UW ECE Laptop Policy

All University of Washington Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (UW ECE) students are required to have a personal laptop capable of running required software for coursework and design projects. The specific brand and model are your choice. Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo and other major brands are all acceptable, as long as your system meets the College of Engineering’s minimum specifications for performance, memory and storage, and ideally, meets or exceeds the recommended specifications.

Windows computers are fully supported for all coursework. Mac computers are fully supported for most coursework. However, a small number of applications may run only on Windows. In those cases, all Mac users can run Windows (on x86 or ARM) using virtualization tools such as VMware Fusion or UTM (free), or Parallels ($50 per year for students). Students with Intel based Macs also have the option of dual-booting Windows on x86 via Apple’s Boot Camp (free).

We encourage students who prefer macOS to continue using it, with the understanding that a virtualized or native Windows environment may be required for a few tools and depending on the course they are taking.

In addition to personal laptop options, the ECE Department provides 60 Windows computers with the required instructional software for use by students. The College of Engineering Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure also has ECE Windows software (e.g., ModelSim, Quartus) installed and is accessible remotely by all UW ECE students.

What this means for Mac users

Here are some things to watch out for and recommendations if you use a Mac in UW ECE.

Consideration	Advice / Tip
Software Compatibility	Before a quarter starts, check the syllabi of your classes to see if they require Windows-only software (e.g., ModelSim, Quartus). If so, plan to install Windows on your Mac.
How to run Windows on Mac	Dual-boot (Boot Camp) gives full x86 Windows performance on Intel based Macs, but you have to reboot to switch OS. Boot Camp is unavailable on Apple Silicon Macs (M series). Virtualization (VMware Fusion, UTM, Parallels) runs Windows on x86 inside macOS on Intel based Macs, or Windows on ARM inside M series Macs. Convenient for switching back/forth, though performance may suffer, especially for memory and graphically intensive tasks.
Performance & Specs	If you choose to run two operating systems (macOS + Windows) at the same time via virtualization, having better specs beyond the minimum specifications (more RAM, faster CPU, larger SSD) will reduce bottlenecks and is strongly recommended.
Support & Troubleshooting	Some issues (e.g. hardware compatibility, driver support) can arise when running Windows on Mac. Be ready to troubleshoot or seek support from online forums, UW-IT or your course TA.
Cost & Licensing	Windows, VMWare Fusion and UTM are freely available to UW students. You need to pay for Parallels or another virtualization product.
Backup & Dual OS Care	When juggling multiple operating systems, maintain backups and be careful when partitioning or resizing disks.

For a catalog of various free or low-cost software packages available to you via UW-IT, please visit: http://www.washington.edu/itconnect/wares/uware/