Contents

• Introduction
• Recommended computer system components

Introduction

The following information is provided for Pathfinder 201 students who are considering the purchase of a personal computer.

Owning a personal computer is not a requirement for this course. PCs in the Earth and Planetary Remote Sensing Laboratory (EPRSL) will be available for use by Pathfinder students (see How To Use Computers For This Course). However, there are about 15 students in the class and 6 student PCs in the laboratory. Students with their own computers will have the advantage of working from their dorm rooms or elsewhere, without having to wait for a turn in the lab.

Here are some guidelines for purchasing a system that will be compatible with the personal computers used in the EPRSL for Pathfinder 201 and 202. For more information contact Tom Stein (314-935-5744, stein@wunder.wustl.edu) who works in the EPRSL.

Recommended computer system components

Following are baseline computer system recommendations for the student entering the university this fall. The price of a computer pales in comparison with tuition and housing costs. Nevertheless, most consider a computer purchase as a five-year investment and the components chosen should reflect that thinking. It is interesting to note that the system outlined below is 20 times faster than the "top-of-the-line" model of five years ago.

PC vs. Mac

At Washington U., most students have PCs and there is much more support for PCs than Macs on campus. The software used in the course will run on a PC or Mac.

Processor (CPU) type and clock speed

A 2.0-GHz CPU is satisfactory, but the faster the better. With increased speed comes increased price.

Memory, usually referred to as RAM

The more the merrier! Recommended 2 GB minimum. With today’s fast CPUs, adding extra memory can be a better choice than getting the fastest CPU.

Display size

Display size preferences vary among users, but displays under 15 inches are not recommended. Just like TVs, computer displays are typically smaller than advertised: a 17-inch display may be about 15.9 inches; a 15-inch display may be 13.9 inches.

Video card

The more memory you have on the video card, the more colors and higher resolution the computer will display. Pay attention to what applications the video card supports if you are a gamer.

Hard drive

There is a computer truth that says, "the data expand to fill the space." In other words, no matter how big the drive is, it will never be enough. Recommendation: at least 80 GB (gigabyte). An important consideration in the drive speed. A 7200 rpm drive is provide noticeably faster performance than a 5400 rpm drive.

Multimedia

Memory sticks are ubiquitous. A great option is adding an external USB hard drive ($150 for 320 GB). This drive can be used for backups and data sharing. Write-once disks are an inexpensive backup option and an easy way to take your files with you to another computer, but are slower than external hard drives.

 

Operating system

The campus computing centers provide great support, though are geared more towards Windows than anything else. Linux is not recommended for a personal computer.

Printer

There are printers in most of the dorms, but if you would like one closer, consider the Epson Color Stylus or HP DeskJet models. A printer is available in our computer lab for printing assignments when needed.

Software

For most of your computing needs, Microsoft Office should do the trick. This includes Word (word processor), Excel (spreadsheet), PowerPoint (presentation) and Outlook (personal information manager). Unless it’s bundled with your computer, you should wait to buy this at the campus computer store (typically at a 50-75% educational discount).

A final word

Computers are available from a variety of sources. I recommend purchasing from a vendor whose main business is computers.  We suggest purchasing an onsite replacement agreement from the vendor for 4 years.  We also suggest purchasing a locking cable for a laptop.  What seems like a great deal is often reflected in inferior components and poor service. I will gladly discuss our experience with specific vendors at your request. You can contact me, Tom Stein, via phone or e-mail (314-935-5744, stein@wunder.wustl.edu).