Longwood University Art Department

Overview

In Fall of 1998 Longwood implemented an aggressive student laptop program. From this date forward all Freshmen were required to have a laptop computer at Longwood. There were many reasons for this decision. There was an increasing need for a tool for word processing, spreadsheets, and databases, the Internet had been established as a valuable tool for research, and many new and exciting forms of communication were available through technology. Insuring that each student have unlimited access to this exciting world of technology promised a more competent student body.

The Longwood/Dell Partnership:

In an effort to provide a resource to students and parents and consistent support on campus, Longwood formed a partnership with Dell Corporation. Dell is a proven leader in technology offering consistency in quality, service, delivery, payment options, and technology. Each semester, Longwood, in collaboration with Dell, chooses configurations for the Longwood/Dell laptop. These laptops ship complete with the software that Longwood supports preloaded and network drivers already installed that will allow users to plug in their computer and begin working without delay.

What this means for Art Students

Certainly in the world of Graphic Design, the Apple Macintosh is the platform of choice. While obviously a generalization, often artists prefer the Macintosh because of its design, friendly interface, and ease of use. Longwood University's graphic design lab is a Mac lab, and most of the faculty in the department use the Macintosh. Obviously this is at odds with the University's Dell/laptop program.

We have had many students say they wished they had bought a Mac instead of the Dell. Our department agrees, and we recommend that students planning on studying in the art department, particularly in Graphic Design and Photography,purchase an Apple Macintosh laptop. There are positives and negatives to this.

Positives

• Students will have the ability to work on their laptop on class projects, when the lab is not open or is unavailable because a class is being held.
• The Macintosh can do anything the Dell can do. Email, Internet, Powerpoint, Word and Excel. It also works best with the graphic software.
• The Macintosh is much less vulnerable to viruses.
• As an Art major, you will use your Apple more than you would use your Dell.

Negatives

• You have to purchase your Apple, and the software, and there is little tech support on campus.
• Some of the software is more expensive than the basic Dell laptop is loaded with.

The bottom line is this. If you have a desktop computer, or laptop which you will bring to campus, keep it. If you are going to purchase a laptop for College, and you know you are going to be an Art Major, buy a Mac. Art History concentratees can use either.

If I want to buy a Mac, what would you recommend?

This question is common, and needs to be considered by each student who comes to Longwood. Your first consideration: Laptop or Desktop? Then what model of laptop or desktop should you purchase?

Laptops are portable, powerful, and convenient. However, they are easier to damage or have stolen, the battery can run down, and the screen tends to be small. The touch-pad some find annoying. The desktop screen is larger, the desktop doesn't have a battery issue, and is more convenient with peripherals such as scanners and printers. They are not portable.

Here are your considerations as an Art major. You will not use your computer in most art classes. There is no internet, or wireless in the Art Building, and many of the courses are not computer orientedÑdrawing, painting,crafts,ceramics for example. You will use your computer freshman year for other classes, english for example, for research, emailing, internet use, and games if that is what you enjoy. Certainly you will use your computer for art classes all four years.

We recommend, whichever choice you make, that you buy as much computer as you can afford. The following computers will do just fine for students concentrating in Graphic Design or Photography, and anything above these will of course be fine as well.

See the sidebar for hardware and software recommendations with links to purchase.