Purchasing a Personal Computer

In the market for a new personal computer? As a member of the Emerson College community, you're eligible for a discount! That includes students, staff, and faculty.

If you have any questions about a purchase, call us at 617-824-8080 or email helpdesk@emerson.edu, and we'll be glad to help!

Purchasing for Students

Unless you are enrolling in the Journalism CreativityKit program, Emerson College does not solely endorse either Windows or macOS for student use. Since both have advantages and disadvantages, Emerson IT recommends that students purchase whatever system they are most comfortable using unless directed otherwise by their academic department.

Some courses require the purchase of additional hardware, such as portable hard drives. Emerson IT provides 100GB of Google Drive storage space for all students. We also provide software such as the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite and Microsoft Office.

Below are a few general requirements for purchasing a new computer:

• We recommend a minimum of 16 GB RAM and 256 SSD. More is always better.
• Windows 11 is required for windows computers and we recommend the latest version of Mac OSX (Sonoma as of update of this article)
• Any new computer should be Wi-Fi capable and support our wireless network. If you're bringing an older computer, you should ensure that it supports a WPA2 Enterprise wireless connection!
• If you plan on editing videos, the more RAM and higher processor speed will be beneficial.
• Be sure to purchase a laptop with a built-in camera and microphone, or purchase a webcam if you have a desktop computer for video conferencing.
• Windows computers connecting to Emerson's network are required to have anti-virus software installed. Windows Defender is free and well regarded, and now comes preinstalled from Microsoft with Windows 11. You can read more about Anti-Virus protection and maintenance at Basic Computer Maintenance. 

Where to Purchase

Students, faculty, and staff of Emerson College can purchase a full range of computer products for personal use at special academic pricing in several ways. Many companies offer an educational discount that you will qualify for.

Purchasing for Faculty & Staff - Home Use

It can sometimes be difficult to know what to purchase to make your home setup work the best for you. Below we provided a variety of suggested items that our faculty and staff can purchase for themselves to help configure their home systems.

Laptops and Desktops

Emerson College has a list of standard models that we purchase at the college for employee use. Some have found that these models are also ideal for home use. To view the current list of standards for employees including hardware details, read Computer & Tech Purchasing for Staff & Faculty.

Cables & Adapters

If you already have a monitor or multiple monitors and wish to connect them using cables or adapters, please use the guide below.

First, you need to determine the type of port/connection you have on both your computer and your monitor. Look at your computer and determine which of the ports pictured below matches your computer. Next, you'll need to determine the type of port that matches your monitor (click on the port below that matches your computer and you'll be taken to a list of possible monitor ports).

HDMI

VGA

DVI

DisplayPort

Docking Stations

Some computers have limited ports, but users seek to use either multiple monitors or have available ports for flash drives, wired printer connections, or other configurations. A docking station may be the way to go.

Dell Docking Station WD-19 Ethernet port (3) USB-A 3.0 ports (2) DisplayPort HDMI port (2) USB-C ports
CalDigit TS3 Plus for Mac - Thunderbolt 3 Connectivity SD Card reader (4) USB-C ports (5) USB-A ports Ethernet port DisplayPort Audio 3.3 mm port