Student Computer Recommendations and Requirements

Yes! Access to a personal computer is critical to your success as a student.  Whether your course is offered online or in-class, a computer and internet access help you to access course materials, complete assignments and interact with your instructor, classmates and college services. The College has negotiated special pricing on recommended laptops for its students from Dell.

Important note: A cell phone is not an adequate substitute for a personal computer for students.

Do I really need my own computer?

Well, yes, if you want to be as successful a college student as possible.  Many, if not most, of the courses at College of the Rockies have an online component, and will require you, as a student, to be able to access course content via COTROnline (our online course/learning management system), electronic library resources, communicate with your instructors, use video conferencing for distance courses or group work, to connect with your peers, access a full range of College services and supports as well as the explore the world as a global citizen.

You will be expected to complete course work, assignments, projects and papers using Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), and other resources, and will very often need to submit those assignments, projects and papers through the online learning management system, called COTROnline, via email or using other technology options. Campus computing facilities are not open 24/7 and there may be times you require a computer when the College is not open.

The computing needs of students can be vastly different depending on the courses that you are taking. Students who are participating in GIS or Pre-Engineering courses should look at procuring computers that will have higher specifications. Students interested in procuring a laptop can check for special pricing through Dell.

If you require support for your personal computing equipment we highly recommend Windows based operating systems (Windows 10) for your personal computer at this time. Software used in our classes is based on the Windows operating system.

Apple products can connect to the College internet, and will run most, but not all, Microsoft Office 365 applications and other software (Microsoft Access is not available for use on Mac), but the technology is not supported by College IT Services at this time.

Please note: Due to limitations on software and applications available, Chromebooks are not supported as they will not connect to our eduroam network and they do not support the installation of the office 365 software.

The following are the recommended minimum requirements you will need to consider as you select a computer for your educational needs.

Personal Computer (PC)

Processor	Intel Core i3 (8th generation or higher) Core i5 (8th generation or higher) or better AMD Ryzen 3 (minimum) AMD Ryzen 5 (recommended) or better GIS and Pre-Engineering minimum processor is Core i5 and Ryzen 5
Memory	8Gb (minimum) Especially if using online collaboration tools 16 GB (recommended) especially for GIS or Pre-Engineering Students
Storage	128 Gb SSD minimum 256 Gb SSD Recommended
Screen Size	12 inch (diagonal) or better
Screen Resolution	1366×768 minimum 1920×1080 recommended
Webcam	Recommended
Operating System	Windows 11 Home
Office 365	The College provides a free copy of Office 365 for all students while they are enrolled at the college. The current package includes: Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, One Note, Publisher, and 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage.
Internet Connection	20 MB/s download speed 2.5 Mb/s upload speed per device connected (minimum). Internet speeds vary depending on provider and conditions. Additionally the number of devices connected to the internet connection will affect your experience.
Web Browser	Your experience will be enhanced if your device supports the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox or Edge. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Apple

The College recommends Microsoft Windows for Students as all courses and programs are tested in the Windows environment. Many programs will also be available for Apple. Students should check with the instructor to ensure compatibility with software used in the particular course.

Model	MacBook Pro (2018) or newer MacBook Air (2018) or newer
Memory	8GB (Minimum)
Operating System	10.15 “Catalina” or newer
Screen Size	12 inch (diagonal) minimum. 15 inch (diagonal) recommended
Webcam	Recommended
Office 365	The College provides a free copy of office 365 for all students while they are enrolled at the College. Office 365 is available for MacOS 10.15 and later. The current Office 365 for OS X (Sierra) 10.13.6 and newer includes: Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, One Note and 1TB of One Drive cloud storage. Please note that MS Access is NOT available for Mac OS X.
Internet Connection	20 Mb/s download speed 2.5 MB/s upload speed per device connected(minimum). Internet speeds vary depending on provider and conditions. Additionally the number of devices connected to the internet connection will affect your experience.
Can I run Windows on my Mac?	Quite possibly. Please refer to this link for directions on how to setup your Mac to run Windows 10. Install Windows 10 on your Mac with Boot Camp Assistant – Apple Support. Please note: This link will take you to an external site. College of the Rockies is not responsible for the content or information on this site.

A few things to consider:

• Purchase your laptop form a reputable Canadian retail store, website or through the manufacturer such as Dell, Acer, HP or Apple using the above specifications to narrow your choice.
• Look for educational discounts through Dell, Apple, HP or others.
  • Dell Educational Discounts: Visit the Dell website.
  • Apple Higher Education Individuals Store (students and faculty) Visit the Apple website  https://www.apple.com/ca_edu_93120/shop/back-to-school
• Be an informed consumer, read reviews or articles before you buy. CNET is a great source of reviews and information on what’s available or check out for information on current technology for your educational needs. See, “The Best Laptops for Students in 2023“.
• Consider what you will be using your laptop for.  If you will be bringing it to campus you may want to opt for a lighter model. Additionally, as a student at College of the Rockies, you will have access to the Microsoft Office 365 suite of products, including Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Consider what else you will need a computer for beyond school and consider who else in your family may need to use the computer.
• You may also want to purchase accessories such as a mouse, keyboard or printer depending on your individual needs and preferences.

Engineering Certificate Program:

The Engineering Certificate program requires students to use AutoCAD for course APSC 151: Engineering Graphics.

For detailed specifications, visit: Specifications for AutoCAD 2023 website

As a student, or “Educational User” AutoDesk, the makers of AutoCAD, provides a limited 1-year Educational License that you may “access and/or use solely for purposes directly related to learning, training or research. As a registered student, you may install copies of the licensed software only on electronic devices owned or controlled by you. You may not access or use the licensed software for commercial, professional or other for-profit purposes. You may be required to show proof of eligibility if requested by Autodesk.  Students may be required to use their own individual Autodesk ID to access and/or use certain software and/or offerings.  (See General and Education/Education User Terms of Use at https://www.autodesk.com/company/terms-of-use/en/subscription-types#education.  Accessed, July 6, 2020.)

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Hospitality Management Program (HOSP)

This program uses e-textbooks; all students are supplied with a computer as part of mandatory program fees.

View Hospitality Management program information.