Students must provide their own computer for classes at NSS and having the right computer and other equipment will make a difference in your experience. You can use a Mac, Windows, or Linux laptop for our Data Engineering Bootcamps.

Looking for hardware requirements for another program you can find them here: Data Analytics & Data Science or Software Development.

Computers

First, a couple of overall thoughts on computers.

1. You can use a desktop computer or a laptop.
   
   
2. You do not need a new computer for NSS - many machines manufactured since 2020 will work just fine although some may benefit from upgrades (in particular upgrades to RAM).
   
   
3. Even if you are going to acquire a computer it need not be a brand-new machine. Many students acquire used or refurbished machines.
   
   
4. You can use either a Mac or Windows computer that meets our requirements as outlined below.
   
   
5. You may NOT use a Chromebook, tablet (such as an iPad), a phone, or any other device that is not listed. The reason for this requirement is simple. The software we will use in the course will not run on devices other than those listed. Other devices simply will not work.
   
   

You'll find more specific requirements for computer (memory, hard drive, cpu, and operating system) for each program below.

Data Engineering Bootcamps

Additional Required Equipment

Your laptop should include a microphone, speakers, and a webcam that are compatible with Zoom. If you're using a laptop or a desktop computer where these are not built-in, you will need to purchase separate hardware.

Recommended Additional Hardware

These items are not critical for success in our programs, but many students find them convenient to have.

• Second monitor (for remote students)
• External keyboard
• External mouse
• Headphones

Video Conferencing

In addition to meeting the hardware requirements for your computer you must have a high speed Internet connection capable of supporting video conferencing software. We strongly recommend joining a Zoom test meeting to verify that your connection and hardware meet this requirement. While either headphones or speakers are sufficient for this course, use of headphones is highly encouraged if you join from an environment with a lot of background noise.

Administrator Rights

You must have administrator privileges on your computer. This means you should be able to install, uninstall, and configure software, and you should be able to make changes to the computer's operating system settings.

Know Your Computer

Whatever computer and operating system you use, it is your responsibility to understand how to use the system. This includes installing software, running applications, navigating files and folders, and changing system settings.

Still have questions? Drop a comment or connect with us through our contact page.