No matter the field or industry, computers keep becoming more and more intertwined in our day-to-day usage. For the student, this is an understatement that doesn't do the reality justice. This is even more true for a chemistry student. Although a computer can't plausibly emulate an actual lab environment, it can save one much time and effort in other aspects of chemistry work.

It is very desirable to maintain an evolving application base. Furthermore, these applications should be affordable to the student. Such applications should include a variety of categories, including (but not limited to!) word processing, mathematical engines for advanced algorithms and graphing, spreadsheets, 3-dimensional viewing and modeling, and, of course, molecular/quantum computational packages.

Adequate hardware is required to utilize this software and several options will be discussed. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of various operating systems will be presented.