Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences


WCAS NU

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Purchasing Hardware

Click here to see WeinbergIT printer recommendations.

To provide staff and faculty with the maximum choice of computing hardware, while providing world-class support, WCAS funds may only be used to purchase Dell, Lenovo, or Apple brand computers. These purchases must meet the minimum hardware and operating system standards listed below.

All computers purchased within Weinberg must

  1. be purchased from Dell, Lenovo (formerly IBM), or Apple, and
  2. meet or exceed the following minimum standards

New purchase minimum hardware standard

  • Dual processor 1.2 GHZ*
  • 2 GB of RAM
  • 60 GB disk
  • All computers must have an Ethernet port or an external Ethernet adapter
  • Required 3 year hardware warranty

* The Latitude 2100, the only exception to the minimum hardware standards, is a small, low-powered netbook model designed for portability and basic computing tasks such as web browsing and e-mail. It may not be adequate for more demanding software use. If you have any questions about whether this model will meet your computing needs, please contact your WeinbergIT representative.

New purchase operating system standard

  • Windows XP Professional 32-bit* 
  • Mac OS X v10.6
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5

* Some vendors are no longer offering new computers with Windows XP.  In these cases Windows 7 may be purchased. WeinbergIT will install a licensed version of Windows XP on all new computers.  Please see our Purchasing/Updating Software page for more information.

How to purchase

Dell, Apple and CDWG (for Lenovo) stores are available through the iBuyNU Marketplace.

Current pricing for standard configurations. You will need a valid NetID to see this page.

You should not purchase MS Office with a new computer. MS Office is included in the WeinbergIT Software Image; WeinbergIT maintains a Microsoft Office (Windows and Mac) license agreement for all faculty/staff of the College.

What if I have special requirements not listed above?

  • Contact your WeinbergIT support person for supported RAID configurations.
  • If your research needs require special hardware, please consult Ruth Reingold (1-2746; reingold@northwestern.edu) prior to purchase.

All standards will be reviewed at least twice per year.