No.  However, students are encouraged to have a personal computer if it is financially feasible. Texas State provides access to a variety of computer equipment in several Computer Labs that are available for your class work.

Computers are an important part of your education. You will have to write papers, search the Internet, access email, view online class material, and do many other things that require a computer. It is an important part of your higher education that you develop effective information technology skills. While there are computers available in several labs for student use, you will find having your own computer to be more convenient.

No. Texas State does not require you to own a specific model of computer, so you certainly may bring an old one from home. We encourage you to check beforehand that you have the networking equipment necessary to connect to the Internet and that the computer can run the software that you need. If you do decide to purchase a new computer, Texas State recommends that you purchase a warranty with your system that covers any hardware failures not due to wear and tear.

Yes.  Texas State offers discounts on several different brands of computers.  Visit our Personal Computer Purchase site for more details!

Texas State makes no recommendations as to which platform of computer you should bring. While there is no campus-wide preference on platform, you are encouraged to talk to the academic advisor for your department because some colleges and departments do have platform preferences.

Desktops and laptops, are both widely used on campus. They both present their own advantages and disadvantages. Desktops tend to be cheaper and offer higher computing performance. Laptops, on the other hand, are portable and offer the advantage of wireless connectivity from most areas on campus.

While Texas State does not have a campus-wide recommendation, we do advise that you talk to your academic advisor, because some departments do have preferences.

High quality black-and-white and color printing is available in many labs around campus. Open labs have no charge printing, metered to 25 pages per job and 2500 pages per semester. However, some restricted labs such as the RRHEC labs will charge for printing for pages beyond a certain limit.  For information on additional services and fees, see the IT Services and Fees page.

Depending on your printing needs, the cost to print on campus through the labs is often less than purchasing a printer, ink, paper, etc. The one major advantage of having your own printer is its availability for printing out rough drafts that are readily available without having to walk to one of the labs.

Access to the Texas State Wireless network requires that your laptop be equipped with a wireless networking card. This wireless device must be IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi compliant. Such cards can be found at most computing retail stores or added by your vendor when buying a new computer.

Unapproved attachment of wireless access points is strictly prohibited in Texas State residence halls. The modification of any wiring or attempting to extend the network beyond the port (i. e., adding hubs, switches or similar devices) is a violation of the University’s Network Use Policy (UPPS No. 04.01.05). These devices cause major disruptions and security risks in ResNet and cause outages for fellow students. Any access point found active on ResNet can cause the port to be disabled and the user will need to contact IT Assistance Center at 245-ITAC (4822) to re-enable connection.

We recommend that you first call the IT Assistance Center at (512) 245-4822. They are open from 8am to 5:30pm and can talk you through most problems. They also have technicians who focus on hardware and connectivity issures that require a more hands-on approach to the situation.

For a modest charge Repair Services can do limited troubleshooting and installation of software and some hardware (see Repairs - privately owned equipment). Repair Services can perform warranty work on Apple and Dell computers. For serious problems, if you own either a Dell or Apple computer that is still under warranty, you can bring your Dell or Apple computer to Repair Services to be fixed.

A computer vendor often tries to sell you software packages when you buy a computer. Check with us first to see if we have better deals, in most cases we do.

Until you get into specialized classes, most students will only need the basics when it comes to software. Web browsers and email clients can easily be downloaded from the Internet. Students are eligible to purchase certain software at discounted pricing such as Microsoft Office for Students as part of the Microsoft Student Select licensing agreement. Some software (such as anti-virus software) is available to students for download on the TR download page.

The following computer accessories may be of benefit:

• USB/Flash Thumb drives are high capacity devices that allow you to keep a backup copy of your work that is portable and can be carried with you wherever you go.
• Blank CD-R or DVDs to more permanently back up your data.
• External USB or Firewire hard drives.