Department
of
Engineering
College
of
Engineering and
T
echnol
ogy
216
Slay
Building
l
Mail Stop 117
l
East
Carolina University
l
Greenville, NC
27858-4353
252-737-1026
office
l
252-737-1041
fax
l
www
.engineering.ecu.edu
East Carolina University is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina. An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
Computer Requirements
All engineering students are required to have a laptop computer meeting the specifications found on
ECU’s PirateTechs website: https://itcs.ecu.edu/student-computer-requirements/. For
Engineering, a Windows PC with support for OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) graphics is highly
recommended. It is sometimes difficult to determine support for Open GL in computer ads, but most
newer computers will work fine. We recommend getting at least 4 Gb RAM, as we have found that
additional RAM is more important than processor speed in a computer’s performance with graphics-
intensive applications.
We do not require a specific brand of computer but strongly advise students to consider purchasing a Dell
or Lenovo computer through ECU’s Dowdy Student Stores. There are several advantages of buying your
computer at ECU. Repair work, including warranty repairs, can be done on-site, with loaner computers
available. The Dell and Lenovo computers which have been chosen are reliable and well-built, and the
prices include a three-year warranty and three-year accidental damage coverage. When comparing prices,
be sure to consider the warranty and damage protection coverage and consider the inconvenience of
having to return a computer to the manufacturer for warranty service.
While some students prefer to purchase Apple computers, most Engineering employers will use PCs, so it
is to YOUR benefit to be familiar with a PC upon graduation. Also, please be aware that most
engineering programs (in particular SolidWorks) can run ONLY on Windows operating systems.
Therefore, students with Apple computers are required to download a Windows OS (available for
free as a student) and install it so that the computer can be booted with either the Mac or Windows
OS (note that using an emulator is NOT the same as the dual boot capability.). We recommend
Apple computers only for students who are extremely computer-savvy, as all engineering faculty use
Windows computers and are therefore limited in the assistance that we can provide to Apple users. If you
choose to purchase an Apple laptop and run into problems, the Engineering faculty may not be able to
help you.
When buying your computer, remember to get a padded carrying case (you will be taking your computer
to classes often) and an inexpensive USB mouse. Consider getting a printer; you can probably share one
with your roommate.
Regarding software requirements, there are a number of packages students will be required to have, but
almost all are available at no cost to ECU students through a central software portal. Some of the
required packages that are available at no cost include: WinMicrosoft Office suite, MATLAB (a powerful
mathematics and graphing program) and SolidWorks (an Engineering graphics program). The bottom
line is don’t buy any software unless directed to do so by a faculty member for a class!
.
