Computer Specifications for 2008-2009
The following specifications will provide a student a computer that should continue to be useful after four years. These specifications are similar to those for the computers the college is purchasing. Please contact the IT&S Help Desk at 336-316-2525 if you have questions.
Guilford has a special program with Dell and Apple for additional discounts off their existing pricing structure. (It is important to note that Guilford College does not assume any responsiblity for computers purchased through these special offers or discounts.) Click here to shop Dell online or click here to shop Apple .
Note that the recommended configurations are simply recommendations; many students are successful with computers that are between the minimum and recommended specifications. IT&S does also provide 24/7 lab facilities for students who choose not to bring a computer with them to campus. For more information about our labs, click here.
2008-2009 Windows Desktop Systems
Minimum Four-Year Suggested Configuration| Windows Desktop System | Minimum | Recommended |
| Processor | Intel Pentium D 930 or AMD Athlon64x2 4200+ | Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86 GHz or AMD Athlon64 X2 4200+ |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate | Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate |
| Office Software | Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student. Click here for more information on Office 2007. | Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student. Click here for more information on Office 2007. |
| System Memory | 1GB | 2 GB |
| Graphics Memory | 128 MB | 256MB |
| Hard Drive | 80 GB | 250 GB |
| Optical Drive | 16x DVD±RW/DL | 16x DVD±RW/DL |
| Network Card | Built-in | Built-in |
| Monitor | 17" LCD | 17" LCD |
| Keyboard | Standard Windows Keyboard | Standard Windows Keyboard |
| Mouse | 2 Button with scroll wheel | 2 Button optical with scroll wheel |
| Antivirus Software | Sophos Antivirus provided by Guilford College | Sophos Antivirus provided by Guilford College |
| Other | 3 or 4 year warranty | 3 or 4 year warranty |
2008-2009 Windows Laptop Systems
Minimum Four-Year Suggested Configuration| Windows Laptop System | Minimum | Recommended |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 1.83 GHzor AMD Turion64 X2 TL-50 | Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 2.0 GHz or AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-56 |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate | Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate |
| Monitor | 15" LCD | 15" LCD |
| Office Software | Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student. Click here for more information on Office 2007. | Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student. Click here for more information on Office 2007. |
| System Memory | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| Graphics Memory | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Hard Drive | 80 GB | 120 GB |
| Optical Drive | DVD±RW/DL Drive | DVD±RW/DL Drive |
| 3.5" Floppy Drive | Optional | Optional |
| Network Card | Built in with 802.11b/g wireless | Built in with 802.11b/g wireless |
| Keyboard | Built-in | Built-in |
| Mouse | Built-in | Built-in |
| Antivirus Software | Sophos Antivirus provided by Guilford College | Sophos Antivirus provided by Guilford College |
| Othjer | 3 or 4 year warranty | 3 or 4 year warranty |
2008-2009 Apple Macintosh Desktop Systems
Minimum Four-Year Suggested Configuration| Macintosh Desktop System | Minimum (Apple Mac Mini) | Recommended (Apple 17" iMac) |
| Operating System | Mac OS 10.4.x | Mac OS 10.5.x (Leopard) |
| Processor | Intel Core Duo 1.83 GHz | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz |
| System Memory | 1 G B memory | 2GB RAM |
| Graphics Memory | Shared with system memory | ATI Radeon X1600 graphics with 128MB |
| Hard Drive | 80 GB | 250 GB |
| Monitor | 17" LCD (Purchase separately ) | 17" LCD (Built-in) |
| Optical Drive | Superdrive 8x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) | Superdrive 8x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) |
| Keyboard | Apple Wired Keyboard | Apple Wired Keyboard |
| Mouse | Apple Wired Mighty Mouse | Apple Wired Mighty Mouse |
| Network Card | Built-in | Built-in |
| Office Software | Office 2004 for Mac - Student and Teacher Edition | Office 2004 for Mac - Student and Teacher Edition |
| Antivirus | Sophos Antivirus provided by Guilford College | Sophos Antivirus provided by Guilford College |
