These FAQs are for students enrolled in Art + Design degree programs (Digital Design, Fine Arts, Industrial Design, and Interior Design). Art + Design students will ultimately purchase the Architecture computer specification prior to the start of their sophomore year and should wait for the Fall 2009 specifications to be released.
2: Why don’t I need the computer for freshman year?
You don’t need your OWN computer for freshman year. There is a common foundation year for art + design first year students. Computer laboratories dedicated to students enrolled in particular courses are provided for the freshman level art + design classes. These computers are graphics-capable and have the software needed for completion of art + design freshman coursework.
3: Will I be able to have access to the labs outside of class time to complete my work?
Yes. The labs are open and available whenever the university is open. This includes 24/7 access most of the time. The labs are closed when the university is closed for holidays (e.g. Thanksgiving, Christmas).
4: Will I have continued and guaranteed access to the lab whenever I want to work?
No. These are shared computers. While we limit the number of classes assigned to any teaching lab in the art + design programs, they are not exclusive to a particular class. Over the past decade we have empirically determined that we can have multiple sections assigned to any one given laboratory and students still have opportunity to complete their assigned work in a timely manner. Students must also vacate the laboratory when a scheduled class is being held. Students should pack up and save their work when the instructor enters to set up for the class. On occasion, a meeting or presentation may require the use of a particular lab and students will not be able to work during those times. Students are NOT permitted to stay and work during any meeting, presentation, or class being held in the laboratory.
5: Students in studio can bring in food and drink around their computers to make it more like a home. Will we be able to do that in the lab?
No. Students take personal responsibility for accidentally spilling food or drink or damaging their personally owned computer in studio. They paid for their computers, they must fix them, and they must find a way to get their work done. The teaching laboratories are shared spaces and the equipment belongs to, and is maintained by, the school. As such, NJIT has to enforce strict protocol and make the best effort possible to create a situation in which students have the resources they need to complete their work.
6: Can I buy the freshman architecture computer and bring it into the lab?
You can buy one, but not bring it into the lab. Unlike a studio, you don’t control the space. It’s not your desk/table. And a desktop computer is too heavy to carry around. Students in art + design programs have lockers, but not dedicated studio space in the first year.
7: I want a computer for convenience even though I have access to the lab. What should I get?
If you want something in your residence hall room or at home, you have a few options. You can rely on the laboratory computers to get your graphic work done and use almost anything that meets the NJIT baseline specifications to complete the rest of your freshman coursework as well as email and entertainment. If you’ve been using a computer and it is still serviceable, you may want to push it for one more year. You will be able to use the laboratory computers to complete your NJIT-assigned coursework. This way, you purchase the new computer next year with the more advanced 2009 specifications. Alternatively, you may purchase the 2008 architecture computer (be careful to make sure that you purchase it through the NJIT Dell web portal ONLY to get the exact computer you would need for imaging when you get a dedicated studio). This is a desktop model that would remain in your dormitory or home during your first academic year. As such, we do NOT image it for your freshman year. Any software other than NJIT standard issue software is obtained, loaded, and maintained on your own. When you are assigned a studio in the future, you will bring in that computer and it will be imaged just like the students in the architecture program.
8: What are the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing the desktop model now instead of waiting a year?
Since the introduction of the personal computer more than twenty-five years ago, we have seen prices drop and quality improve every year. While the price of the architecture computer has been relatively stable, hovering just under $2,000, we have seen improvements in speed, storage, overall quality, display monitors, etc. every year. So if you wait one year, you will have the newest specified computer for the start of your studio work. Architecture students who are enrolled in a five-year program, sometimes find that they want to upgrade their machines after three of four years. Sometimes they change machines, sometimes they add RAM and hard drive capacity. By waiting a year you decrease the likelihood that upgrades will be needed during your undergraduate career. Furthermore, the standard warranty is 3 years - which means that you shouldn’t have to worry about service payments (assuming you complete the program in the remaining three year period). The sole disadvantage is one of convenience if you do not have other computer options for your dorm room or home.
Laptops are convenient - but not the standard equipment for professional graphics work. In offices and industry, laptops are most often used for presentations, traveling, and communication (and also personal entertainment). If you have a laptop that meets NJIT baseline specifications, then you may/should use that as your “spare” for your freshman year. If you purchase a laptop, keep in mind that you will still have to purchase the required desktop when your program begins the dedicated studio space aspect. Unlike desktop computers, laptops cannot be easily upgraded to accommodate graphic use. If you want to use your laptop for graphic work, you will spend more money than you would for a comparable desktop. And, like any computer not dedicated to a studio and tied into our network, you will have to provide your own software. We do not image any laptops at the School of Architecture for students in any of our programs. If you purchase an “NJIT” laptop, and you want to be able to run graphics software that you obtain on your own, you are strongly urged to upgrade to 4 GB RAM and a dedicated graphics card (instead of the integrated graphics accelerator included with some of the models). It is also suggested that you make sure that any hard drive you purchase with a laptop has a speed of 7200 RPM. You will find that the 5400 RPM hard drives cause a time lag that can lead to frustration when designing with graphic programs. But again, remember, the purchase of the laptop means that you will still have to purchase the desktop machine when you are given dedicated studio space. The value of the software provided to labs and dedicated studio machines generally exceeds the cost of the machine itself!
Please note that you are likely to see a number of architecture students carrying around laptops. These were purchased in addition to their studio computers. They are often used for convenience (email/entertainment/back-up digital storage). Sometimes students purchase one or two of the many applications they use in studio to give them an additional workstation when they try to get more work done at the end of a project. They are supplemental machines, not replacement computers.
10: If I purchase a laptop or a desktop, does it matter if I have XP or Vista installed?
No. Use whatever you find most convenient. If you are connecting to old peripherals at home or your residence hall room, you may want to stick with XP Professional (32-bit). Computers that receive our image for use in labs or studios are automatically given Vista (64-bit). The 64-bit operating system causes conflicts with some peripherals, but gives you access to more RAM and program-specific enhancements with professional software. When using a laptop or older computer - or your own software - these advantages may not be available anyway. Unless you are using an older computer just for email and web access, do not use “XP Home” as it does not support all attributes of the applications you may want to use. If you use Windows XP, use “XP Professional.”
