<p>Hi everyone. I'll be a freshman come August, and I want to get a new laptop. Probably a MacBook. Does PSU (or Eberly or Schreyer, in particular) suggest or require anything that I should look into getting? Thanks.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.computerstore.psu.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.computerstore.psu.edu/</a>
Check out the New Student FAQs.</p>
<p>I've used a desktop for my first year here, and so far I'm quite content. I dislike the design of laptops...too small/makes me hunch over. There are plenty of computer labs on campus, including one in Atherton Hall. The PSU computers have an enormous amount of software on them...everything from the usual MS Office to PhotoShop to numerous math and engineering programs like Mathematica, MATLAB and Visual Studio. If you need these programs, instead of shelling out a lot of money to have your own copies on your machine, you'll probably find yourself in a computer lab most of the time. The staff is prompt, too...as soon as the printer is close to running out of ink and/or paper, an ITS staff member comes to the lab to refill what's needed.</p>
<p>Setzwxman, are first year engineering students required to have any specific software o their computers? Is the program set up assuming that students will use the computer labs?</p>
<p>All you wound need for engineering is the basic oddice stuff, Word, excell, and probably powerpoint. other than that nothing.</p>