- Request a Microsoft Dreamspark account via ENS (Engineering Network Services) by visiting the ENS Help Desk in Glover 100, by calling 970-491-2917, or by e-mailing help@engr.colostate.edu. The Dreamspark program offers free Microsoft software (including the Windows operating system) to CSU students. More info can be found here: ENS Dreamspark information.
- Sign in at the CSU Engineering Dreamspark website and download the Windows 7 operating system as an ISO image file. Refer to the ENS Dreamspark information page for instructions on how to do this. If your Mac has a DVD drive, burn the ISO file to a DVD; otherwise, you will need to save it as a bootable file on a USB flash drive.
- Use Boot Camp or Parallels Desktop (available for a discount at the LSC computer store) on your Mac to install Windows from the DVD or flash drive. The Central IT Technical Support Help Desk can provide advice and help if you have trouble with this step. They are located on the 1st floor of the Morgan Library just west of the Loan and Reserve Desk. They can also be reached by phone (970-491-7276) or e-mail (help@colostate.edu).
- Run Windows on your Mac and install Mathcad Prime.
Note – There are alternatives to using Boot Camp and Parallels Desktop. For more information, see: The best way to run Windows on your Mac.
If you are unable to install Windows and Mathcad on your Mac, you have the option of doing your work in any of the ENS computer Labs or via the ENS Virtual Classroom. However, be aware that there are a limited number of Mathcad licenses, so it might not always be available, especially during peak times.
Another option, which I know probably doesn’t sound very attractive, is to purchase a Windows PC (desktop or laptop). Macs are great general-purpose computers and excellent for many fields of study (e.g., graphic design, music, film, publishing, etc.), but many engineering software applications you might use in the future unfortunately run only on Windows computers (or Macs with Windows loaded).