How to Buy a Computer
Students can accomplish all their FLCC class work using computers in our computer labs. We have 450 computers in 20 labs at various locations. However, some students may want to buy a system for use at home, so they can work at more convenient times.
If you want to purchase a computer which is compatible with the work you do at the college, it should be a Windows computer running the current Windows operating system (unless you are enrolled in graphic arts or performing arts programs, which use MACs).
A new Pentium 4 system running Windows XP or Vista should have at least 2 Gigabyte of memory, at least an 80 Gigabyte hard drive, with a system speed of at least 2 GHz. If you plan to create and store videos or photographs, you should get a larger hard drive. Your system should come with a CD burner, which you can use to backup your data files. Extensive work with videos, movies or game playing would require a faster, more expensive system configuration.
You should buy a USB Flash drive to use for transporting data files between home and campus. For advice about buying and using removable storage and USB Flash drives, go to http://paws.flcc.edu on the web, pick "Computer Help Desk", pick "Help Sheets", and then pick "File Storage and Transport" ( or just click here )
Be sure to get a good antivirus package and keep its virus signatures up-to-date (we use Symantec, but others are also good). After you get your system, you should run the Windows Update routines to download and install critical security updates regularly. At the college, we get new virus signatures and Windows updates daily.
If you can afford it, you should buy the Microsoft Office suite (check with the college bookstore for student pricing). Your computer might come with Microsoft Works, but Works may create files which are not compatible with Word. You might need to save your work as an RTF file, so it can be opened by Microsoft Word on campus. Then you can copy your file to your USB Flash drive to bring it to school for printing or additional work. See the help sheet about "Using Microsoft Works Files" on the Computer Helpdesk web page on paws.flcc.edu.
Some classes use software which would be really expensive to buy (AutoCad, Macromedia Studio, Photoshop, and the like). Try to use our computers when you need those, to save money! If you do buy your own copy, it may be a newer version than we are running, or else it will need to be updated later when we upgrade.
If you buy a laptop computer, you don't need to bring it to school unless you want to use our wireless Internet access points. It's much easier to just carry your files with you on a USB drive, and use our computers to work on them. You may not connect your own laptop (or any other device) to our internal network.
If you buy a laptop with wireless capability, you can use it for Internet browsing at the college after you have set up your student computer account. But you cannot connect it to our internal LAN to use files or printers on our servers. For network security, use of LAN resources (files and printers) is only allowed on computers which are managed by FLCC Computing Services. However, you can use our wireless Internet access to do anything that's available on the Web, including WebCt class work, SLN class work, web based exercises from Course Technology or other publishers, your student e-mail, and so forth.
If you need to print a file that is on your laptop, copy it to a USB flash drive, then use one of our computers (bring your own paper if you want to print on a laser or color printer).
Feel free to contact me if you have questions. Although I do have a phone, I'm hardly ever sitting in my office to answer it! To avoid playing phone tag, it's best to contact me by e-mail.
Kay Carlisi
FLCC Instructional Computing Coordinator
e-mail kcarlisi@axp.flcc.edu or carliskf@flcc.edu
Phone 585-394-3500 ext. 7379
Web pages:
http://paws.flcc.edu
Kay Carlisi or Computer Helpdesk
http://www.flcc.edu
Current Students > Academic Resources > Academic Computing
or
Office & Dept. Directory > Administrative Offices > Institutional Computing