Buying a Computer as a New YCCC Student

Suggestions from the YCCC Technical Support Office

This document is intended to be suggestions from the IT office at YCCC on what to consider when purchasing a laptop/computer as a new student at York County Community College. Please be advised that your best option to be sure your new computer meets the requirements for your class is to ask your instructors. The IT department does not know every piece of software that is required for all classes at YCCC. This information is subject to change as technology advances and minimum requirements change.

Should I buy a Windows computer, or a Mac?

For the most part, you will do fine with either a Windows-based computer or a Mac. The biggest difference to consider when picking between the two operating systems is access to software. Some software will only be available on a Windows computer. We are not aware of any classes that require software that is only available on a Mac. Also, students taking a class requiring software (such as Office 365) should check with their instructor to make sure the Mac version of the software will work with their courses.

Minimum Hardware Specs

CPU: Intel i5 or better

RAM/Memory: 4GB or more

Storage Space: 256GB or more

When looking at the Hard Drive available in a computer, getting a laptop/computer with a Solid State Drive (SSD) will greatly improve performance, but at an additional cost. A SSD is not required, but if you can afford the extra price it is recommended.

Minimal Recommended Software

Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome for a web browser. Both are free to download! It would be worth it to download both, as sometimes websites work better in one or the other.

Office 365 – This is available for free for all active students and faculty. Instructions on downloading 365 are available in our FAQ section on the college portal.

Antivirus Software – There are free options available online. The campus currently uses Sophos. Please check with your instructors for any additional software that may be required by your courses. For more help, visit us on the web: https://my.yccc.edu/ICS/Campus_Services/IT/