Your steps for preparation:

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Whitman highly recommends that you have a computer of your own for your education.  Having your own computer is NOT a requirement however. You may find that your needs are met by computers available for general use on the Whitman campus (in general use computer labs and in Penrose library, see more details below).  As has been the case during the Covid19 pandemic, there may very likely be cases where having a computer (possibly substituted by a tablet or smartphone) may become critical.  If In such cases, if you do not have access to a computer, please contact the Dean of Student's office for assistance.

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Yes!  Students have access to computers in the general computing labs in Maxey Hall, the Hall of Science, Olin Hall, Reid Campus Center, and Penrose Library. These facilities house Windows PCs, Macs, black & white Laserjet printers, color printer (library only), scanners, and even large-format color plotter printing (available in the Maxey and Science Computer Labs by appointment). Laptops are also available for checkout and use within the Library, offered on a first come first served basis for a four-hour checkout period (Windows, Mac, & Chromebook). The Multimedia Development lab in Hunter Conservatory houses Macs with multimedia software (Adobe apps, Apple apps), image scanning, and more. Several academic departments, including art, music, math, geology, and physics provide specialized computer facilities for their students as well.

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As long as the computer is able to run at least Windows 10 or Mac OS 10.1415, it should be okay. Be sure your computer is up to date with all security patches and running the latest version of the operating system.  Though we don't officially support it, most modern Linux distributions should be fairly compatible with our systems, and will run quite well on older computers.  Further:

• If you have a Windows PC, it should have at least an Intel I3 processor with 8GB RAM (16GB recommended), running Windows 10.
• If you have an Apple Mac, it should have at least an Intel I3 processor with 8GB RAM (16GB recommended), running OS X 10.14 High Sierra 15 Catalina or higher.

Keep in mind that older computer may not continue to last more than a year or two. And even if it is able to run the necessary software now, that may cease to be the case in a year or two.

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About other devices:  Apple TV, Chromecast, Smart TVs, wi-fi routers, Gaming Consoles

• Apple TV, Chromecast, Smart TVs, Gaming Consoles, and other network devices: Most will work and can be registered on the Whitman network if they have a MAC (hardware) address.  You'll need to register them on our "whitman_devices" wi-fi network, be sure to fill out this form.  Please be aware that Chromecast sticks will not work.
• Wireless routers and modems: These devices are not allowed on the Whitman network. There are wireless access points all over campus and ethernet ports in every room in the residence halls for student use.
  

Software/Apps

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What software will I need?

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