Computer for engineering freshmen

Colleges & Universities Vanderbilt University
1

<p>The specs for the required engineering laptop computer include both a wired ethernet connection and a DVD drive. Our son will be bringing a high powered laptop that – following the trend – has neither. He could buy external devices that provide both through a USB connection, but I wonder if that is necessary. </p>

<p>So my questions are:

  1. Is the wireless network on campus sufficiently high quality and ubiquitous that a wired ethernet connection will never be necessary? Are there any wireless dead spots, such as in some dorm rooms? Such as in, say, a room in Gillette that is way off in the corner, and is separated from the next closest student room by stairs, two bathrooms, and a couple of storage rooms?
  2. Will our son have to use engineering software that can only be installed on the computer through a DVD?</p>
2

<p>An ethernet cable is cheap. Even if they don’t need it, it’s nice to have just in case. We bought an external DVD drive just in case. Again, maybe not needed but it was $28. Now I see it is $32. I would guess that most software can be downloaded. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Portable-External-SE-218CB-RSBS/dp/B00DBV28TG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1407350939&sr=1-1&keywords=external+dvd+drive”>http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Portable-External-SE-218CB-RSBS/dp/B00DBV28TG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1407350939&sr=1-1&keywords=external+dvd+drive&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Microsoft Office is free for Vandy students on the Software Store web site.</p>

<p><a href=“Login to it.vanderbilt.edu | Vanderbilt University”>https://it.vanderbilt.edu/software-store/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Thanks for the info about the free MS Office. Wish that the Engineering page about computer requirements had noted that – would have saved us $100+.</p>

4

<p>As a general rule, you can usually get Office at a discount (or free) with a university email address. Sorry you found out the hard way.</p>

5

<p>Cheapest we could find online for someone with an .edu address was over $100.</p>

6

<p>In three years of engineering, I have never needed an ethernet cable or DVD drive. It did take me 6 hours to download a large software package over wireless, so.</p>

7

<p>S used in an ethernet cable in his dorm room for better conductivity. The wireless is good, but would drop out once in awhile in his room location. He used the DVD drive to play CDs for one of his music classes.</p>

<p>I would say neither one is required, but nice to have.</p>