Computer Hardware Planning
3 year cycle
Those areas on the 3 year hardware renewal cycle should consult MIT IS&T's recommended computer hardware for the list of acceptable desktop and laptop machines. For users that require Adobe Creative Suite or for users doing video and/ or photo editing and/or web development, the minimum RAM must be no lower than DDR3 16GB and the processor must be no lower than an i7 processor.
4-5 year cycle
For those areas on a 4-5 year hardware renewal schedule and not the usual 3 year, please be aware that you must purchase a mid to high end model machine to ensure the computer has enough power and resource to run newer software at a minimally acceptable performance level 4-5 years down the line. Minimum RAM must be no lower than DDR3 8GB and the processor must be no lower than an i5 running at 2.9Ghz. For users that require Adobe Creative Suite or for users doing video or photo editing or web development, the minimum RAM must be no lower than DDR3 16GB and the processor must be no lower than an i7 processor. We will update these requirements annually as the computer technologies advance.
If you are thinking Dell, do not purchase any machines outside of the Latitude, Optiplex, or Precision lines. Dell drops available spare parts for all other models once the maximum warranty period has expired.
Apple and Dell warranties
Apple does not warranty their machines for more than 3 years so be aware if your machine fails at year 4 or 5 the repair costs could be high depending on the issue. Dell does sell service contracts for more than 3 years, however they are more expensive and may not be available for all makes and models. Make sure your purchase the service contract that is appropriate to the length of time you expect to have to keep your Windows machine. It is never a good idea to buy a computer without a warranty.
Lenovo
As it turns out, Lenovo Thinkpads CAN be serviced at the IS&T walk-in customer service desk. Thinkpads are however the only model Lenovo apparently allows to be serviced off depot. For all of their other models Lenovo must be contacted and they will send a box for return to depot. If you are someone who expects reliability, word has it to stay away from Lenovo's Ideapad line for now.
Macbook Air
Please be aware that we do not recommend the Macbook Air as a primary laptop machine due to its historically reported weak WiFi performance and limited number of ports. It is, however, an acceptable second laptop for travel as long as the user understands its limitations and potential connectivity drawbacks. We have had a significant number of reports for the MacBook Air being unable to connect to the WiFi network at Hethrow Airport outside of London for example. For the light weight primary Apple laptop solution, we recommend the current 13" Macbook Pro with Retina Display. At 1 pound heavier than the MacBook Air it has the performance, flexibility, and functionality of a full blown laptop. But if you choose to order one of these, pay attention to the hard drive size as Apple is selling these with the smaller capacity solid state drives. Make sure you get a hard drive with enough storage to fit all your data from your old laptop.
iPads
iPads are not computers. They do not have a file system and have cellular phone processors. Though there are apps that enable iPads to behave laptop-like, we do not recommend using iPads for purposes of creating anything. iPads are really life-style tools and devices to show people things on, whether that be pictures, movies, or presentations. Given the amount you would have to invest in both time and money to get the iPad to act computer-like, you would be better off buying a real computer which would do those things much better, faster, and reliably.
The Storage Conundrum
Finally, be aware of the Hard Drive (HD) sizes of the machine you're buying compared to the amount of data on the machine you currently have. Many of the new machines are coming with smaller but faster (and more expensive) solid state HDs while older machines tend to have larger but slower (and cheaper) platter drives. Make sure you have purchased enough storage space on the new machine to move all of your files, pictures, movies, and emails from your old machine. So when ordering your new machine, make sure to configure the size of the new HD in the new laptop accordingly.