Any free software from UCSD for students?

JTC591
Wed, 27 May 2009 01:42:19 +0000

Like many incoming freshman, I’m buying a laptop soon. I have a few basic questions regarding the decision.

1. I’m leaning towards a Mac right now (13 inch silver Macbook), but I’m a bioengineering: biotechnology major. I’m unaware of this being a very computer-intensive major, but are there classes I would have to take requiring a Window program (here’s the curriculum: http://be.ucsd.edu/undergraduate/programs/majors/biotechnology/curriculum)? I’m going for reliability so Mac seems to be the way to go.

2. I don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars for software. I know other colleges have this, but would it be possible to download software legally that UCSD has purchased through being a student? Ideally I would be able to set everything up over the summer without physically going to UCSD.

3. This is more unrelated, but how common is laptop theft? Obviously I plan to carry a cable lock but is the crime rate high? This may factor into how nice of a laptop I get.