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Student Computer Requirement

Western Carolina University strives to ensure that students have access to the highest quality education, taking maximum advantage of the changes in information and communications technologies. All newly admitted degree-seeking undergraduate students are required to have an appropriate, networkable computer. read the entire requirement here

Information on purchasing computers and software is available here.

Laptops vs. Desktops

Laptops and desktops each have their own benefits although, based on current student trends, WCU strongly recommends that incoming students bring laptops to assist in group work and collaborative learning activities.

Why Office Student/Teacher and not one of the other versions
(Small Business, Microsoft Works, etc.)?

All of Western's labs and electronic classrooms have the Professional version loaded onto their computers. This means that when a student works in an electronic classroom or uses one of our labs they can take most of their work back to their room and work on the document or print it from their personal computer.

Why Windows XP Professional and not Windows XP Home?

Windows XP Home is a consumer product and has limited networking capability. This means it is meant to function in a home network environment or a small business with a limited number of computers in a network. Western’s ResNet is an enterprise level network that has over 3000 computers in its network. (This number does not reflect Faculty and Staff computers!) Also, Windows XP Home’s limited networking capability will hinder students from accessing services that will be added to our network in the near future.