[GIS] Will Toshiba Satellite 70-A-11h meet GIS student notebook requirements

arcgis-desktoperdas-imaginehardware

I'm just about to start a college to study GIS and I need new notebook computer.
I would like a one that will last me for awhile and that can run the ArcGIS and ERDAS Imagine programmes that are provided for students without any problems.

One that I'm looking for at the moment is Toshiba Satellite 70-A-11h.

OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit (pre-installed)
Processor: 4th generation Intel® Core™ i5-4200M processor with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
clock speed : 2.50 / 3.10 Turbo GHz
internal resolution : 1,600 x 900
Hard disk capacity: 1 TB
RAM: 8,192 (4,096 + 4,096) MB
DDR3L RAM (1,600 MHz)

Could anybody tell me whether this is a good starter laptop for a GIS student or are some of the specifications a definite no no?

Best Answer

You can find the system requirements for ArcGIS 10.2 (the latest version) here and for ERDAS here.

The laptop you list more than satisfies the minimum requirements. For schooling you probably won't need a powerhouse and the machine you list will be more than adequate.

In the event that you want to upgrade here are some things to consider:

  1. Processor: an i7 processor will better handle running multiple programs at once, but it is by no means a requirement.
  2. Memory: more RAM is great, but 8GB is decent for a laptop.
  3. HD: A solid state drive would be beneficial (install the OS and programs on it), but it's tough to find an affordable notebook with this feature.

So, to answer your question, the laptop you list will do you just fine.