All students enrolled in the iSchool are required to have access to a certain standard of technology, including some types of computer hardware. For information about this standard, please visit the Technology Requirements page.
In recognition of these technological requirements, the Information School offers various computing facilities for currently enrolled students: see the Computer Labs page for more details. However, many students may find it useful or even necessary to purchase hardware for home use, such as laptop or desktop computers.
While it is not the practice of the iSchool to recommend specific brands or models of hardware to students making personal purchases, the following list of hardware tips may be useful for students who are deciding to which product to buy.
Please be sure to compare potential purchases to the list of hardware requirements for students enrolled in the iSchool.
Students planning to purchase a new computer may wish to visit the Tech Center at the UW Bookstore, located at 43rd Street and University Way. The Tech Center offers significant student discounts on desktops and laptops, including Lenovo Thinkpads and several Macintosh models. For additional information on products and pricing, please visit the UW Bookstore’s Tech Center. Additionally, many companies offer student and educational discounts.
For a list of more specific iSchool computer suggestions, please refer to the second half of the Technology Requirements page.
The UW Bookstore’s Tech Center also offers discounts on other computing hardware to currently enrolled at UW students. Another useful resource for computing hardware is Newegg, an online store which frequently offers competitive prices on equipment such as hard drives, CD and DVD burners, memory, and speakers. Students who prefer to shop in person can visit Seattle-area businesses like Fry’s.
For small, relatively inexpensive electronics purchases, such as headsets, microphones, and digital cameras, we suggest checking out general purpose electronic stores, such as the UW Bookstore’s Tech Center, Newegg, Fry’s, or Costco.
For more specialized or expensive items, consider doing some preliminary research on the brands, models, and vendors that will best meet your needs. For example, CNET offers comprehensive reviews of most models of computers and other electronics.