What kind of computer should I have for studies in computer science or computer engineering?

[bsiever]

What kind of computer should I have for studies in computer science or computer engineering?

[bsiever]

"Students need access to a laptop for many courses. The School of Engineering has minimum guides here: https://techden.wustl.edu/selecting-a-laptop/mckelvey/. It recommends against Apple silicon (M1 and M2 processors). However, there are few known serious problems for the majority of CSE work and many faculty members are using Apple silicon. If you chose Apple silicon, start work early enough to ensure you will be able to run required software and be aware of computer labs in case you do encounter compatibility issues. "My computer couldn't do this" isn't a valid excuse for not completing work on time.

There are only a few CSE courses that require a specific operating systems and they usually have alternatives available. Example courses with machine requirements and alternatives are:

• CSE 438S (Mobile App Development): Nearly all semesters require access to a Mac for iOS app development. There is a Mac lab available for students who don't have a Mac, which is a bit less convenient but allows all course work to be completed. (This course has been offered for Android a few times, which worked on macOS or Windows)
• CSE 439S: Mobile App Development II: Always based on iOS app development and requires access to a Mac. Again, the lab can be used.
• CSE 260M (Introduction to Digital Logic and Computer Design), CSE 362M (Computer Architecture), and CSE 462M (Computer Systems Design) use PC-based tools (Vivado is one). Students do not need access during class sessions. Those with Macs can use engineering computer labs, remote access, or try to use emulation tools, like Parallels or VMWare Fusion. All have some potential limitations: Engineering labs require travelling to campus and finding an available machine. Remote access is clunky and doesn't support all needs, like connecting to a device via USB. As of July 2022, I'm not sure emulation has been tested on Apple Silicon to see how well it works. "