Frequently Asked Questions
$1499 is a lot of money. Why can't I buy $399 laptop that I saw at Best Buy?
You can. As long as a machine meets our minimum requirements, IT will assist you in getting it connected to the network. However, make sure that your computer is reliable, with a four year warranty including accidental protection. Also bear in mind that students purchasing computers on their own will not benefit from our loaner pool and will be responsible for purchasing their own software upgrades.
I've seen the same laptop for sale for $1,200. Why is yours more?
In order to make sure that the laptop that we recommend to our students lasts for four years and provides them with the best possible experience, we’ve added a fourth year warranty with accidental damage protection to our recommended configuration. We’ve also added Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise Edition to the base configuration. These two options are almost never included by default at other vendors that sell this laptop.
What software is included on the laptop?Antivirus software with four years of updates
Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise Edition, which includes the following components:
- Access 2007
- Excel 2007
- OneNote 2007
- Outlook 2007
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- PowerPoint 2007
- Publisher 2007
- Word 2007
- More!
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Why HP? Why not Dell?Westminster College uses a combination of Dell and HP computers on campus. For our laptop purchase program, we’ve continued to use HP 6515B as the laptop of choice due to its good price, wide features set and reliability.
Why do you not offer a desktop?
With a campus wide wireless network and students always on the go, Westminster encourages students to opt for a laptop computer over a desktop.
Why aren't Macintosh computers included?
Westminster College does not receive special pricing for Apple hardware, so there are no savings and no benefits that we can pass along to you that you aren’t able to get on your own by visiting the Apple web site.
Do I have to buy the Westminster College recommended computer?
The computer we recommend is only a suggestion. If you decide to go it alone, make sure that your selection meets some minimum qualifications:
- 1.8 GHz or faster processor, dual-core.
- 60 GB hard drive
- 2 GB RAM
- DVD and/or CD/DVD burner
- Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista Business. “Home” editions of Windows are not supported on our network.