All Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment programs are computer-intensive. Students are required to have a personal laptop computer.
A Microsoft Windows PC with a mouse is strongly recommended. Apple products, like MacBooks, are not fully supported by all the software used in the program. Most notably, Revit does not have a Mac version and cannot be run on newer MacBooks (with Apple Silicon M-series chips) since they no longer support dual-booting Windows. Furthermore, while AutoCAD, Rhino, and Adobe Creative Suite have Mac versions, their interfaces may differ from what is taught in class, and certain advanced features or plugins may not be fully supported. Therefore, a Windows PC remains the best choice for students.
Students will extensively use a variety of professional software packages throughout the curriculum, including Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino 3D, and Adobe Creative Suite (which is strictly required for certain ATD classes). To run all of these programs smoothly, a personal laptop computer with a dedicated graphics card (such as NVIDIA GeForce RTX series), at least 16 GB (32 GB recommended) of RAM, and 512 GB to 1 TB of SSD disk space is highly suggested.
Please use this link (System requirements for Revit 2026 products) to see the requirements for Value: Balanced price and Performance as a guideline.
Appalachian State University provides computer technical support to students, faculty, and staff: support.appstate.edu
Some computer manufacturers offer Appalachian State University Students with purchasing options. Purchases may also be made through the Appalachian State Bookstore and Computer shop.