The Department of Art + Design Student Laptop Recommendation enables students to be better prepared and equipped for their studies in the Department of Art + Design. Apple Computer and the Department of Art + Design have collaborated jointly to offer students the following recommendation.
The Department of Art + Design does not require students to take advantage of the Apple laptop special, but it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. By purchasing the recommended laptop, you can be assured that your computer will be using the same version of software and will function as needed.
The department has negotiated the lowest Apple pricing for our recommended system and it is only available through the NU student portal at www.myneu.neu.edu. Only students who purchase a 15-inch MacBook Pro can participate in Apples Back to School promotion to receive a free iPod Touch. When placing an order on-line, please make sure that the 15-inch MacBook Pro and iPod Touch are on the same order to qualify.
Configuration and Pricing
The recommended laptop configuration for Art + Design students is described below.
- MacBook Pro
- 15-inch widescreen display
- 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
- 250GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
- SuperDrive 8X (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- AppleCare Protection Plan
- Backlit Keyboard (English) / User's Guide
- AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook Pro (w/or w/o Display) - Auto-enroll
To purchase this laptop, please visit www.myneu.neu.edu . Login and click on the Self-Service tab. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and choose the Northeastern University Apple Store link. Click on the only link that is in the new window that pops up. You will then be in the Northeastern University Apple Store. Click on the "Recommended Systems” icon on the upper right side of the page. Complete your purchase by following the purchasing instructions provided.
For any purchasing questions regarding these laptops, please contact Jerry Mortensen via email at jmortensen@apple.com.
Software Information and Options
There are several software packages recommended for Art + Design students. They can be purchased on-line at significant educational discounts through the links provided below.
Highly recommended software includes the Adobe Design Standard (v. 3.3) which includes: In Design, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Flash and Dreamweaver. Microsoft Office is not required, as you can do word processing in Adobe InDesign. However, you can purchase Microsoft Office and other software and hardware at discounted prices through a link on the myNeu Self Service tab.
For any purchasing questions regarding the Adobe Design Standard (v. 3.3), please contact Jonathan Williams, the CDW-G Higher Education Account Manager at jonathan.williams@cdwg.com or 1-866-743-5681.
Alternative solutions for Art + Design majors
1. Order the recommended MacBook Pro and additional software to run both Apple and Microsoft operating systems. Since Macintosh systems can run Windows XP or Vista, you can purchase additional software to enable multiple operating systems. The additional software needed to run Windows based applications include the purchase of Parallels and Vista software. Parallels should be purchased from the Software section under the Shop Mac menu bar of Northeastern University Apple Store website. The Apple Store can be accessed through the myNeu Self Service tab. Vista should be purchased from the E-Academy Northeastern University Store. Instructions for registering are available in the How to Register and Purchase from E-Academy Guide. Installation instructions for Parallels and Vista are provided in the Installing Parallels and Vista on Mac OS X . Parrallels will allow you to choose between the Mac OS X and Windows Vista operating systems.
Additionally you will need to purchase the Adobe Design Standard (v. 3.3) which includes: In Design, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Flash and Dreamweaver. Microsoft Office is not required, as you can do word processing in Adobe InDesign. However, you can purchase Microsoft Office and other software and hardware at discounted prices through the myNeu Self Service tab.
For any purchasing questions regarding the Adobe Design Standard (v. 3.3), please contact Jonathan Williams, the CDW-G Higher Education Account Manager at jonathan.williams@cdwg.com or 1-866-743-5681.
2. Order a similarly configured 15” Dell Inspiron laptop with an educational discount. For any purchasing questions regarding these laptops, please contact Dell Higher Education Account Executive, Shannon Boelter at Shannon_Boelter@dell.com or visit Dell's link for NU educational discounts through the myNeu Self Service tab.
3. Order the required software separately and install on an existing laptop that meets the minimum requirement standard of the recommended MacBook Pro. Purchase the Adobe Design Standard (v. 3.3) which includes: In Design, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Flash and Dreamweaver. Microsoft Office is not required, as you can do word processing in Adobe InDesign. However, you can purchase Microsoft Office and other software and hardware at discounted prices through the myNeu Self Service tab.
For any purchasing questions regarding the Adobe Design Standard (v. 3.3), please contact Jonathan Williams, the CDW-G Higher Education Account Manager at jonathan.williams@cdwg.com or 1-866-743-5681.
Technical Support
Your Macbook Pro will be provided with a standard NU account to access Mac applications and the myNEU Portal. It will be wireless ready. Printing is available at the NU Snell Library InfoCommons and Department of Art + Design Computer Labs. For technical support you can contact your friendly Apple representatives on campus.
- John Sullivan: heyjohnsullivan@mac.com
You can also contact your friendly department representative:
- Ken Fye: k.fye@neu.edu
For information on the Department of Art + Design Computer Labs, please visit our Computers Labs and our Electronic Studio Support Forum.