Laptop Configuration

Have you just bought or are you planning to buy a new laptop for departmental use? If so, use the following checklist to make sure everything goes smoothly:

Computer Buying Tips (Questions to Ask yourself)

• What brand and platform are you planning on buying? This can depend a lot on the applications you are interested in running, and also on personal preference. Contact Us for our recomendations on brand, platform, and features based on your needs.

• Determine what operating system you are interested in running? The PA Dept. Computing Staff supports Windows XP Professional and above or Linux on new x86-based machines, and MacOS X and above on new Mac Machines. Windows 9x, Me, NT, XP Home Edition, and XP Media Center Edition are not supported on new machines.

• What sort of software do you plan on running? Do you have software that you run on an older machine that may not be compatible? Check the Supported Software List on the homepage to find out.

• After deciding on platform, brand, features, software, OS, and the like, you can Contact Us and we'll check things over and see about putting your order through.

After you've recieved your new laptop:

• After purchasing a new desktop computer (laptop), notify the PA Helpdesk so that we can check it over to make sure the most recent security updates and software patches have been applied before the system is attached to the network.

• You may need to request or transfer an IP address to use the computer properly on the departmental network.