What are the Bucknell laptop recommendations?

Bucknell Laptop Recommendations 
 

This page provides guidance and direction for your laptop buying decision. It's designed to clarify that decision by providing you with all the information you need to make the choice that works well for you in your time at Bucknell.

We recognize that you have a tremendous number of choices for a laptop for school. You might already have a laptop that you used in high school. But now you need to know what you need at Bucknell.

If you have questions and you'd like to talk to us about some of your options, please call us at 570.577.7777 or email us at techdesk@bucknell.edu. 

Here are the main bullet points:

• If you're in the Freeman College of Management: buy a Windows laptop. There are specific courses and software that you'll be taking that will require a Windows computer.
• If you're buying a new laptop, Windows or Mac, we strongly recommend at least 8gb of RAM, 256gb of hard drive space, and a good warranty.  We don't have specific recommended models or manufacturers. This configuration will work fine for most people - Bmail, Google Workspace (Drive, Google Docs, Sheets), Office 365, streaming, WordPress, etc. Users of some engineering software like SolidWorks or AutoCad or other computer-intensive programs may opt for specs like 16gb of RAM and a 512gb hard drive. 
• We offer full software support on student laptops, but only limited hardware support on a case-by-case basis.
• We offer loaner laptops for all students who need extensive computer repairs.
• For more about warranty information, see this article.

Notes to consider:

• Standard laptop warranties are usually for only one year and do not include coverage for drops and spills. 
• Many laptop repairs, including those on nearly all MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models,  will need to be sent to the manufacturer. 

When to buy your laptop 

If you don't already have a laptop, we recommend waiting until June-July in order to take advantage of any Back-to-School offers from the manufacturer and to extend any warranty coverage as far as possible into your time at Bucknell. Have it shipped to your home.  

Answers to some of your Frequently Asked Questions

• Warranty and service information - vital details on how the support model varies, depending on which laptop you bring to campus
• What laptop should I buy for my major?
• What should I bring to campus? (and what should I leave at home?)
• Information for Faculty and Staff
• Back it up!

Shipping to campus: If you need to have your laptop shipped to your campus address, this is the address you'll need to use. You can find your Campus Box number  (C####) when you log into MyBucknell.

Student Name, Bucknell University, 701 Moore Avenue, C####, Lewisburg, PA 17837.