What computer science and cybersecurity students need
- A laptop with 16 GB of memory or more: if you run virtual machines and Docker.
- A GitHub account on your university email: which opens the free student pack.
- A USB stick: to install systems such as Kali Linux in security courses.
- A second screen: for long coding and study sessions (optional).
- A USB-C hub: if your laptop is short on ports.
- Noise-cancelling headphones: for online lectures and focus.
Specs matter more than the brand: enough memory and storage, and a battery that lasts the university day.
Best laptop and iPad for computer science and cybersecurity students
Mac or Windows? Both work for programming. A MacBook is comfortable and required for building Apple apps; Windows or Linux is easier for some security and networking tools. Memory and storage matter most, because virtual machines eat both. More in best laptop for students.
| Product | Student price | Regular price | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPad Air | From SAR 3,299 | 6% | |
| Apple MacBook Air | From SAR 5,499 | 8% | |
| Apple iPad Pro | From SAR 5,099 | 9% | |
| Apple MacBook Pro | From SAR 8,999 | 5% | |
| Apple iMac | From SAR 6,799 | 3% | |
| Apple iPad mini | From SAR 2,599 | 7% | |
| Apple iPad | From SAR 1,999 | 5% | |
| Apple Mac mini | From SAR 3,799 | 12% | |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch9 40mm | SAR 1,439 | 10% | |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 256GB | SAR 6,659.10 | 10% |
Prices and deals in this article come straight from the tiswa catalogue, so they stay current.
Free and student-priced software for computer science and cybersecurity
- GitHub Student Developer Pack: GitHub Copilot and free developer tools with your university email.
- VS Code: free code editor.
- Cisco Packet Tracer: free network simulator after signing up to Cisco Networking Academy.
- Wireshark: network analysis, free and open source.
- Kali Linux: penetration-testing system for security courses, free.
And on tiswa, once you verify you are a student:
- GitHub: GitHub offers GitHub Student Developer Pack to university students in Saudi Arabia for free.
- JetBrains: JetBrains offers JetBrains Student Pack to university students in Saudi Arabia for free.
- Google AI: Google AI offers Google AI Plus free for a year to university students in Saudi Arabia.
- Notion: Notion offers Notion Education plan for students to university students in Saudi Arabia for free.
