My college says no Athlons....

M

Matt126

Gawd
Joined
Aug 13, 2001
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So I get an email today from the college I will be attending as a freshman next fall.. I'm going to be attending NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) as a Computer Science major. They send me an email stating they have a strict requirement for the computer you can have. Thinking nothing of it, as I just purchased an Emachines M6809 recently, I went on reading. I see Pentium 4 2.0ghz or greater, I have an Athlon 64 3200+... OK there... I go on reading the FAQ.. I stumble upon this..

" My existing machine is a Celeron or Athlon processor. Is this acceptable?

Unfortunately, NO. The Celeron processor is designed for the home market place and will not run some of the scientific, engineering, or programming software you are likely to use in your studies and later in your professional career. While the Athlon processor may work in most cases, there are subtle differences which may cause compatibility problems with some of the technical software. (top)"

taken from: http://csd.njit.edu/compreq/spec.php

Now I''ve been using Athlons for quite a few years now, and I've never personally had a compatibility problem. I can see them saying this 5 years ago.. but now? I don't think so.
Can anyone tell me one instance where an Athlon would not be acceptable? I plan on emailing them but I need a few opinions first to make a good argument. Any input is appreciated. Thanks

-Matt
 
Bunch of bull

Sit those people down at 20 different computers with either a p4 2.0 or an athlon and they would never now the difference.

And in all honesty I don't see where they can say a celeron cant handle the programs either. Its a p4 with less cache, and less cache has only shown to make it slower in a bunch of programs. Not unable to perform the duty, just slower.

I say take your machine, don't mention it to any of the profs and go about your merry way.
 
I would ask them to point out a specific application that will run on a P4 but not an an Athlon.
 
Agreed. Just don't mention it and avoid the hassle. You'll be fine.

H
 
Hmmm maybe they have some sort of special deal worked out with Intel and Dell :eek:
 
sounds like intel sent them some marketing and they bought it, hook line and sinker.
 
Sounds like they are full of shit to me. I've used dozens of different types of engineering and lab software on my personal machine.

Smells like the same old crap that comes spewing out of the mouths of the individuals of my schools IT department.
 
One thing I know that can be processor specific is some programs such as lame mp3 encoder.. (unless it was bladeenc) but I had them for my P4 until I blew it up and moved to an AMD now they just give me errors and dont run.. so if its processor specific software it can cause it to crash..

I think there is also a P4 specific virtual dub.
 
NO. As long as you have a windows operating system on your computer (e.g. Windows/2000, Windows-XP/Home edition), NJIT’s Campus Agreement with Microsoft will allow you to upgrade the operating system at no cost. You will be given instructions on how to download the Windows-XP/Professional operating systems during Miniversity, NJIT’s freshman orientation program. (top)
Click to expand...

Warez :p

But aye, for a college campus they're pretty out of date and seem to prefer Intel over everything. Even the baseline NIC reccomends an Intel, I didn't know Intel even made NICs.

The Celeron processor is designed for the home market place and will not run some of the scientific, engineering, or programming software you are likely to use in your studies and later in your professional career.
Click to expand...

The Celeron's pretty much a half-cache Pentium, it performs like crap but there's no reason it can't run stuff that a regular Pentium does. Something to note about their rule on Athlons, they don't mension the Athlon XP, Athlon 64, Duron, or Opteron- just the old, regular Athlons. Strange they make a specific rule against Celerons but not against Durons, see if all those chips are consitered Athlons.
 
Wow, I used to have respect for NJIT. Glad I decided not to go there

Im also glad because I would literally call them up and yell at them for being idiots if they sent me that.
 
kronchev said:
Wow, I used to have respect for NJIT. Glad I decided not to go there

Im also glad because I would literally call them up and yell at them for being idiots if they sent me that.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you changed your opinion of them because some idiot made a rule so dumb.
:p

Anyways I think I'll just ask a current student what the deal is, and maybe email them. Keep the comments coming :eek:
 
(I dont usually comment in this kind of thread, must be the Benadryl)




Um, this is a 'Institute of Technology'? That are going to teach you 'Computer Science' ??

I wonder if they'll start you out with programming on paper punchcards. :rolleyes:



I'd consider getting my money back. Now.
 
Ignad said:
(I dont usually comment in this kind of thread, must be the Benadryl)




Um, this is a 'Institute of Technology'? That are going to teach you 'Computer Science' ??

I wonder if they'll start you out with programming on paper punchcards. :rolleyes:



I'd consider getting my money back. Now.
Click to expand...

I haven't paid them yet ;)

But seriously I've heard good things about their CS program, and I'd imagine the professors would laugh at seeing this.
 
dont return it. but do save up some money JUST in case they become ass-holes and tell you to buy another PC. if, you get along just fine, dont tell anyone. if a professor sees that you use an Athlon, tell him how long you have been using it at college and how it worked out. if all is fine and well when you graduate, send a letter to the dean telling him about your PC. but make sure it is AFTER your graduation.
 
Maybe you should go to another school.. that sonuds like total bullshit to me man.. I'm not a computer science major, but i know people that are, and some of them have Athlon rigs.. no problems at all.. these people are gonna graduate real soon.. so they went all through college with out a problem.. as someone said before.. don't mention anything to them, i'm sure you'll be fine... they sound like the don't know shit.

Also, i myself run an Athlon XP, i'm an EE major, and have had no problems running any of the many, design and simulation programs we have to use.

perhaps they are refering to durons?!... i mean a celeron can only be decently compared to a duron.
 
