For a variety of reasons, this is a matter of personal choice. A desktop computer is usually a less expensive and more powerful option, but some students prefer the mobility of a laptop, particularly in view of the widespread availability of wireless networking available on campus. One reason some students choose a laptop is for the possibility of using it to take notes during class. However, this is difficult in College of Engineering classes since there is frequent use of equations and diagrams. A tablet PC can solve this problem. Please understand that for most classes students may not be allowed to bring computers to exams.

The PCS Help Desk will support any PC vendor, but will only support the Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Mac OS X operating systems. Support for Linux is limited. If you do decide to bring a Mac system with you, we recommend that you also configure it with Boot camp to allow you to boot into Windows or to the Mac OS. If you plan to install Linux on your PC be sure you configure the PC to allow you to boot into either Linux or Windows.

UNCC has made special arrangements with Apple  and Dell to obtain favorable pricing on properly configured laptop systems for meeting the needs of any student. Through this special arrangements with Apple and Dell we are also able to offer better support. If you decide to purchase a PC system outside of this program, be sure to get a properly configured system that matches the system configurations we recommend for the Apple and Dell  systems.

Given that the purchase of a computer is a substantial investment for the duration of the student's program in the College of Engineering, we recommend that any student who purchases a PC system invest in a 4 year warranty. Many vendors offer next day, on-site service on warranted PC system. We also recommend investing in an "accidental damage" coverage package for a laptop. A 4 year anti-theft protection is also recommended. If you already purchased a PC system, contact your PC vendor to determine if extending of the warranty period is possible.

For laptops we recommend a security cable, an optical mouse and a cooling pad. Students will also find it useful to have a memory stick of 1-4 GB to allow them to copy files from their laptop to a Mosaic system. Students may find it useful to have a low volume printer for those times when a quick printout is required. An external USB hard drive of at least 250 GB will help with storing data and for performing data backup of the primary C drive. A good power strip with surge protection will be useful to accommodate the computer setup.

Support program from Dell for the student laptop initiative in the UNC Charlotte College of Engineering

UNC Charlotte students who purchased a Dell laptop thru the College of Engineering student laptop initiative will be eligible to participate in the laptop loaner program while their laptop is being serviced under the Dell warranty program.

Dell, a vendor that we highly recommend for laptop computers that are configured to meet the needs of College of Engineering students, recognizes how inconvenient it may be to a student to be without a laptop should it needs to be serviced. Dell has put together an incentive program to UNC Charlotte students to demonstrate the value of their product and the associated support that goes with their product. Under this program, if a Dell laptop requires warranty work and it was purchased thru the UNC Charlotte student laptop initiative, the UNC Charlotte student will be able to get a loaner laptop from Atkins Library (Library Circulation Desk at 704.687.2392) on an extended loan basis (up to 5 days).

To be eligible to participate in this program, you must be a UNC Charlotte student with Student ID card and you need to show proof that you purchased a Dell laptop thru the student laptop initiative; your laptop must be under warranty and you must present an email from the vendor showing a current service dispatch information associated with the service call you placed with the vendor that identifies the laptop warranty work that Dell is processing. There are a limited number of these extended loan laptops and we recommend that you contact the library ahead of time to make sure that there is a loaner laptop available for an extended loan under the student laptop initiative. In the event that the Library is out of the Dell extended loan laptops, there are additional laptops which can be borrowed for a 24-hour period.

If you purchases a MacBook laptop and need to get it serviced, the campus NinerMac computer store will handle the warranty work and will also provide you with a loaner MacBook until your MacBook is repaired.

To see a catalog of the available loaner laptops click here .

Many financial aid programs allow the inclusion of a computer purchase in their funding. At UNC Charlotte, it may be included in the "Miscellaneous expenses" portion of the estimated budget when calculating the need for student financial aid according to the Office of Student Financial Aid.