Read the Campus Recommended Computer Specs

These recommendations detail how fast your computer should be, how much disk space you need, and other related specifications.

Choose a Mac or PC?

These days, the difference between a Macintosh and a PC is minimal. Both should meet your word processing, spreadsheet, and Internet needs. Both types are also supported by the campus, and the UC Davis Internet Tools CD runs on both. We suggest that you check with your major department to see if they recommend one over the other.

Obtain Financial Aid to Purchase a Computer

The Financial Aid Office can provide assistance for financial aid recipients who require funding to purchase a computer. For more information, see the Obtain Financial Aid to Purchase a Computer.

Purchase Equipment on Campus

The University has negotiated with computer companies to provide competitively priced computer packages that meet or exceed the campus recommended specifications. See Read the Campus Recommended Computer Specs.

The Computer Shop, located within the UC Davis Bookstore in the Memorial Union, also carries PCs and Macs, desktops and laptops, as well as a variety of computer accessories. For more information on the Computer Shop, call (530) 752-1945, drop by the UC Davis Bookstore, or visit http://bookstore.ucdavis.edu/computershop/.

Obtain New Software

There are several resources available for obtaining software through UC Davis. Discount software is available at the Computer Shop in the UC Davis Bookstore. UC Davis also offers the MyUC Davis Software site, where students and faculty can acquire site-licensed software for free or at a discount.

What is site-licensed software?
With a site license, the vendor gives an institution permission to use a software package on more than one computer. Examples include Sophos Anti-Virus and Qualcomm's Eudora (email program). Site licenses are a means of providing a bulk rate to companies and schools that want to use software on many computers.

UC Davis has negotiated a number of site licensing agreements with major software companies. Examples include Symantec Anti-Virus by Symantec and Qualcomm's Eudora (email program). Students, faculty, and staff may download site-licensed software from my.ucdavis.edu/software or visit IT Express in Room 182 Shields Library. IT Express provides computers for downloading software as well as technical support for recommended software. Bring one or more CDs. The computer consultants will show you how to download software and advise you on downloading decisions.

How can I download shareware and freeware?
On the Internet, you can find software programs not site licensed by the school, including:

• Freeware: This software is available for free, but the author retains the copyright to it. You cannot do anything with it that is not expressly allowed by the author, usually this means you can use it but not sell it.
  Examples: Firefox, ICQ and AIM, (Messaging Programs), etc.
  
• Shareware: Software which is available free of charge for trial use, but which the author often requests a small fee for if you decide to keep and use the program. In return, you'll get documentation, technical support and updated versions.
  Examples: Winzip, CuteFTP, Alladin DropStuff, Fetch (FTP client)

There are many variations of software available. Some programs, such as Eudora, can be downloaded for free, but display an advertising banner until you pay for the software. Other software, such as Real Player, will allow you to download a basic program for free, but expect you to pay to upgrade to a full version. Carefully read the documentation before downloading, so you know what kind of program you are getting.

To find shareware or freeware, you can:

• Use a search engine such as yahoo or google.
• Go to the Web page of the company that manufactures the software. If the software is shareware or freeware, you should be able to download it there. If you are just searching for a particular type of freeware or shareware, try www.download.com/.
• Updates to non-shareware/freeware software programs are often available for download from the vendor's home page.

Where can I purchase software? Located in the UC Davis Bookstore, the Computer Shop carries both PC and Mac software. It is the campus reseller for the UC Davis Internet Tools CD, Eudora manuals, MacOS software, and many other software titles. For more information on the Computer Shop, call (530) 752-1945, drop by the UC Davis Bookstore Computer Shop, or visit the Web site. The Computer Shop also carries academic versions of most software, which can be less expensive than standard versions.

About the UC Davis Internet Tools CD

Sometimes it's hard to decide which software is right for you. IET researched what Internet software would best meet the needs of the campus, and put it on a CD.