Computer Recommendations for Students
Students may purchase computers for their courses. Edison State is not responsible for personal devices used by students. When purchasing a device, Edison State has the following recommendations for devices and minimum device specification requirements.
What type of make and model is recommended?
Windows: In general, one of the newer Windows based laptops is recommended. The college has had success with most DELL, Lenovo, and HP devices. If you are purchasing a Windows device, here are the specifications we would recommend:
- Processor – Any i5 processor equivalent or greater
- RAM - Depending on the course, you may need more memory on your device. We recommend minimum 16 GB RAM – this should be sufficient for most of the courses
- Hard Drive – All students have Microsoft OneDrive at their disposal – hence students should save all course work on OneDrive. In general, a Solid-State Drive of 256 GB would be sufficient.
- Multi-year Warranty.
* When purchasing a Windows device, buy a Windows 11 machine – please avoid purchasing a laptop with Windows ‘S’ installed. This version of the operating system will restrict you from installing applications and cause issues while trying to use Edison State systems.
Your coursework may require you to purchase specific software. Any specific software needs will be communicated by the faculty. Microsoft Office 365 license is available for free to all students of Edison State. Edison State strongly recommends that students purchase anti-virus software – Norton, Sophos and Panda anti-virus are solid choices.
MAC: Although the college recommends a Windows device, students who prefer an Apple device can purchase a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with the following specification.
- MacOS 14 (Sonoma) or later
- M1 or newer processor
- 8 GB RAM
- 256 GB hard drive storage (512 GB recommended)
- AppleCare Protection Plan.
Chromebooks: Edison State does not recommend students use Chromebooks for their courseware. Chromebooks are cheap, but in the past, we have run into many issues with Chromebooks.
iPads: Edison State does not recommend an iPad for accessing all our systems. iPads work well as a supplemental device, but as a standalone device we recommend a Windows machine.
If you have further questions on device purchase, please contact our IT Helpdesk by emailing us at support@edisonohio.edu or by calling 937-778-7957.