Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science provides computer labs with fully supported Windows and Linux machines running instructor specified software and engineering applications, and a lot of other tools and applications useful to our students.

If you are a student looking into purchasing a machine for school, there are a couple things to keep in mind.

Generally, we recommend that students get a good general purpose laptop that will be suitable for writing, reading, (re-)viewing recorded lectures and note taking. We suggest that you look for a screen size and resolution that will be comfortable for long sessions, to help minimize eye strain. If you prefer a smaller laptop, many users find it helpful to have a larger secondary monitor at home. In that vein, keyboard and trackpad/mouse combinations are important as well, as they will be what you use to interface with your computer a majority of the time. In short, if you can not see yourself working on the machine for at least the length of a lecture or two, do not consider it.

Computer hardware changes fast so the most important thing is to prioritize the longevity of your system.  Try to direct your funds into parts that aren’t easy to replace or upgrade, especially ones that are system critical.  The longer your system stays relevant the better off you will be. Try to purchase something that will be usable, and effective at least two years in the future.

Another important point is warranty, your budget should allow for as much extended warranty coverage as you can afford. In the case that something overheats, fails, or is broken, your best bet is to contact the manufacturer/seller. Be careful when buying, as some companies will only service machines on specific Operating Systems, and/or in certain conditions.

If your intention is Computer Science, then whatever you are using for your local operating system, your school work will need to function on MCECS college systems. This will usually be explained in your syllabi or by your instructors. At the very least: get PuTTy for your Windows systems, and-or learn how to use terminal sessions on your Macs and Linux systems.

Note: if you have any questions about prospective computers, or interfacing with MCECS systems, you can always contact us at support@cat.pdx.edu

If your intention is one of the Engineering fields (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Computer, etc.) and you are still determined to acquire a system optimized for your MCECS studies: you are advised to wait until you talk to your instructors before committing to a purchase of a system intended to run course related applications. Make sure that you look at specifications of the software you would like to run and if it conflicts with any other uses/software you might need.

Note: if you are planning on buying a machine to run specific software

• Some of the application versions you may be able to get as a student may not be identical to what the instructors are using for the course.
• Some of the applications are not free.
• Some of the applications are free to students.
•  Some applications will only run on very specific platforms or operating system versions.