The Dell PC's come dual-boot with Windows XP/SuSY Linux and MS Office; the MAC iBooks come with MAC OSX and Office 2004. They all have Mathematica along with various utilities.
Please note that these machines are the property of the University. Should you leave the Physics PhD program before graduating, the laptop computer and all software must be returned to the Physics Graduate Office.
If you lose it or it is stolen, you are responsible for obtaining a replacement. So, please don't lose it or make it easy target for theft. Students are strongly encouraged to register their machine with the Yale Police Department (YPD) through their STOP program. See their web site for more information.
If you encounter problems with the laptop, your first step is to send a message to physics.support@yale.edu. You should expect a response within 24 hours. The machines have a three year warranty. The machines are typically delivered mid-August. Upgrades or repairs outside of the warranty are the responsibility of the user.
A wireless hub is located on the third floor of Sloane Physics Lab. The laptops are properly configured to work on the hard-wired ethernet ports on campus as well as the wireless network.