There is no formal requirement at UNH or WSBE that undergraduate students own computers. However, it is clear that computers are an essential tool for WSBE students. We anticipate that a large percentage of students will come to UNH in the fall with a computer. Based on a survey conducted in Fall 2002, 98.7% of all WSBE Freshmen own a computer. For those of you who have not yet purchased a computer, we have a few recommendations.

1. We believe that there are significant advantages to laptops, compared with desktops. Based on the same Fall 2002 survey noted above, 55% of freshmen own a Windows-based laptop; we expect and encourage the percentage of students with laptops to continue to increase. Laptops provide portability and thus, they can be used in dorm rooms, apartments, and other places on campus, such as the library. Laptops enable students to work in groups more easily and laptops can be used in appropriate classrooms. All classrooms in McConnell Hall have either hard-wired access and/or wireless access to the UNH network.

2. If you are purchasing a PC (as opposed to a Macintosh), we recommend Windows XP Professional. (We don't recommend Windows XP Home edition, because of problems with connecting to the UNH network.) We do recommend using a PC over a Macintosh to be most compatible with WSBE applications.

3. If you are purchasing a computer, be sure to purchase Microsoft Office Professional (the version containing the programs Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access). We recommend Microsoft Office 2003 Professional. It is to your advantage to have this latest version. If you are not purchasing a new computer, you should have, at the minimum, Microsoft Office XP Professional. It is important to do a complete installation of these packages and to have the actual CD for Office; some courses use add-ins that do not get installed with a default installation. Some classes may require that you have the latest version of Office (2003 Professional) installed on your machine.

4. If you are buying a laptop computer, be sure that you get both Ethernet (wired) and wireless capability. All dorms are equipped with Ethernet (wired) capability. The Memorial Union Building currently has wireless capability; we expect the Library to have wireless access soon. McConnell Hall (where most WSBE classes are held) has some wired access and all classrooms have wireless capability.

5. You can, of course, purchase a computer from many places. However, we have worked with two vendors to provide laptops configured to meet our specifications. We expect the pricing on these laptops will be better than you can acquire elsewhere for a similar laptop, especially after taking into account the enhanced warranty and other post-purchase services. (If you are considering buying elsewhere, be sure that you follow the minimum specifications in the list above. To get an accurate and comparable price, be sure you include all recommended software and hardware.)

The UNH Computer Store offers Dell laptops specifically configured to meet WSBE specifications. To go to the WSBE page at the UNH Computer Store use the link http://www.computerstore.unh.edu/bts_wsbe.shtml.

GovConnection offers Toshiba laptops specifically configured to meet WSBE specifications. To create an account and go to the WSBE page at GovConnection, go to http://www.it.govconnection.com/ and use the following login:
username : wsbe@unh.edu (not case sensitive)
password : student (case sensitive)