Recommended ICT Equipment

Desktops | Notebooks | Internet/Personal Tablets | Redeployed Equipment | Peripherals

Desktops

The table below defines the recommended desktop PC specifications that are available to staff who wish to purchase a new computer.

The PC specifications above are designed to be suitable for almost all of the Universities requirements.  If you feel that you require a different specification please contact us to discuss your request.

Please note: All new desktop quotes will include a 5 year on-site next business day warranty, which is a University requirement and this cannot be removed.

Notebooks

Due to the wide variety of options available in the notebook range it is difficult to list specific recommendations.  If you are interested in purchasing a notebook please e-mail isa-ds@aston.ac.uk with the following information:

• Expected Use
  Please tell us what you plan to use the notebook for, what software you plan to use and where you plan on using it.

• Your Budget
  Please specifiy if this includes or excludes VAT.

If possible it would also be useful if you can provide either of the following:

• Required Specification
  As many details as possible from the following list:

  • Screen Size and Type

  • Weight

  • Processor Speed

  • Memory

  • Graphics

  • Hard Disk Size and Type

  • Optical Drive (CD/DVD/Blu-Ray)

  • Any other specific requirements

OR

• Preferred Model (if you have one)
  We may be able to provide the exact model notebook you want if it is available through one of the University approved suppliers.  If not then we will quote for an alternative model with the closest match to the model you requested.

Once we have this information we will contact all the University approved suppliers with your requirements and pass on the quotes when they arrive.

If you plan to use a notebook for long periods of time ISA recommends purchasing a monitor, keyboard and mouse to connect to it to help avoid the risk of back pain.

Please note: All new notebook quotes will include at least a 3 year on-site next business day warranty, which is a University requirement and this cannot be removed.

Internet/Personal Tablets

If you wish to purchase an internet/personal tablet please read our purchasing guidelines before contacting ISA with your requirements.  Due to the fast development of these products we do not currently recommend a specific tablet.

Redeployed Equipment

The table below defines the minimum specification of PC (desktop or notebook) that ISA will deploy to staff through the University's ‘Redeployment & Disposal of IT Equipment Policy’.

The above PC specifications are suitable for running Microsoft Office 2010, standard productivity tools (e.g. Adobe Reader), other basic software and browsing the internet.  It is recommended that you run only a few applications at a time.

Peripherals

For IT consumables (e.g. USB Flash drives and external hard drives under £100) it is not necessary to contact ISA for a quotation.  For any other equipment or if you are unsure please contact your support team for advice.