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Laptops at GC
Laptop Requirement for Incoming Students
Goshen College requires all incoming students to have access to a laptop that can be used daily in class, in labs, in collaboration spaces, and anywhere else learning activity takes place. Besides being a tool that will help you succeed in college, using your laptop throughout your years at GC will build computer skills and expertise that employers require.
In general, having a Mac or a Windows laptop will work for most majors. However, accounting and business majors are recommended to have a Windows laptop. And visual arts, graphic design, film production, and broadcasting majors are recommended to have a Mac. Chromebooks don’t meet the GC requirements, because they often are unable to install software required for coursework.
You are welcome to bring your own laptop as long as it meets or exceeds the minimum requirements (see below for more details). If you don’t have the option to provide your own laptop, you may participate in Goshen College’s Laptop Adoption Program. Note, enrollment in the Laptop Adoption Program (LAP) is only available to first-year, undergraduate students, during the student’s first academic semester.
Laptop Recommendations and Technical Requirements
In general Goshen College requires students to have a laptop supporting either;
- Microsoft Windows 11 (see recommended specifications below) or
- Mac OS 14 (Sonoma – 2023) or newer (see recommended specifications below)
Recommended Specifications for Windows Laptops
To ensure a device that will be useful for the next four years of a student’s academic career, we recommend the following:
- Intel Core i5, i7 12th generation processors or newer
Or - Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 series processors (advanced performance, designed for AI applications)
- Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 5000 series processors or newer
Or - Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 200 series or newer
- 16 Gigabytes (GB) minimum of memory (RAM)
- 256GB Solid State Drive storage (SSD) minimum, 512GB or better recommended
- 13” minimum screen size
- webcam, speakers, and a microphone for participation in videoconferencing and collaboration (Zoom, Google Meet, etc)
Recommended Specifications for Mac Laptops
To ensure a device that will be useful for the next four years of a student’s academic career, we recommend the following:
- Macbook Air with M2 (minimum) or newer M series processor (recommended)
- 16 Gigabytes (GB) minimum of memory (RAM)
- 256GB Solid State Drive storage (SSD) minimum, 512GB or better recommended
- 13” minimum screen size
- webcam, speakers, and a microphone for participation in videoconferencing and collaboration (Zoom, Google Meet, etc)
*MacBook Neo: Apple recently released an affordable new MacBook model, the MacBook Neo. While computing needs will vary by major, a number of students may find this model adequate for most common computing needs excluding more intensive tasks such as, for example, film editing, game development and AI research
Accidental Damage Protection and Extended Warranties
Wherever possible, Goshen College recommends that purchasers take advantage of extended warranties and/or Accidental Damage Protection typically offered by a Manufacturer. Most Extended Warranty offerings are for a maximum 3 years. Accidental Damage Protection can be useful to have protection from drops or liquid spills that damage a laptop.
Program Specific Recommendations
Visual Arts and Graphic Design Majors – Mac
Students expecting to major in the Visual Arts or Graphic Design should choose Mac hardware. While the Adobe Suite of products used in class will run on Windows, the curriculum and textbook resources are all designed around the Mac platform and the step-by-step instructions will be designed for the Mac interface and refer to Mac tools.
Film Production or Broadcasting Majors – Mac
Students expecting to major in Film Production or Broadcasting Majors should choose Mac hardware. While the Davinci Resolve and the Adobe Suite of products used in class will run on Windows, the curriculum and textbook resources are all designed around the Mac platform and the step-by-step instructions will be designed for the Mac interface and refer to Mac tools.
Accounting and Business Majors – Windows
Students expecting to major in Business or Accounting Majors are recommended to choose Windows hardware. While the Microsoft products used in class will run on Mac, the curriculum and textbook resources are all designed around the Windows platform and the step-by-step instructions will be designed for the Windows interface and refer to Windows tools.