More and more students are finding that owning their own computer is both a good way to improve their computer skills and also makes access easier than having to use one in the computing labs. There are many advantages to owning your own computer. You can work at home anytime and are not subject to lab hours or crowds. You can access the Internet from home and do much of your information research at times when the networks are less busy. You can set up the computer the way you want and run the programs that work best for you instead of relying on what can be found on lab computers.
Portable computers are increasingly popular as they can be used in class and at home.
During the coming school year, portable computers with ethernet hardware will be able to connect to the Internet for doing research at the Halle Library. Eastern Michigan University supports both Macintosh and Windows systems for student use, and the best system for you to purchase will depend on what programs you need to run and what kind of things you need to accomplish. If you decide to buy your own computer, the best help for deciding what computer to purchase is the faculty in your major area. As you might guess, the needs of a student in graphic design are very different from those of a student in management information systems. No one computer fits all.