Laptop Requirements and Internet Access for Learning

Please prepare your laptop before admission since there will be many occasions when you are required to use it after admission.

Be sure to review the minimum recommended specifications below for laptop and internet environments. However, please note that even if your exisiting laptop does not meet the minimum specifications, it is not necessary to purchase a new one. You can consider whether to purchase the new one based on the laptop usage situation after you started university.

Refer to “Beginner's Guide for Students” for IT services available on campus after purchasing a laptop.
https://www.iimc.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/guide/students/beginner-guide.html

(a) Recommended Laptop Specifications

Considering using your laptop on campus where classrooms vary from class to class, for self-study outside of class hours and attending online classes, we advise that you have a laptop that is easily portable, has fast boot-up speed and power-saving features, and also that is strong enough to be able to survive from turbulence knock on your commute to the campus by bicycle or other means.

• Although support for older versions is still available, unsupported versions will no longer be guaranteed to receive software updates. Support for Windows 10 and macOS 13 will end on October 14 and in Autumn, 2025, respectively.
• Although more expensive than hard disk drives (HDDs), they are better designed in some performance such as startup speed and power savings for use on campus, where classrooms change from class to class, and fault tolerance when commuting to and from school by bicycle or other means.
• Since there are no charging stations on campus, we recommend you have the laptop that should last an entire school day after you recharge your laptop at home..
• Tablet-type terminals without keyboards are not suitable for study use, such as report writing, because they require the use of software keyboard and narrow the screen.
• Kyoto University members can purchase ESET PROTECT On-Prem inexpensively. Kyoto University CO-OP handles its sales and administrative operations.
• It also has a web version that runs on a web browser, but this recommended specification requires that you be able to use the PC version that runs by installing it on a laptop.

1　Important Note in Each Faculty

• Faculty of Engineering (Department of Architecture)
  From the first semester of the first year, students in the Department of Architecture use their own PCs for exercises in the lecture rooms and drafting rooms. The above minimum specifications required by KU meet our minimum standards, but the following considerations will help make the exercises more comfortable and economical.
  【Do I need to purchase a new laptop?】
  If you have no problems or are not sure about specifications with your current laptop for daily use, please take classes with it for the time being. It is not too late to purchase a new one after you consult with the faculty members or other experts when you started university.
  【Windows or Mac ?】
  Since some engineering software packages only run on Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows laptop is recommended in this regard. Students who opt for a Mac are responsible for researching an alternative way for using the specific software on a Mac, or installing Windows Operating software such as Parallels to operate Windows-based software on a Mac.
  【Graphics Board】
  In the department's exercises, students operate CAD, create 3DCG, edit images or videos, and even generative AI recently. Depending on processes or apps, laptops with graphics board are recommended or required, which offer a higher processing speed and make you feel less stressed. A graphics board is hardware, for example, described as “NVIDIA GeForce RTX” or “AMD Radeon”. It is not the GPU built into the CPU and is often installed in products in the “Gaming Laptop” category. It is possible to work on minimum exercises on a lap-top without a graphics board, but a laptop pre-loaded with a graphics board is highly recommended. Computers which provide sufficient graphics performance are available at the same cost as the recommended specifications noted above.
  【Computer Mouse】
  For 3D operation, it is required to use a computer mouse that has multiple buttons and a scroll wheel.
  【Printer】
  Printers are used for printing components of drawings and models. You can print those components at convenience stores, but there are restrictions on the type of paper and the time and effort required Your own printer makes it easier to extend your range of expression in drawings, models, etc.. While A4 (297*210mm) printers are reasonable to purchase, A3 (420*297mm, double size of A4) printers are generally used in the field of architectural design.

2　Purchasing a Laptop

3　Notes on the Use of Laptop

• Please note that students are required to take the Information security e-Learning.
• Be sure to charge your laptop at home.
• On your commute to the campus, especially when placing your laptop in a bicycle basket, take care not to damage your laptop by dropping it and etc…
• Beware of theft, both on and off campus when carrying a laptop.
• To prevent information leakage in the event of theft or loss, please set strong passwords on your laptop computer and encrypt the internal drive as much as possible.
• Do not use non-authorized software (pirated software, unauthorized licenses, etc.). Otherwise, it may violate copyright laws and the user himself/herself or the university may be held legally responsible. There is also a possibility of virus contamination.

⒝ Recommended Internet Environment