College laptop requirements, useful or not?

There are many choices for laptops and computer software in today’s world of ever-changing technology, but if you are a college student does the department of your major require the most recent innovations in computer technology?

           

In today’s technological world the two main choices of laptops are Macs and PC’s. Depending on the major of the student they may or may not have a choice in choosing which laptop they would like to purchase.

            

A student majoring in management information systems at the University of Mississippi should have a PC laptop and not a Mac according to the Ole Miss School of Business Administration website.  The Ole Miss School of Business Administration website says that Management Information System Majors should have a PC in order to run the most current Microsoft Office programs according to Ole Miss School of Business Administration laptop requirements.

           

Journalism students enrolled in the Meek School of Journalism at the University of Mississippi should make sure that they check the computer requirement checklist before purchasing a laptop or any type of computer software. Now it does not say on the checklist that a student must purchase a mac, but according to the Meek School of Journalism website, Macs are strongly encouraged.

          

  “When purchasing, customers will have to make sure the PC selected meets the schools’ specifications or required software may not work properly.”

“Basically any current standard configured Macbook Pro with OS X v 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) or later will support the software programs students will use” according to Meek School of Journalism laptop requirements.      

Dr. Nancy Dupont, professor of journalism at the University of Mississippi agrees with the computer requirements for journalism students. 

“I think all of the system requirements should be Mac based, the whole video and video graphic world agrees in general as well,” said Dupont.

Dupont also said that she does think that the software could be expensive, but that Mac’s give the students the necessary tools to prepare them for the programs that they will be using in the real world.

“It’s just the world that we live in,” said Dupont.

Nicole Miller, a junior journalism student at the University of Mississippi agrees with the requirements for students as well.

“I agree with the requirements because Mac offers more options for journalism students, especially with editing software,” said Miller.

Miller also says she was made aware of the computer requirements as soon as she began studying journalism the university.

“They told me right up front when I visited the journalism school my freshmen year to get a mac,” said Miller.