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Technology


Bringing Your Own Laptop

Minimum Recommended Configuration

If you would like to bring your own laptop to Vermont Law School, here's the minimum recommended configuration. These recommendations are prerequisites for incident support from our Technology Help Desk.

  • Processor: Intel or AMD multi-core processor
  • Memory: 2GB (3GB for Windows 7)
  • Operating Systems: Windows XP with Service Pack 3 installed, or Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate
    ** About Vista: The VLS IT department does NOT recommend Windows Vista. You may purchase a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate for $35 from the help center. You may install it yourself, or pay a fee of $60/hr for the Help Desk to install it for you.
  • Hard drive:
    • 160 GB internal hard drive - AND
    • 500 GB external hard drive for data backups
  • Anti-Virus Software: You need to be running fully updated anti-virus software such as Symantec or McAfee before connecting to our network. If you do not have this, it is available to you free of charge from the VLS IT Department (you must be on campus to install it from our network).
  • Network Adapter: 802.11b/g or 802.11b/g/n wireless card
  • Applications: The following software is available from our Help Desk at a cost of $35 per product once you arrive. You may install it yourself, or pay a fee of $30 to have it installed for you. This software is licensed and available to Vermont Law School students, at media pricing (the cost is just to cover the media it's on):

    • Windows XP Professional, SP3
    • Windows 7 Ultimate (32-bit and 64-bit versions)
    • Microsoft Office 2007 for PC
    • Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac
    • WordPerfect X4

    How to obtain this software

    To purchase this software, visit the Technology department on campus. Just provide the Technology department with a valid student ID - you will receive the CD/DVD(s) and your student account will be billed for the amount.

Mac Users

Although Windows is the recommended and most fully supported operating system at VLS and within the legal community, we have and make every effort to support Macintosh computer users at the law school. You will find that many of the services we offer are available through a web browser, and do not require running Windows. As we do with PC's on campus, the Technology support staff will help whenever possible. In spite of the Technology department's commitment to supporting Macintosh, some vendors and business applications do not support Macintosh. These are some of the services that are still available only to Windows users on campus:

  • Network printing
  • Computer exam completion
    • Some professors allow students to complete exams using a laptop and special software.
    • You may use BootCamp to install Windows on your Macbook in order to use the exam software.
    Some services that are available to Mac OSX users are:

    • Access to E-Mail
    • Access to Network Files
    • Wireless Internet Connectivity