Those students who choose not to bring a computer should plan to use a friend's computer or a University computing site to complete those school projects and research assignments that require the use of a computer. Every semester, faculty and students use programs that are more sophisticated than those used in previous semesters. These more sophisticated applications continually require faster computers, more memory, more disk space, and other resources. In general, the newer the computer, the better its owner will be able to take advantage of UD's award-winning network, Internet resources, and the latest computing applications. In the case of laptop computers, newer models are faster and lighter, in addition to offering better displays, more memory, and more disk storage.
Students use several different strategies when they select a computer to bring to campus.
Because the technology changes so rapidly, each of these options match different students' academic needs and financial situations. Some students use University computing sites their first year, waiting until their second year on campus to buy a computer. Some students bring an older computer to start, upgrading to a new computer during their second or third year at the University. Some students buy inexpensive computers their first year, planning to upgrade their entire systems during their career at the University. Before you purchase a system, we'd urge you to examine how you'd use that computer.