We urge each of our incoming students to purchase an Apple MacBook Pro laptop. A MacBook Pro is essential for students interested in processor-intense programs such as video editing, animation, motion graphics, and 3D design/modeling, but is also an industry standard for video production, video editing, and video post-production.. A laptop allows great flexibility for student learning and working.
Educational discounts are available from apple.com (http://store.apple.com/us/mac/education).
Like many other art schools, Marshall University’s College of Arts and Media has been an Apple computing facility for many years and our digital classrooms are 100% outfitted with Apple computers. Consistency between computer operating systems allows for a more cohesive learning environment wherein faculty and students can engage with the same equipment while teaching software and methodology occurs.
Apple computers have traditionally been the tools of choice among artists, providing a platform of creativity long before any other computer manufacturer thought about their needs. However, in the last few years, Windows systems have become more versatile for artistic applications, so if you would prefer to purchase a computer that runs Windows operating systems, that is also an option but this may sometimes cause some compatibility and software availability issues.
Software
Adobe Creative Cloud
- We are proud to provide our video production majors free cloud access to Adobe Creative Cloud, a major cost savings to our students.
- Students can have two concurrent installations on their personal computers, along with software access on Marshall digital lab computers. (http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/buy/students.html).
Microsoft Office 365 Education for Students
- is available for no cost to students through Marshall University IT Services.
Other
- Many powerful software programs are pre-installed on digital lab computers in the Visual Arts Center labs.
- Other programs can be found at https://www.marshall.edu/it/services/availablesoftware/
Note: These recommendations are further broken down into minimum and preferred. computer hardware is constantly evolving so these recommendations and any noted pricing are current as of this writing and suggestions – they can quickly become outdated with a major hardware release. Although expensive, it often makes long-term sense to purchase as much computing power as one can afford as this will help avoid the unfortunate slide of technological obsolescence.
Minimum MacBook Pro 2020 Specifications
-
- 2.6GHz 6-Core Processor
- 1TB Storage – This refers to the internal laptop storage – this is not upgradable in the Macbook Pro after purchase. 2TB is recommended. This can be quite expensive, so external storage can also be purchased as an alternative. (see below)
- 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory – Upgrade to 32GB for maximum performance and longer life for laptop
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M
- 16-inch Retina display with True Tone – a smaller screen does not offer enough screen space when working with the visually dependent programs we use
- ~$2,399*
- Warranty Apple Care+ (adds ~$303.00 to costs)
- For a limited time, save 20% on AppleCare+. This education price is valid only when AppleCare+ is purchased at the same time as your Mac.
Preferred MacBook Pro 2020 Specifications
- 2.4GHz 8‑core 9th‑generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz (or faster)
- 1TB SSD storage internal hard drive – This refers to the internal laptop storage – this is not upgradable after the purchase so it’s best to purchase as much storage as one could afford. 2TB is recommended but this can be quite expensive so external storage can also be purchased, see below)
- 32GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory – (upgrade to 64GB for maximum performance and longer life for laptop)
- AMD Radeon Pro 5500M
- 16-inch Retina display with True Tone – a smaller screen does not offer enough screen space when working with the visually dependent programs we use
- ~$3,399*
- Warranty Apple Care+ – (adds ~$303.00 to costs)
- For a limited time, save 20% on AppleCare+. This education price is valid only when AppleCare+ is purchased at the same time as your Mac.
*We do not recommend the “Pro Apps Bundle for Education (Pro Apps Bundle for Education)”
Redundant External File Storage
All video production students are required to have a second method of backing up their files to prevent loss of data through computer failure or other means of loss.
Recommended external storage
- A USB-C external hard drive with 1-2TB capacity (1TB minimum, 2TB recommended), which is USB powered is best suited to the available ports of your chosen laptop. Coursework or personal projects stored temporarily on lab computer desktops may be lost during maintenance or in a worst case scenario, a laptop is damaged, and student loose current or stored work; students are expected to store personal coursework in at least two places to protect against loss. Professors often require the use of cloud based storage, usually free (Dropbox, Box.com, OneDrive, or other for submission of work in a digital format, but these carry limited storage space.
- Recommended: A USB Cexternal hard drive with a 2TB hard drive, must be USB powered, such as LaCie Rugged USB-C and USB 3.0 2TB Portable Hard Drive STFR2000400, ~$120