| Other | AppleCare Protection Plan | AppleCare Protection Plan |
2008-2009 Apple Laptop Systems
Minimum Four-Year Suggested Configuration| Macintosh Laptop System | Minimum (Apple MacBook) | Recommended (Apple MacBook) |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo 1.83 GHz | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz |
| System Memory | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| Graphics Memory | Shared with system memory | 128 MB |
| Hard Drive | 80 GB | 120 GB |
| Operating System | Mac OS 10.4.x | Mac OS 10.5.x (Leopard). Click here for more information on Leopard. |
| Monitor | 13.3" LCD (Built In) | 15" LCD (Built-in) |
| Optical Drive | Superdrive 6x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) | Superdrive 6x (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) |
| Network Card | Built-in/AirPort Extreme Wireless Card & Bluetooth | Built-in/AirPort Extreme Wireless Card & Bluetooth |
| Keyboard | Built-in | Built-in |
| Mouse | Built-in | Built-in |
| Office Software | Office 2004 for Mac - Student and Teacher Edition | Office 2004 for Mac - Student and Teacher Edition |
| Antivirus | Sophos Antivirus provided by Guilford College | Sophos Antivirus provided by Guilford College |
| Other | AppleCare Protection Plan | AppleCare Protection Plan |
Software
Fully-Supported Software
Software in this category will be fully-supported in the sense that the college will provide current versions of one of these packages on college-owned systems; assistance will be available through the IT&S Help Desk.
Operating systems:
- Windows 2000
- Windows XP Home
- Windows XP Pro
- Windows Vista Home Premium
- Windows Vista Business
- Windows Vista Ultimate
- Mac OS 10.4.x
Word processing, spreadsheet, presentation
- Microsoft Office 2007 Standard (includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint) (PC)
- Microsoft Office 2003 Standard (includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint) (PC)
- Microsoft Office 2004 (includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) (Mac)
E-mail, calendaring and conferencing
- Lotus Notes 6.5 and above (PC and Mac--provided by Guilford College)
Web browsers
- Internet Explorer 7.0 w/ 128 bit encryption or Firefox 2.x(PC)
- Safari 2.0 or Firefox 2.x(Mac)
Browser Plug-ins
- QuickTime 7.0 and above (PC and Mac)
- Macromedia Shockwave 8.5.1 (PC and Mac)
- RealOne Player (PC and Mac)
- Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0.5 (PC and Mac)
- Flip4MAC
Compression Utilities
- WinZip 9.0 (PC)
- MacZipIt (Mac)
Virus protection
- Sophos Antivirus (PC and Mac)
Telnet
- HyperTerminal (PC)
- Better Telnet (Mac)
FTP
- LapLink FTP 2.0.1.3 (PC)
- Fetch 4.0.2 FTP Tool (Mac)
All physical operating system media (CD's, Diskettes, cables, etc.) MUST be brought to the campus to be available to the student.
Note on Office 2007: IT&S recommends that students purchase Office 2007 (Windows) for new students because it is the most recent version of Office and is meant to last a student for 4 years. However, faculty and staff at Guilford are still using Office 2003. Students who use Office 2007 for class assignments need to make sure that when they submit assignments for classes that they save their files in 2003-compatible format (.doc.) Students who need assistance with this can contact the helpdesk for more information.
Note on Mac OS 10.5.x (Leopard): IT&S recommends that incoming students who bring Macs run OS 10.5 because it is the most recent OS available; all computers purchased through our discount arrangement with Apple will come with 10.5 installed. However, students should be aware that because 10.5 is a new operating system some Guilford IT&S services, such as printing directly to campus computer labs, may not always work. IT&S is continuing to work with the vendor to troubleshoot these issues and expect that most students will have no problem bringing Leopard to campus; 24/7 labs are available for use if a student needs them for any reason.
Note on Windows Vista: IT&S suggests both Windows XP and Windows Vista as operating systems for new Windows computers. However, students purchasing Vista should know that some Guilford services, including printing in the labs, may not always work. In addition, faculty and staff at Guilford are still using Windows XP. IT&S recommends that students consider Windows XP as an option when considering what to purchase, and provides packages through Dell that come with Windows XP as the default operating system, if you choose not to purchase a system running Vista. Click here to look at and view the available computers from Dell.