Computer Requirement
All Studio Art & Design students will need to purchase a laptop computer. This allows students to work seamlessly on their own computer in studio classes and computer labs.
The preferred computer platform is Apple Macintosh however Windows based laptops are acceptable.
The minimum specifications for a laptop are:
- Screen of 15” or larger
- 1.5GHZ or faster processor speed
- 1GB RAM or greater
- 60 Gigabyte or larger Hard Drive
- CD-RW Drive ( or DVD-RW for students intent on creating video artworks)
- Mac OSX 10.4 or 10.5 for Macintosh computers and Windows XP Pro operating system for Windows based computers.
- Wireless Access Capability (802.11g or faster)
Both Apple and Windows based laptops can be purchased at the FSU Computer Store or through any outside vendor. FSU students DO receive a “student discount” at the FSU Computer Store. Additionally the Computer Store offers equipment/software bundles at discount pricing. For more information visit the Computer Store site at: http://www.fsucs.com/
Currently (2009), all Macintosh and most Windows based laptops meet or exceed the minimum requirements for use by Art students. Generally, when considering the purchase of a laptop for Art class work the student should attempt to match the capabilities of the computer with the likely requirements for the desired courses. Some courses require more computer power than others. For example, video and animation courses require computers with large hard drives, fast processors and a maximum amount of memory (RAM).
Additional needs include:
- Full-sized mouse or Wacom tablet (trackpads make drawing difficult)
- External hard drive or large flash drive for storage.
- Software: Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe and other brands of software are also available at discount prices at the FSU Computer Store.
Recommended resources:
- For all students: Digital camera ( moderate resolution ~7mp)
- For 3D Animation courses: AutoDesk's Maya 8.5
- For Video courses: Apple's Final Cut Pro and a DVmini camcorder
- For Special Effects: Apple's Shake & Adobe's After Effects
Computer Requirement Specifications [pdf]