11 wireless capability (ac, g, or n are the most used) | IEEE 802.11 wireless capability (ac, g, or n are the most used) |
| HDMI output (integrated or through an adapter) | HDMI output (integrated or through an adapter) | HDMI output (integrated or through an adapter) |
| A webcam (integrated or external) | An integrated webcam | An integrated webcam |
| A headset microphone (very useful if class or office hours are delivered via web conferencing tools) | A headset microphone (very useful if class or office hours are delivered via web conferencing tools) | A headset microphone (very useful if class or office hours are delivered via web conferencing tools) |
| Four-year warranty with support (a warranty that provides on-site services provides better continuity of use than a warranty that requires the device to be shipped for service) | Four-year warranty with support (a warranty that provides on-site services provides better continuity of use than a warranty that requires the device to be shipped for service) | Four-year warranty with support (a warranty that provides on-site services provides better continuity of use than a warranty that requires the device to be shipped for service) |
| 1 GB minimum USB Flash Drive (thumb drive, memory stick, etc.) | 1 GB minimum USB Flash Drive (thumb drive, memory stick, etc.) | 1 GB minimum USB Flash Drive (thumb drive, memory stick, etc.) |
| Minimum 3 hours of battery life | Minimum 4 hours battery life | Minimum 5 hours battery life |
Required Software Specifications for Microsoft Windows Laptop Computers
NOTE: Students are responsible for installing needed software on their laptops. Generally, there is good information about installing software that can be found online. Neither Technology Division IT staff nor Technology Division faculty are responsible for software installation. As a Technology Division major, students are responsible for performing software installation. In some classes, faculty will provide documentation about installation or direct students to online information.
- Operating System: Windows 12 or higher. For security reasons, we encourage students always to run the latest operating system version.
- Office Productivity Software: Microsoft Office. All students, once enrolled, have access to Microsoft Office 365, where Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can be run through a browser regardless of the machine’s OS. To meet requirements in some courses, students will also need to download, install, and run desktop versions of these tools, as well as Microsoft Access.
- Antivirus software: Students must have anti-virus software installed on their computers. Windows Defender comes with Microsoft Windows and provides the necessary protection.
Apple Mac Computers
Technology Division computing laboratories on UH Main Campus, open-access and those used for in- class instruction, are populated with computers that run Microsoft Windows OS and a variety of software for that environment. Thus, TD curriculum is compatible with computers in the TD computing laboratories. Because modern software often exists in versions compatible with both Microsoft Windows OS and Mac OS, students may prefer to purchase and use Apple Mac hardware and compatible software for their TD courses. While the TD faculty neither recommend nor universally prefer one hardware/OS platform, many faculty members do develop their instructional material with the TD computer laboratories in mind. Faculty members are not required or expected to create classroom materials in support of student use of an OS or other software that is different from what is maintained in the TD computing laboratories.
However, some students already have Apple Mac computers or wish to purchase one. If you choose to use a Mac, it must meet the minimum specifications below.
Apple Mac Minimum Hardware Requirements
| Specifications |
|---|
| It is an Apple Mac laptop, i.e., a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air computer |
| M2 or M1Pro processor (or better; faster processor speeds are recommended.) |
| 24 GB RAM (32 GB is encouraged, as budget permits) |
| 500 GB Hard drive (500 GB SSD is encouraged, as budget permits) |
| Minimum screen size of 13.3 in |
| IEEE 802.11 wireless capability (ac, g, or n are the most used, a and b are not supported) |
| HDMI output (integrated or through an adapter) |
| A webcam (integrated or external) |
| A headset microphone (very useful if class or office hours are delivered via web conferencing tools) |
| Four-year warranty with support (a warranty that provides on-site services provides better continuity of use than a warranty that requires the device to be shipped for service) |
| 1 GB minimum USB Flash Drive (thumb drive, memory stick, etc.) |
Required Software Specifications for Apple Mac Computers
NOTE: Students are responsible for installing needed software on their laptops. Generally, there is good information about installing software that can be found online. Neither Technology Division IT staff nor the TD faculty are responsible for software installation. As a Technology Division major, students are responsible for performing software installation. In some classes, faculty will provide documentation about installation or direct students to online information.
- Operating System: macOS 12 Monterey or later. For security reasons, we encourage students always run the latest version of the Operating System.
- Office Productivity Software: Microsoft Office. All students, once enrolled, have access to Microsoft Office 365, where Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can be run through a browser regardless of the machine’s OS. To meet requirements in some TD courses, students will also need to download, install, and run desktop versions of these tools, as well as Microsoft Access. To run MS Access on a Mac, you must set up and run a virtual machine (VM)1 running Windows 10, and then install and run MS Access on the VM.
- Antivirus software: Students must have anti-virus software installed on their computers. Several antivirus programs are available for macOS; students should use one they prefer.
Data Backup
Regardless of what hardware and OS you run on your laptop, students are strongly encouraged to have a method for backing up data on their computer at regular intervals.
Enrolled UH students have access to Microsoft OneDrive with 5TB of online storage. Information for using this service and syncing with Windows and Mac PCs can be found at the webpage listed below:
We cannot over-emphasize the importance of performing regular backups of important documents and keeping your backup in a separate location from your laptop. Should your laptop be lost, stolen, or damaged, you will still have your important documents on your external data source, which could then be used on another computer until yours is replaced or repaired. Many computer vendors offer accidental damage and theft insurance. You should consider this option carefully when you purchase your computer. Lost, stolen, or damaged laptops are not acceptable excuses for missing assignments.
Printers
We do not set specifications for printers and there is no requirement for a student to own one. There are facilities on campus that will allow students to print, or students can purchase any printer of their choice from the multitude of vendors available. When/if purchasing a printer, remember to factor the cost of toner or ink into the total cost of ownership.