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This page provides resources and guidelines for computer purchases by students and employees of Hamilton College. 

Online Computer Stores With Academic Pricing For Hamilton College

Apple Windows
Apple For Hamilton Online
Telephone: 1-800-MY-APPLE

Discounts are not available because vendor "specials"
typically exceed any discount we could offer.

Current computer configurations provided by these vendors will meet or exceed our recommended system requirements for NEW computers.

General Recommendations For Students

Virus Protection

All computers on the Hamilton College network are required to have up-to-date anti-virus software installed.  New computers typically come with a pre-installed trial version of anti-virus software. 

We recommend you either purchase the full version of that software, other anti-virus software of your choice, or install free anti-virus products from reputable sources.  Please contact the Help Desk if you have any questions or need assistance (315-859-4181).

Backup Drive

Hamilton College provides students with a modest amount of server storage.  While the space is sufficient for storing documents, it is not meant for storing backup copies of music, video, photos, or exceptionally large project files.  Students may request additional space for academic purposes. 

For backing up all your critical files, we recommend an external hard drive. When selecting a drive, confirm it is compatible with your computer's operating system.  Many new computers come with USB 3 and/or Thunderbolt ports. You may want to purchase a drive that can take advantage of the faster transfer rates these ports can deliver.

Printers

Printers are available for student use in public computing labs located on both sides of campus.  Most are located in academic buildings that are open to students until late at night or, in some cases, all night.  There are no public printers available in any of the residence halls.  

Networking

Hamilton College has secure wireless network access available in all campus buildings and most outdoor areas. Connectivity to the wireless network is supported by 802.11b or 802.11g /n wireless cards, which are available on modern Windows and Macintosh laptops. Please note that the use of a personal wireless access point (Apple Airport Station, wireless router, etc.), is strictly prohibited on campus.

Network jacks are included in all the residence hall rooms for those who want to use a network (Ethernet) cable. The College does not provide cables.

Microsoft Office for Employees & Students

Employees and students can sign up for Office 365  for use on personally-owned computers. Office 365 will remain freely available to you for as long as you remain an employee or student at Hamilton College. 

System Requirements

LITS recommends that new computers be configured to match or exceed the recommendations listed below. The minimum system requirements in the last column represent the bare minimum to connect to our network and support our standard software.

We do not recommend using Chromebooks or tablets as a primary computing device due to the limitations of said devices.

Platform Recommended Minimum
Windows
  • Windows 10 Enterprise
  • Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 256 GB SSD
  • Dedicated graphics card
  • Windows 8.1 Pro
  • Intel Core i5 processor
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 128 GB HD
  • Integrated HD video card
Macintosh
  • MacOS 10.15 (Catalina)
  • Intel Core i5/i7 processor or M1 chip
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 256 GB SSD
  • MacOS 10.14 (Mojave)
  • Intel Core i3 processor
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 128 GB SSD

Recommendations for PRE-OWNED computers

If your computer is less than four years old, it should work in our network environment and support our standard software.

Most computers have a four-year lifespan, after which major components (e.g. hard drive, optical drive) are more likely to fail.  Also note that computers older than one year are not typically covered under warranty, making accidental damage costly to repair.

If you choose to bring a pre-owned computer to campus, please ensure the computer meets or exceeds the specifications listed below.  It is important to note that a computer that meets these specifications should not be expected to meet a student's needs for all four years.

Platform Specifications
Windows
  • 2.0 GHz Intel processor or equivalent AMD processor
  • At least 8 GB of RAM
  • Windows 8.1 Pro
  • 256 GB Hard drive or greater
Mac
  • 1.8 GHz Intel Core Duo processor or newer
  • At least 8 GB of RAM
  • OS X 10.14 or newer
  • 256 GB SSD or greater

If you have further questions about a personal computer purchase, please contact the LITS Help Desk at 315-859-4181 or by email.

Last updated: July 27, 2023

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Contact

Team Name

Help Desk

Office Location
Burke Library
198 College Hill Road
Clinton, NY 13323
Hours
Mon-Thu 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Fri 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sat - Sun 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

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