Yes. Barnard has made arrangements with Dell and Apple to provide educational discounts to Barnard students. We also have a contact with e-Academy for software discounts.
You should bring all software, hardware, information related to your computer with you to Barnard. This includes manuals, install disks, cables, etc. If something should happen to your computer, you might need to re-install some of your programs and therefore need the original disks and license number for them. It is particularly important to bring the main manual for your computer. If an ACE needs to assist you with your connection, she might need it to figure out how to open a difficult computer case or for a variety of other reasons.
Barnard strongly recommends 3Com brand Ethernet cards for PC computers, though you are free to buy any brand that you choose. Any card purchased must be 10 or 10/100base-T and use an RJ-45 twisted pair connection. All students will also need a category 5 RJ-45 twisted pair cable (a.k.a patch cable) to connect their card to their wall jack. We recommend that you purchase a long cable, in case your desk is far away from your jack. Patch cables will be available at the Barnard Student Store during First-Year move-in day.
Barnard strongly recommends 3Com brand Ethernet cards for PC computers, though you are free to buy any brand that you choose. Any card purchased must be 10 or 10/100base-T and use an RJ-45 twisted pair connection. All students will also need a category 5 RJ-45 twisted pair cable (a.k.a patch cable) to connect their card to their wall jack. We recommend that you purchase a long cable, in case your desk is far away from your jack. Patch cables will be available at the Barnard Student Store during First-Year move-in day.
Most computers now come with ethernet cards already installed! Make sure your purchase is not redundant. Ethernet cards can be purchased at any computer store. Make sure to get a 10 or 10/100base-T that uses an RJ-45 twisted pair connection, as well as the appropriate cable to connect the card to the wall jack.
Barnard is a "PC campus". Nearly all of the computers in the computer labs are Dell PCs, as well as all faculty and staff computers. We do not mandate that all students purchase PCs, but your personal computer applications will be more compatible with the applications in the labs if you bring a PC. This is particularly important if you are relying on the labs for printouts. Nevertheless, our student staff is trained to troubleshoot both PC and Macintosh computers.
Owning your own printer is not absolutely necessary. However, while there are laser printers available in the every computer lab, many students choose to purchase their own inkjet or laser printers for the convenience of printing in their rooms. Having your own printer alleviates any difficulties in printing from software or versions not available in the labs. Also, during rush times (i.e., midterms and finals), there can be long waits for a computer while many students try to complete and print out papers. In such situations, having a personal printer can be much more convenient. There are many inexpensive inkjet printers currently available.
There are two public access 24-hour computing labs in the Sulzberger basement. There are also additional 24-hour labs in the Plimpton and 616 residence halls. Lehman Computer Center is a staffed lab in the library with Intel and Macintosh computers. All of the computer labs have laser printing available.