Courses Requiring a Laptop
Students will need to bring their laptops to the following courses:
- CS 140: Introduction to Computer Science
- CS 150: Object-Oriented Programming
- CS 255: Data Structures and Algorithms
- CS 262: Database Systems
- CS 285: Computer Organization
Hardware Requirements
While no specific laptop is recommended, most modern PC and Mac laptops will meet the minimum requirements. Chromebooks, iPads, and Android tablets will not satisfy department requirements due to software compatibility issues.
PC Laptop Minimum Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 11 or a current Linux distribution*
- Processor: Intel Core i5/Ultra 5 or AMD Ryzen 5 or higher
- Memory: 16 GB or higher
- Storage: 256 GB or larger solid state drive
- Display: 13” or larger with at least 1920 x 1080 resolution
- Wireless Capability: Wi-Fi 5 or newer
- Integrated webcam and microphone
- Battery: The battery should have at least 6-8 hours of capacity to last through multiple classes throughout the day
* Students are welcome to run a Linux distribution on their laptops, but technical support for Linux distributions is limited.
Mac Laptop Minimum Requirements
- Operating System: Current version of macOS
- Processor: Apple Silicon (M-Series)
- Memory: 16 GB or higher
- Storage: 256 GB or larger solid state drive
- Display: 13” or larger with at least 1920 x 1080 resolution
- Wireless Capability: Wi-Fi 5 or newer
- Integrated webcam and microphone
- Battery: The battery should have at least 6-8 hours of capacity to last through multiple classes throughout the day
Buying a Laptop
UW-Eau Claire does not sell or provide students with laptops; however, both Apple and Dell offer discounts to UW-Eau Claire students at their education stores:
Software Requirements
Instructors will inform students of specific software needed for their courses. Most of this software is free and open source.
Microsoft Office 365 is available for free to UW-Eau Claire students. It can be used within a web browser or installed on a personal laptop.
Printers
UW-Eau Claire provides printers for students to use across campus. Additionally, the Computer Science Department has printers available to students in the computer labs. Students may choose to buy their own printer for use at home, but this is not required by the Computer Science Department.
Questions
Please contact csinfo@uwec.edu with any questions about the Computer Science Department laptop requirements.
