Haslam College of Business HCB Laptop Specifications

Important Purchasing Information

These minimum specifications are for all undergrad students in the Haslam College of Business. Undergraduates who have further questions may contact Technology Integration Services by email at haslamhelp@utk.edu.

1. The specifications given here include minimum recommendations and upgrade recommendations. Please buy laptops that meet at least the minimum recommendations.  Any suggested upgrades that you can afford at the time of purchase will only increase the likelihood of keeping your computer throughout your entire program at UT.
2. You must purchase a Windows computer with the ability to run the full version of the  Microsoft Windows operating system (version 10 or higher) OR an Apple computer running the Mojave Mac operating system (version 10.14 or higher) with the ability to host a Windows 10 (or higher) virtual machine/bootcamp partition.  Please note, if you purchase an Apple computer that has an M1 processor chip or an Intel processor chip, you will need to purchase additional software to create a Windows environment on your computer.  Currently, the only software with such capability to date to support the M1 chip is Parallels. Apple Bootcamp, VirtualBox, Parallels, and VMWare Fusion all currently work with an Intel chip Mac computer.er.
3. File Management.  You must manage files on your hard drive such that you have adequate space to run applications required in HCB requirements.  This may require you to move files to an external hard drive or a Flash drive or choose a cloud storage option (OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.).
4. Back up your work. Purchase an external hard drive or a Flash drive or choose a cloud storage option (OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.) to back up your files on a regular basis. This will save you from last-minute disasters that have been experienced by previous UT students – lost papers and even lost thesis chapters because they did not back up their work.
5. We strongly recommend that you purchase your hardware and software from the university Bookstore Technology Center. They know our program requirements, and their prices are competitive. Big box electronics stores are notorious for selling students the wrong operating system. Other software is available to students at no cost via the online software distribution site.