• Suggested Computer Purchasing Specifications
  • For School of Filmmaking Students
  • For School of Design and Production Students
  • For All Other Students
• Minimum Computer Standards Supported by Information Technologies
• Brief Explanation of the Microsoft Campus Agreement
• Other "Things to Know"

The North Carolina School of the Arts’ School of Filmmaking will require incoming freshmen to have a Macintosh PowerBook G4. NCSA and Apple Computer are working together to offer approved standard systems at reduced pricing. Learn more about this requirement.

• Fastest Pentium Processor Available/Affordable
• At Least 512MB memory
• 10/100 Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC)
• Windows 2000 or XP Operating System
• CDROM Drive
• Ethernet Patch Cord – Goes from computer’s network interface to the wall port in the residence hall room.
• 64MB or Larger Video Card
• 40GB or Larger Hard Disk Drive – recommend largest HDD Available/Affordable

If you are purchasing a new system to bring to school with you, the Information Technologies department recommends these specifications:

• Pentium Processor – 4 (or above as available)
• At least 256MB Memory – Preferably 512MB
• 10/100 Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC)
• Windows XP Operating System
• CDROM Drive
• Ethernet Patch Cord – Goes from computer’s network interface to the wall port in the residence hall room.

Printers
It is strongly suggested that at least one student per room in a residence hall have a companion printer for shared use. There are no “printing facilities” on campus available to students.

The Information Technologies department is unable to support any machine that is under these specifications:

• Pentium or Celeron Processor 2 – 400 MHz
• 64 MB memory
• Windows 98 Operating System

NCSA participates in the Microsoft Campus Agreement which allows students to upgrade/install any Microsoft operating system (such as Windows 2000 or XP), Microsoft Office Professional Suite, and other Microsoft software on their computers at no cost to the individual – if they agree to the licensing agreement. Below is a list of the products covered under this agreement. There are limitations and requirements to participate in this program. Media for these products cannot be distributed to students. To arrange for installation of any of these products, contact the Information Technologies Department after arriving on campus. Due to limited staffing, scheduling for these installations will depend on available resources.

• Microsoft Office Professional Edition
• Microsoft Office Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Windows® Desktop Operating System (OS) Upgrades
• Microsoft Visio® Professional Edition
• Microsoft Project
• Microsoft FrontPage®
• Microsoft Publisher

• The Information Technologies Department is not a certified computer repair facility. If a student has a computer problem, the desktop support staff will perform basic troubleshooting functions for the student. If the computer needs hardware repair, IT will help the student arrange for repair with a certified computer repair facility.
  
  
• Please bring all associated disks/CD’s, purchasing information, and any other documentation for the computer with you to campus to help IT help you.
  
  
• An email account will be created for each student at NCSA. Campus communications will be delivered via this email address. You will be responsible for checking this email account on a regular basis.
  
  
• If a student arrives on campus with a computer without a Network Interface Card (NIC), the IT Department will advise the student on what to purchase and also assist in the installation of the card. Please be advised that NIC cards do not always install into an older computer easily.