Wharton Computing Student Support

Wharton Computer Buying Guide

This Buying Guide is designed for incoming Wharton MBA and Undergraduate students entering Wharton in the Fall of 2008. It will help you make the most of the wide range of computing resources and services available to you while you are a student. To effectively use these services, and to actively participate in Wharton's computing environment, you will need the following things:

• A Windows-based laptop computer with wireless Internet capabilities

• Basic email and productivity software

• External Hard Drive for data backups

• An Internet Service Provider (ISP) for off-campus connectivity

The recommendations in this guide are helpful to students purchasing a *new* system as well as for students considering the use of an older system. As you make your decision, keep in mind that systems tested and developed for professional environments tend to be more stable and reliable than similar systems designed for home environments.

Laptop Recommendations

When buying a new laptop, the hardware components you need to pay attention to are processor speed, memory, hard disk capacity and its networking capabilities. The combination of processor speed, memory and hard disk affect the performance of the machine; the investment in a robust system generally means less time spent maintaining the system. To get a laptop that will work well in Wharton's computing environment, we recommend you purchase one that meets the standards of the computers sold at Penn's Computer Connection computer store.

Each year Wharton Computing works with the Computer Connection to ensure that several of the machines offered during the Back-To-School sale through the Campus Express website will meet the needs of Wharton students. Purchasing from the Computer Connection also gives you access to knowledgeable staff and allows you to leverage the relationship that it has with the computer vendors. One key benefit to purchasing from the Computer Connection is that you receive a better warranty than you would normally get from an outside vendor.

For more information on availability and prices for Wharton recommended machines, watch for the Computer Connection's Back-To-School Sale mailing or log into Campus Express beginning June 1st for the 2008 offerings (http://campusexpress.upenn.edu/ccx).

Note: The Computer Connection is the University's own computer store, serving faculty, staff and students, but is a separate organization from Wharton Computing Student Support. Wharton Computing Student Support provides guidance and first-tier troubleshooting services for a student's computing issues. However, if you have a problem with your computer's hardware you will need to work with the Computer Connection or the manufacturer of your computer to get your problem resolved.

Software Recommendations

The basic software you will need to use as a student is listed below. These recommendations are designed to provide compatibility with the software in Wharton's computer labs and classrooms. When purchasing your system and software, be sure to request disks containing your original software. If your vendor doesn't provide the operating system CD or a recovery CD, be sure to ask about recovery procedures should the system fail.

* 64-bit Windows operating systems are not supported at Penn.
* *Symantec Antivirus is available for Penn Students free of charge.

Macs @Wharton

Class projects and assignments will be assigned assuming you are using a Windows-based PC, so if you purchase a Mac you should be prepared to deal with occasional software and configuration incompatibilities that Wharton Computing Student Support may not be able to resolve. You should also be prepared to do some of your school work in the computer labs (which contain Windows-based computers), or consider installing Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp, Parallels or VMware Fusion.

Note: Using Windows in a Boot Camp, Parallels or VMware environment shouldn't cause many compatibility issues with Wharton applications. However, all Wharton applications and software required for classes have not been fully tested in these environments and you may run into issues that require you to use a PC with Windows installed on it.

The recommended productivity software for Macs is Microsoft Office 2008. Office 2008 comes with Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Entourage. To make use of all the email features available on Wharton's Student Exchange server, you'll need to purchase the Full, Student Select (sold @ Penn's Computer Connection) or Special Media Editions. The Home/Student version does NOT support Exchange mode.

Note: Microsoft Access is not available in Office 2008. Also, the Solver plug-in for Excel will not work and you may experience issues with Entourage. Both of these features are used in classes at Wharton.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use my company computer?
2. Can I use my current system?
3. How do I configure my laptop for Wharton?
4. Which Smartphone will work best at Wharton?
5. How should I backup data stored on my laptop?
6. How should I care for my laptop?