A letter to incoming students this summer will urge them buy a more expensive and powerful computer system than the one recommended to the Class of 1996 last year.
According to a draft of the letter prepared by the Committee on Computing, the recommended computer system is a Macintosh LCIII with a 12 inch black and white monitor, which currently costs $1,330.
The package will cost approximately $200 more than the Classic II package which the committee recommend a year ago but the exact price cannot be determined until Apple replies to the computer store.
Chemistry Professor Joseph Belbruno, who chairs the committee, said the committee based its recommendation on whether the computer will benefit the students just as well senior year as it does freshman year.
"We didn't feel the Classic II would serve someone well for the next four years," he said. "The nature of computing at Dartmouth may change drastically over the next four years; we wanted to be sure that you could adapt to those changes."
He would not confirm that the LCIII was the recommended package.
The price of the Classic II dropped to $980 from approximately $1,100 last fall, according to the College Computer Store price list.
A committee member, who asked not to be identified, said Apple will begin to phase out the Classic II and it may not be available in September or shortly thereafter.
With the increase in price of the recommended computer, some students say they are concerned about being able to afford it.
"Two hundred dollars is a lot of money for a lot of people," Freshman Class President Alex Lehmann '96 said. "It doesn't seem justified."
Director of Computing Larry Levine, who serves on the committee, said price was "most strongly felt in our considerations."
Belbruno said no matter what package is recommended, price is a very important factor to be considered. Because purhasing a computer is required of all Dartmouth students, the cost is covered by financial aid, he added.
In the end the question is whether the $200 difference spread over four years would benefit the student, Belbruno said.
"The LCIII has more longevity," Levine said. "It is less likely to become obsolete in the next four years."
Belbruno said a majority of incoming students purchase the computer package recommended by the College each year.
