Recommended Laptop Computer Configuration

Pacific McGeorge students are not required to own computers, but most do, and we often receive questions about whether laptops are necessary or recommended. Well-equipped desktop computers and Internet connections for laptops for students to use are available in the Information Commons on campus. Students are required to use computers extensively outside of class throughout law school, and many find them indispensable for the classroom as well. For some students, taking notes by hand in the classroom is the better plan from a learning and comprehension standpoint. Only you can make that judgment.

Purchasing or having a laptop will allow you to take some exams at Pacific McGeorge School of Law and some portions of the California Bar Examination.  Specialized software is used which allows laptop users the ability to use their laptop for exams.  This software supports both PC and Apple/MAC laptops.  The only requirement for the Apple/MAC, it must have dual boot loaded.  The choice is really a matter of personal preference.  No matter which laptop you choose, it should meet the minimum system requirements as listed below.

If you have decided to purchase a laptop computer, you may want some advice about which kind to purchase. In July, 2008, the Pacific McGeorge Information Technology Department put together some recommendations for you to help you decide about laptop computer equipment. These recommendations reflect the minimum specifications for a system.  If you have further questions, you can telephone them at (916) 739-7325, or E-mail the  Pacific McGeorge Help Desk. 

Computer Speed
 

Desktop computers, we recommend a Pentium 4 processor, 2.0GHz or better. The system should have at least 1 GB of RAM and a 80 GB hard drive.

Laptop computers, we recommend a Pentium 4 processor, 1.6 GHz or better. The system should have 1 GB of RAM and a 80 GB hard drive.

For either system some specific hardware and software requirements are as follows:

We recommend

 

Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2
Microsoft Vista
MAC OS 10.2 or higher

Hardware
 

An 802.11 b/g wireless NIC (if wireless access is desired for laptops).
A 10/100 Network Interface Card (many systems come with these installed).
A CD-RW and Flash Memory drive
A built-in sound card for playing audio files.
A battery capable of supporting computer operations for at least 2 hours.
A 56K v.90 Data/Fax modem (if needed at home)


Software
 Microsoft 2003 Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Corel WordPerfect version 11 or better (optional).
Internet Explorer 6 or Netscape 6 (or better)
Adobe Acrobat Reader version 6 (or better)


Other Things You Should Know About Information Technology at Pacific McGeorge

 The Information Technology Department has implemented Wireless Ethernet in many locations on campus. The Treatise Room in the Information Commons, the Library Stacks area, and the Student Center are capable of wireless connections. All on-campus housing is equipped with a high-speed cable modem. We hope to expand the wireless capability, allowing students the ability to access the Internet from a variety of locations on campus. We would recommend that students keep their options open in this regard, and allow one additional PCMCIA port in a laptop for a future wireless NIC. Most laptops come configured with two PCMCIA ports, which is ideal for our campus.