Which device is best for my daughter?
Both current research and results from our own BYOD trial class suggests that students will be more inclined to bring and use their laptop if a school allows some kind of choice as to which device to bring. We are therefore allowing students to bring a device of their choice which falls within our device specifications (see device specifications page)
The main choices are either a Windows or Mac laptop. Ipads and Surface tablets can also be brought to school.
Windows or Mac?
There is no preferred Operating System. Both Windows and Macs work equally within our school network.
Physical dimensions
Minimum Screen Size: 9.7"
Maximum Screen Size: 15.6”
Operating system
Microsoft Windows 10 or 11 (Home, Pro or Education editions are supported)
Apple Mac OS X 12 or newer (Please refer to Apple's end of support dates for their OS)
**Wireless compatibility**
Device MUST have 5GHz WLAN channel support (or dual band WiFi) - 802.11 a/b/g/n, 802.11 a/g/n or 802.11 ac to connect
This is the most important specification as there will be no internet access if your device does not comply and you will need to purchase a separate dongle.
Battery life
Advertised battery life of at least six hours
(There are not facilities to charge laptops in classrooms)
Additional considerations:
The following are not requirements of the "Bring Your Own Device "program, but are considerations which you should direct your attention to:
Maximum weight: 2kg
Minimum RAM (laptops): 4GB
Disk configuration (laptops): Solid State disk (SSD) for primary drive
CPU: Intel Core i3 equivalent or higher
AMD Ryzen 3 equivalent or higher
Protective cover/sleeve
Accidental loss or damage insurance
Considerations
Accidental loss and breakage insurance Anti Virus Protection
Software specification
Students will need to perform the following tasks on the device and will require relevant software for each task. Before purchasing expensive software, please read the following points:
• Google Apps provides the ability to create and store documents, presentations and spread sheets for free. This works ‘in the cloud’ and work can be shared across a variety of devices and operating systems. The Google suite comes at no cost as the school has proactively acquired access for all students.
• Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite. These are available to students for free from the DoE Portal so you do not need to buy any expensive software. These are available for both Mac and Windows laptops. Students are to download independently. Instructions are on the Riverside Student Portal as well as the DoE Student Portal.
• Anti-Virus Protection - Windows 10/11 comes with an in-built antivirus (Windows Defender). Software with inbuilt VPNs or website filtering may cause issues connecting while at school.
• Anti-Malware - Malwarebytes can generally be used alongside your existing AntiVirus soluton. Not required.