The university aims to supply PC hardware suitable to the needs of each individual. In broad terms, this means that we negotiate supply with vendors who can supply enterprise-class devices, which are of a high enough specification to meet the needs of the vast majority of people, without the need to purchase anything more specialised. Automated set-up processes are geared around a catalogue of approved Windows devices. Please see KB0014175 for the current range.
Where there is a requirement which cannot be reasonably met by the standard offerings, IT will discuss your needs and approach approved vendors for quotes. We will only assist with purchases of enterprise-class hardware with a 5-year warranty from the vendor. In some cases, this may mean a trade-off regarding screen size / weight of portable devices or price. In all cases, purchases will be made on the basis of:
Over 90% of machines in use run the Windows operating system, and the university’s support infrastructure is weighted towards this overwhelming majority of devices. When requesting a new device, users are advised that, unless they have a requirement to run functions or software which are specific to macOS or a supported Linux operating system (CentOS / Red Hat), IT will seek to issue a Windows device of a suitable performance specification. Consideration should also be given to software which will only run in Windows e.g. Microsoft Project, Visio or Access. IT will not support special measures to run Windows-only software on any other platform. Dual boot on devices of any kind is not supported.
Apple devices are not issued on the basis of personal preference or familiarity with the macOS operating system, but on the basis of functional requirement. This may mean that, at the end of your current device’s lifecycle, you are asked to transfer to a machine which has a different operating system.
Users should also note that, due to current infrastructures, configuration of non-Windows devices is a much more intensive and manual process, so provision of machines will inevitably take longer, and support costs will be higher.
Users are responsible for checking if the "M" series processors in newer macOS models are suitable for running their software. For further detials, please refer to https://it.leeds.ac.uk/it?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0015105.