Computing Standards

What hardware do you need?

Students at UB are expected to have access to a computer—access beyond what is provided in the University’s public computing sites and department labs. You should also have a printer. Smart Phones and other mobile devices are not sufficient for access to IT services.

These are UB’s minimum hardware standards for desktop and laptop computers. For most academic areas, these standards should meet your computing needs for two or more years at UB. An older computer may be less responsive but may provide enough functionality. Check with UBMicro before you invest in upgrades.

Your computer should be able to store and access materials using a removable storage device such as a USB flash drive (2GB suggested) or a CD.

To connect your computer to UB and the Internet, your computer must include an Ethernet port or wireless network card, depending on where you connect. We recommend all options for the flexibility to use our network either on or off campus.

What operating system should you have?

Windows	Windows (32 bit)* Vista** SP1 or Windows XP Pro with Service Pack 3
Apple	Apple OS 10.4 or later
Linux	RedHat 5 or Ubuntu***

* Please review our 64-bit Windows Support page for any software incompatibility issues.
** Before purchasing the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, please read our recommendations.
*** UBVPN and basic documentation for Ubuntu is provided, however, some software may not install as expected. Security updates and practices are the responsibility of users.

Note: Faculty and staff should work with their departmental support staff to determine the functionality.

Additional Information

• Software recommendations
• Microsoft Vista recommendations
• Computer Security
• UBMicro IT Support Services