Mac Or Windows For Computer Science Major

The department is often asked what kind of computer a future CS major should buy, so we have put together this page to answer those questions. If you still have questions after reading the following information, contact Jeff Lucas, the department's IT Coordinator, at (jhlucas1 at olemiss dot edu) or (662) 915-7310. First of all, the department does not require that students own a computer.

By Shaun Wang Computer Science Major, College of Science, Engineering and Technology. Mac or Windows? The decades-old question remains unsolved. A lot of times the decision is not based on computer alone, but rather on user preference and finances.

We have two on the second floor of Weir Hall for computer science students to use. However, we strongly recommend students have their own computer. Laptop Should you buy a desktop or a laptop? The short answer is, 'it depends.' Desktops tend to be cheaper, more expandable, and often have a longer life. However, the portability of a laptop can be very handy.

You can carry them to class, a study group, or home for the weekend. The bottom line is that you must decide if the portability is worth it to you. Below are general recommended specifications for desktops and laptops.

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We have included a date below to show when they were last updated. Specifications Updated: November 27, 2017 Component Specification Notes Processor Intel Core i5 or i7 (2.5 GHz or better) Memory (RAM) 16 GB minimum Hard Drive 500 GB, 7200 rpm, SATA and/or 256 GB SSD (or better) Optical Drive(s) See notes below. Sound Card Any Graphics Card See notes below.

Monitor 20' or larger (desktop); 13'-15' (laptop) Network Adapter Gigabit Ethernet adapter and 802.11ac wireless adapter (Some laptops no longer include Ethernet adapters.) Processor The clock speed of a processor (measured in gigahertz, or GHz) is no longer a true indicator of the computer's overall speed. CPU efficiency has increased dramatically over the past 10 years, allowing more work to be done with lower speeds. Laptops, especially, tend to have lower clock speed CPUs to maximize battery life. Look for Intel i5 or i7 CPUs with speeds at or above 2.5 GHz.

AMD is an Intel CPU competitor. If you decide to purchase a computer with an AMD CPU, look for systems using the AMD Ryzen CPU. Memory The department no longer orders computers with less than 8 GB of memory (RAM).

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Adding additional RAM is a cheap, easy way to speed up an aging system. Note that RAM cannot be upgraded in some newer laptops, particulary Macbooks. If you choose a Macbook, be sure to order as much RAM as you can afford, because it won't be upgradable later. Hard Drive SSDs (solid state drives) are quickly becoming the norm for laptops, due to their speed and lightweight. However, they are still more expensive than a traditional spinning hard drive.

If you decide to buy a laptop with an SSD, look for at least a 256 GB capacity drive. We recommend a 500 GB hard if possible. If you stick to a traditional spinning drive, be sure to get a 7200 rpm drive. 5400 rpm drives are significantly slower. Optical (DVD) Drives If you purchase a desktop, consider getting two DVD+/-RW drives. The advantage of having two drives is that you can read/write at the same time. However, optical drives are not needed for any CS classes.

Laptops rarely have more than one optical drive, and many new laptops are not including optical drives at all, due to the low cost and speed of USB flash drives. If you purchase a laptop without an optical drive, you can always buy an external USB DVD burner if needed later. Sound Card The sound card in your system is not particularly important for our purposes. An integrated card will work just fine in most cases. If you want a higher end card, is a good choice for desktops. Graphics Card For desktops, we suggest discrete graphics cards because of their performance boost over integrated graphics chips.

Integrated graphics chips are fine for most uses, unless you want to play newer games. If you decide to buy a discrete card, shop around. Prices can vary widely. Also, read performance reviews on sites like.

Performance is usually tied to price. For laptops, you won't be able to get around integrated chips. However, if you plan to run graphics-intense software, look for laptops with integrated Nvidia or AMD Radeon chips. Monitor We suggest at least a 20' display for desktops.

Once you start your coursework, you may find you want to have many windows in the screen simultaneously, and a good size monitor will be helpful. If you are building your own desktop, make sure your monitor supports the same type of video cable as your video card, i.e., if you have a video card with HDMI output, buy a montior that supports HDMI input. Laptop prices (and weight) increase with screen size, so you may want to consider a smaller screen. A 15' display is comfortable for most users.

Other Your computer should support USB 3.0. This allows you to take advantage of modern peripherals such as printers, scanners, cameras, and various storage devices.