Laptop Requirements
-------------------

The following courses have a requirement that all students have laptops:

* CSC2
* CSC3
* Honours

Specification
=============

.. note:: We highly recommend that students enrolled in Computer Science courses, particularly at the second, third year, and postgraduate levels, invest in a laptop with a 64-bit AMD64-compatible processor to ensure compatibility with the software tools needed for Computer Science courses. Examples of suitable 64-bit processors include those from Intel, such as the Intel Core i3, i5, and i7, and those from AMD, such as the AMD Ryzen and AMD A-Series.

.. warning:: Devices with ARM processors, such as those used in Apple's M1 and M2-based laptops, tablets, smartphones, Chromebooks, and Raspberry Pi may not be compatible with the software used in Computer Science courses and are therefore **not recommended**. X32 based processors such as those used in older or low-end netbooks and laptops are also not suitable. 

.. warning:: It is crucial for students to verify that a device meets these system requirements before making a purchase.


Recommended Specification
+++++++++++++++++++++++++

To ensure versatility and best performance we highly recommend the following specification.


.. csv-table::

   "Processor/CPU", "Intel Core i5"
   "RAM/Memory", "8 GB"
   "Disk/Storage", "2 TB hard disk (or smaller solid-state disk (SSD) with external hard disk)"
   "Screen", "11 inches or larger"

Minimum Specification
+++++++++++++++++++++

.. warning:: The following specification is the minimum hardware required to do this course. Lower specification hardware will hinder your ability to undertake the work in this course.

.. note:: While adequate, this specification will make it difficult to perform multiple tasks concurrently, and to run a separate operating system in a virtualization environment. We highly recommend that where possible you purchase a laptop which meets the **recommended** specification.

.. csv-table:: 

   "Processor/CPU", "Intel Core i3"
   "RAM/Memory", "4 GB"
   "Disk/Storage", "250 GB hard disk (or smaller solid-state disk (SSD) with external hard disk)"
   "Screen", "11 inches or larger"