Here's my question... What about people with Pentium M's ?? They don't make ANY mention of that. Maybe I'll email them anonymously.. who knows.
 
a pentium-M 2.0ghz would kick a P4 2.0's ass...
hell, my 1.3 centrino nearly does.
i doubt they'd have a problem.
 
I started my Computer Science degree on a AMD K6 proc machine and 3 years later im doing comp. engineering with a AMD64 and i have never have problems. And im right acrosss the river form you.
 
awdark said:
One thing I know that can be processor specific is some programs such as lame mp3 encoder.. (unless it was bladeenc) but I had them for my P4 until I blew it up and moved to an AMD now they just give me errors and dont run.. so if its processor specific software it can cause it to crash..

I think there is also a P4 specific virtual dub.
Click to expand...

I have no problem running LAME with my 1900+, sounds like user error to me ;) :D
 
Sounds to me like the specs were written a long time ago, and only minor changes made since then. Like you said, it would've made sense 5 years ago, when the slotted Athlons made their debut as a terrific CPU but lousy chipsets to work with them.

All the rest of the errors on the page ("Apple/MAC", as if the short name for Macintosh was an acronym; "Windows-XP/Home edition" showing inconsistent capitalization and love of including punctuation that shouldn't exist) support that it's just been poorly maintained.
 
mycroftb said:
Sounds to me like the specs were written a long time ago, and only minor changes made since then. Like you said, it would've made sense 5 years ago, when the slotted Athlons made their debut as a terrific CPU but lousy chipsets to work with them.

All the rest of the errors on the page ("Apple/MAC", as if the short name for Macintosh was an acronym; "Windows-XP/Home edition" showing inconsistent capitalization and love of including punctuation that shouldn't exist) support that it's just been poorly maintained.
Click to expand...

Yeah this is the best hypothesis I can come up with. I hope we're right. :)
 
Obviously the asshole who made up that rule was some kind of administrator who has no understanding of computer sciences.


That school is obviously a "Wintel" university, and the head douche incharge thinks that for some reason that he can't explain you are just better off to use a Microsoft operating systen on a Pentium 4 box.

Why pentium 4 ? Because those are obviously TeH bEST since there is no such thing as a Pentium 5.
 
Hey guys I want to shed some light on this. I went to RIT (Rochester Inst of Tech) as a mechanical engineering student. I had an Athlon the whole time I was there and never had any issues running my engineering programs.... the ones that DID run!

Some engineering programs such as Solid Works and some CAD programs wouldnt run on my computer, reason being I didnt have an intel processor. During the setup it wouldnt let me install and a pop up window would show up and tell me basically it was because I had an AMD (not in so many words)

Ran it on my roommates SLOWER P3 and no problems, installed and running.

So I say you are ok with the AMD, but dont be surprised if you arent able to install some of the required programs. This was almost 4 yrs ago, so things could have changed but thats just an FYI.
 
Thats fucken bullshit!


He he, a thought just popped into my head. Instead of running Windows XP in compatibility mode for Windows 98 and 2000; Microsoft should make an Intel compatibility mode for the Athlon64. I am sure it will be able to emulate a Pentium III easily enough.

O and a off topic comment about OpenOffice. It does not like 'fucken' but does find 'fucker' 'fucked' and 'fuck en' as acceptable spellings for it. :eek:
 
here's what u say, i bought my computer already, i'm already paying for tuition, books, food, and everyother thing here. if u want me to have a pentium cpu, u buy one for me. simple as that. its like ok your grades are good, your extra-curricular activities are great but your computer is not up to par, so u can't come to here, its like a nerd admission standard, sad very sad.
 
CentronMe said:
O and a off topic comment about OpenOffice. It does not like 'fucken' but does find 'fucker' 'fucked' and 'fuck en' as acceptable spellings for it. :eek:
Click to expand...

[more OT]
did you try fuckin?
[/more OT]

The only thing I can think of that may in some way make some sort of sense is that a program they use requires SSE2 and they are unaware that an athlon 64 supports that. Most likely they are just all around uninformed... someone needs to fire whoever wrote that. Its supposed to be a technology school no?
 
just don't have a duron or celeron and u'll b fine.. i purposly bought the system in my specs for college
 
Sounds like a user error somewhere along the way. Some people need to get with the times.

I would ask them about it, and if they seriously say something really stupid like "Well, intels are more secure and stable than AMD processors" Then i would personally ask if they have a wetware problem, and if so are they working out the bugs.

Well, i wouldnt tell them the last part, id be to busy laughing.
 
id say finda new school. that has to be the funniest thign i heard in a long time geez there all x86 cpu's so all three will run the software just fine. do they have the cpu police come around and check your systems specs?
 
the people that made those specs must not know much about processor performance other than pure core speed lol
 
Maybe some of those apps required SSE2 extensions? Only thing I can think of... besides detecting the CPU string and just not allowing you to use it. I would think you could possibly get around that... hell if nothing else there's always VMware :)
 
You should send a copy of that letter directly to AMD and see what they have to say about it.

The only reason something would not install "because it was not intel" would be if the software programmer itself was a "intel nazi" and coded the program to sense the processor type.

I hate ppl like that.

F. That School!

-R
 
I'm now a 5th year senior (I'm a slacker) at NJIT and I majored in IS and my friend EE there, and we both have athlon machines and of course never had a single problem with any of the dumbass apps that are used. You'll come to learn to not listen to a thing that the college ever tells you. Your much better making decisions on your own heh.
 
I went to NJIT.... graduated a month ago. Don't listen to them, I used AMD all the way through. Someone just likes Intel more :).
 
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