Devices

Computers, Software & Equipment that Work With Your Courses

Hardware

*Note; the following specifications are based on an average desired school experience.

• Processor – i3 through i7 Intel processors (recommended i5 or i7 series) or AMD Ryzen 2000/3000 series
• RAM – 16 GB
• Hard Drive – 256GB or larger solid-state drive (SSD) (recommended 500 GB or more)
• Operating System – Latest Windows or Apple OS
• Backup Device – External hard drive and/or USB Flash Drive
• Additional Computer Features –
  • Internal or external webcam device 
  • Built-in microphone or external headset 
  • WiFi enabled internet
• Warranty – Pay close attention to any details that your warranty may require and what it covers. 

Ordering Through Retailers

• Dell University Store 
• Apple store
• Best Buy (Deals can be found before the fall semester)

Note UMA does not endorse any specific brand of computer or device. These links are suggestions to get you started.

Some important advice:

• Many computer vendors offer student discounts or educational pricing. Make sure you ask for this when purchasing a device.
• Many employers provide discounted purchasing of computer equipment. Check with your employer.

Varying Computer Requirements

*Students in the academic programs listed below will likely have different computer specification needs. 

Consulting with the Academic Program Coordinator or the student’s Faculty Advisor prior to purchasing is strongly recommended:

• Art
• Architecture
• Computer Information Systems
• Undergraduate Cybersecurity Program Computer Requirements
• Data Science
• Dental Hygiene
• Music
• Nursing

Software

Suggested Web Browsers

Latest versions of:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Edge (Automatically on PC only)
• Safari (Automatically on Mac only)

*Google Chrome will have the smoothest experience with Brightspace and browser based Zoom conferences.

Microsoft Office 365 (NO COST!)

Microsoft offers their Office 365 suite of programs to faculty, staff, and students of higher education institutions, this includes UMA. Please visit the Office 365 Page and follow instructions there to download the Microsoft Applications for offline usage.

Digital Storage

Online Storage and/or backup for important documents (ex: Google Drive, One Drive, iCloud)

Remote Access VPN

A Remote Access Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a tool for faculty, staff, and students of the University of Maine System to establish a secure connection to the University network from off-campus. The Remote Access VPN service is most useful when needing to access UMS information systems and/or services from off-site. Common examples of resources that require VPN access include:

• Access from outside US
• Campus file servers
• UMA Remote Labs

Select lab computers are also available remotely 24 hours a day. You can visit UMA Remote Labs directly when your VPN is active to use a computer specially created for university browsing. 

Lab computers are intended for academic use, and you’ll need your University credentials in order to log on. For all other VPN questions, especially students outside the U.S., please contact the University of Maine at Augusta’s IT department at 621-7400.

Mobile

Keeping up with the latest operating system releases is extremely important for stable mobile app usage. Please refer to the Pulse App page to download the app for mobile education assistance.

There will be some videos, documents, and pop-ups that will not populate on a mobile device. Note this when using the Pulse App or trying to access anything your professor assigns you.