Should I buy my own computer?
and
Will I be able to use my own computer?

Applicants, and potential applicants, often ask us whether they should buy their own computer. Typically, they say 'Do I need a computer of my own?', or 'Would it help if I owned a computer?' or 'I own a computer: will I be able to use it?'

The Department of Computer Science cannot offer advice on computer purchase, except to say that the best idea is to wait until you arrive in York, and have embarked on your studies. After a few weeks, you will be better placed to judge for yourself whether or not to buy a computer and, if so, what to buy.
The City of York is very well supplied with private enterprise providers of hardware, software and advice. Have a look at the Yellow Pages when you get here.
Also, you might be able to obtain some of the things you want from the University Computing Service. See the Computing Service page that corresponds to this Dept of CS page.

With regard to the Department of Computer Science, you may find the following information useful.

The Department has two software teaching laboratories, each with 49 dual-boot Windows/Linux computers. These are timetabled for practicals. When not timetabled, or when timetabled for fewer students than the number of machines, computers in the labs are available for use by students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

(The two hardware teaching labs have similar machines: but, there, access is restricted to timetabled practical sessions for reasons of safety.)

Students sign an agreement with the Department that restricts their use of Departmental computing resources to legitimate activities according to its Regulations. Those Regulations say that the Department's resources are to be used only for work directly related to your course of study. In particular, they may not be used for commercial purposes.

Students are permitted to connect devices and computers to the Department network through wireless links and also through wired sockets that are provided in the student common room. The Department network gives (restricted) access to external networks.

Most student study-bedrooms in college accommodation have wired connections to the University's Student Network Service: see our page about Internet Access. This gives students access to most Departmental facilities.

The Department cannot maintain the hardware or software of students' own computers.

Computer Science students are entitled to install on their PCs for themselves various course-related software, including many Windows applications. There is a Support Web Page that lists these, but it is visible only to staff and students of the Department.

Should I buy my own computer? and Will I be able to use my own computer?

Should I buy my own computer?
and
Will I be able to use my own computer?