Computer Requirements

College of Medicine Computer Requirement

All students are required to own a laptop computer and bring it to class on a regular basis. The College of Medicine does not endorse a specific operating system or computer brand. This requirement focuses on function and open standards. The following list of capabilities are required at a minimum:

  • Hardware
    • Modern, network-aware operating system
      • Windows XP or above, Mac OSX 10.4 or above
    • WiFi Wireless network capability
      • (802.11g is strongly recommended.)
      • This may be built-in, or a plug-in card.
    • Display resolution at least 1024×768 pixels
    • Sound capable with headphone jack
    • At least one USB port
    • CD read/write / DVD read media drive
      • (Full DVD read/write is recommended.)
    • Long life battery (* see below)
    • Printer

Software

  • Malware protection
    • Current, fully-patched operating system
    • Anti-viral software installed and up to date
    • Anti-spyware software installed and up to date
  • Modern, standards-compliant Web browser
    • Firefox, Mozilla, Netscape, Opera, and Safari are good choices.
  • Standards-based email client
    • Must be capable of accessing campus Gatorlink email.
    • Some students may wish to use the campus Webmail exclusively.
  • Standard “run time” environment for Java programs
  • Software to read/write Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint formats
    • MS Office or Open Office (free!) from openoffice.org
  • Ability to read PDF files

* Laptop batteries have a limited life span. It is very common for students to experience less than one hour battery life. This is a sign that the battery is old and should be replaced. Given the length of the school day, we strongly encourage students to replace old, failing batteries and invest in a second spare battery. The Lithium ion (LiON) battery type is preferred.