Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

What’s Best?

1. Windows
2. Buy what you can afford. Consider buying an ex-corporate laptop from a re-seller.
3. There are some really cheap machines (sub $200) on the market. You would be better with a secondhand machine from a reputable brand (the build quality is so much better)
4. An Android tablet is not suitable. You need Windows 10 and a keyboard. Touch screen and stylus are a good addition if the student doesn’t lose the stylus.
5. A smart phone is not a suitable device.
6. Get insurance if you buy an expensive machine.
7. Buy a sleeve for the laptop so it fits in the school bag
8. You do not need a top end powerful machine - that’s just needed for gaming but students doing Graphics and Photography may want to get more RAM than standard spec.

FAQs

Why not Google Docs ?

There is still a lot more demand in the workforce for Microsoft skills (check Trade Me jobs. They have conclusive data on this)

Where to purchase?

The school would recommend buying locally (easier if you need to return it). The deals are more or less the same wherever you go.  Tell the shop it’s a BYOD machine you want and that we run Windows 10 and get MS365 for free.

Noel Leeming / Warehouse Stationary / Smiths City in Oamaru. Harvey Norman or JB HiFi in Dunedin. Good machines can be from Dell BUT it’s always risky not having a store in town to go to if it goes wrong.

Insurance

Electrical stores try to sell you additional insurance. They have a responsibility to repair it if it breaks due to a manufacturing defect anyway. You may find it cheaper to add it to your existing household insurance for cover of theft and accidental breakage.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail John Robinson, Head of Technology - johnr@waitakibhs.school.nz