NC State University | College of Design | Art & Design Computer Requirements

(Updated April 2008)

The Department of Art and Design requires purchase of computers by students who are emphasizing digital media courses. Students may use either Macintosh or Windows computers for their coursework.

Note: The use of Apple Boot Camp allows Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista, as well as many Windows applications to run on an Apple Macintosh computer. The cost of Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista and Windows-compatible software will be in addition to Macintosh-compatible software. Other options for running Windows applications on a Macintosh, using virtualization are available as well. We consider the dual-boot method a good option for students wanting to use both Macintosh and Windows software. More of our students are choosing to go this way. For a comparision of these options, see MacMall's Differences Between Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac, VMware Fusion and Apple Boot Camp 1.4. Students interested in running Windows on an Macintosh computer should speak with the College of Design Information Technology staff.

The NC State Information Technology Division and the NCSU Bookstores have made arrangements with several computer vendors to offer special pricing to students. Students should compare these prices before making a final purchase, since these prices can offer a substantial savings. For more information see: Computer vendors with special pricing for NC State students or contact the NCSU Bookstores before making your final purchase.

Software requirements are listed at the bottom of the chart below. Additional specialized software may be required in other courses, as determined by the instructor. Students are encouraged to consider the purchase of other software to support their particular goals and learning styles. Many software applications are available at educational prices at the NCSU Bookstores. Other software companies and internet stores also offer savings through educational prices.

Note: Adobe Creative Suite 3 is now available in several different bundles. "Creative Suite 3 Design Premium" is a good fit for most Art and Design students. It includes InDesign, Acrobat, Illustrator, Photoshop Extended, Flash Professional and Dreamweaver. Other choices are available. Contact the NCSU Bookstores for more information.

Each department in the College of Design has different computer requirements. Students should contact their departmental office if they have questions about specific hardware or software requirements.

For students purchasing new computers to bring to campus, we recommend that your computer meet or exceed the specifications below. Depending on your computing needs, a computer you purchase today may not meet your needs for your entire tenure at the College of Design. A computer with greater capability (processor speed, RAM, disk capacity) and expandability will be more likely to continue to run the software you require.

This chart, adapted from the NC State University Information Technology Division website, provides minimum recommendations for students purchasing new computers. Clicking on "Tell Me More" will provide detailed information about a component.

Component	Windows Desktop	Windows Laptop	Macintosh Desktop	Macintosh Laptop
CPU (Processor)	Intel-compatible (Pentium, AMD): 2 GHz or faster	Intel-compatible (Pentium, AMD): 2 GHz or faster	iMac or MacPro, any current model	MacBook Pro, any current model
System RAM Tell me more	2 GB minimum, more preferred	2 GB minimum, more preferred	2 GB minimum, more preferred	2 GB minimum, more preferred
CD/DVD Tell me more	CD-RW/DVD-ROM or CD-RW/DVD-R	CD-RW/DVD-ROM or CD-RW/DVD-R	SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)	SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
Hard Disk Size Tell me more	250 GB or more preferred	200 GB or more preferred	250 GB or more preferred	200 GB or more preferred
Monitor Tell me more	18" or larger	14" or larger (second external monitor optional)	18" or larger	15" or 17"(second external monitor optional)
Video Adapter Tell me more	256 MB VRAM or more	256 MB VRAM or more	256 MB VRAM or more	256 MB VRAM or more
Operating System	Windows XP Professional	Windows XP Professional	Mac OS X version 10.5	Mac OS X version 10.5
Sound Card	100% Windows compliant sound card	100% Windows compliant sound card	Standard on Macintosh	Standard on Macintosh
Ethernet Adapter Tell me more	Built-in RJ-45	Built-in RJ-45 (802.11g compatible wireless ethernet card optional, but needed for wireless network access)	Standard on Macintosh	Standard on Macintosh (Wireless Airport Extreme card also standard)
Warranty Service	minimum 3-year onsite parts and labor	minimum 3-year onsite parts and labor	3-year AppleCare Protection Plan	3-year AppleCare Protection Plan
Software (Be sure to check for educational discounts through the College of Design or NCSU Bookstores.)	• Microsoft Office 2007 or later • Adobe Photoshop CS3 or later • Adobe Illustrator CS3 or later • Adobe Flash CS3 Professional or later (Consider Adobe Creative Suite 3, which is now available in several different bundles. "Creative Suite 3 Design Premium" is a good fit for most Art and Design students. It includes InDesign, Acrobat, Illustrator, Photoshop Extended, Flash Professional and Dreamweaver. Other bundles are available.) • Adobe After Effects CS3 or later		• Microsoft Office 2008 or later • Adobe Photoshop CS3 or later • Adobe Illustrator CS3 or later • Adobe Flash CS3 Professional or later (Consider Adobe Creative Suite 3, which is now available in several different bundles. "Creative Suite 3 Design Premium" is a good fit for most Art and Design students. It includes InDesign, Acrobat, Illustrator, Photoshop Extended, Flash Professional and Dreamweaver. Other bundles are available.) • Adobe After Effects CS3 or later If you want to run both Mac OS X and Windows on a Mac, you will also need: • Microsoft Windows XP Professional (in addition to Mac OS X) and Windows-compatible software of your choosing. (You do not need to have the same software applications for both operating systems.)

For additional assistance, please contact the Department of Art and Design office at 919.515.8315 or send email to: design_help@ncsu.edu.