Read the Campus Recommended Computer Specs
These recommendations detail how fast your computer should be, how much disk space you need, and related specifications.

Choose a Mac or PC?
Both should meet your word processing, spreadsheet, and Internet needs, and both are supported by the campus. For faculty and staff: When buying a computer for personal or university use, please check with your department's technology support staff to help determine whether you should buy a Mac or PC, and to decide which systems you might want. Students: We suggest you check with your major department to see if they recommend one type over the other.

Obtain Financial Aid to Buy a Computer
The Financial Aid Office can help financial aid students who need funds to buy a computer. Read more at the office's Web site.

Buy Equipment on Campus
The university has negotiated with computer companies to provide competitively priced computer packages that meet or exceed the campus recommended specifications. The TechHub computer shop, inside the UC Davis Bookstore in the Memorial Union, also carries PCs, Macs, desktops, portables, and various computer accessories. Learn more at (530) 752-1945, drop by the store, or visit http://bookstore.ucdavis.edu/techhub/.

What Is Site-Licensed Software?
Site-licensed software lets a vendor restrict the use of software by physical location, rather than by individual purchase. The license authorizes a site, in our case UC Davis, to use a product for the campus community; the vendor, contract and campus define what that community is. UC Davis negotiates this type of license (as well as other types) to offer software products to campus.

Some software licensed this way, such as Sophos Anti-Virus, is free to campus students, staff, and faculty. Other site licenses, such as those for several Systat Inc. products, offer campus users a discount.

Where Can I Obtain Software?
Several resources can help you obtain software through UC Davis. Students, staff and faculty can acquire site-licensed software for free or at a discount at the campus Software License Coordination Web site, which offers a variety of software via download.

Discounted software is available from the TechHub store inside the UC Davis Bookstore. TechHub carries many software titles for Macs and PCs, plus academic versions of most software, and might charge less than commercial vendors. To learn more, visit the store, call (530) 752-1945, or visit its Web site. Software for personal use can be purchased from campus reseller SHI via eAcademy.

Staff and faculty can also make departmental purchases through SHI; go to http://www.ships.shi.com/go/ucdavis.

How Can I Download Shareware and Freeware?
On the Internet, you can find software programs that include:

• Freeware: This software is free, but the author keeps the copyright. You cannot do anything with it that is not expressly allowed by the author. Usually this means you can use it, but not sell it.
  Examples: Firefox, Audacity, AIM (messaging programs).
• Shareware: This software is free for trial use, but the author often requests a small fee if you keep and use the program. In return, you get documents, technical support and updated versions.
  Examples: Winzip, CuteFTP, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, Nero, etc.

Many variations of software are available. Some programs can be downloaded for free, but display an advertising banner until you pay for the software. Others will let you download a basic program for free, but expect you to pay for a full version. Carefully read the documentation before downloading, so you know what kind of program you are getting.

To find shareware or freeware, you can:

• Use a search engine such as Yahoo or Google.
• Go to the Web page of the company that manufactures the software. If the software is shareware or freeware, you should be able to download it there. If you are just searching for a particular type of freeware or shareware, try www.download.com/.

You can often find downloadable updates to non-shareware/freeware software programs on the vendor's home page.